Severe headache while squatting the last few workouts.

[SilentShots]

First off, Mr. Rippetoe, I'd like to thank you for the instruction you've given me through Starting Strength. Without it, I'd be still be one of the sad kids doing hour long ab workouts at Gold's Gym after doing twelve different bench variations.

Well, starting last Wednesday, I've been having head pain while squatting.

Wednesday, after my second set of squats (265x3x5), I felt a pain in the back left of my neck, where my spine meets meets my skull. This was my first time doing this weight, and I managed to get 5-5-4 without the pain bothering me much. The sensation stayed in my neck and wasn't truly a headache. I was able to finish my workout fine.

Friday is when the real problem began. After an extensive warm-up, I squatted like normal. My workset was 265x3x5 again, so I was comfortable with the weight. The pain came this time during my last warm-up set of 225x2. It started again as a throbbing in the right back part of my neck, where the spine meets the head. I did my first workset, and although I was muscularly fine, my head felt like it was going to explode after each rep. I felt like I was going to passout after I racked the barbell. I tried to recover, barely able to stand. The pain was everywhere in my head: pressure, throbbing, stinging.

This sensation lasted a while, only slightly subduing. The pain was in a band across my forehead going down behind my ears and meeting in that area in the back of my neck. I couldn't finish the workout and stayed home Friday night, hitting the hay early after chugging water and taking some ibuprofen.

I woke up Saturday with mild, full-head pain, though it went away gradually throughout the day.

Today, I went to the gym to redo Friday's workout and conquer this damn headache. After my extensive warm-up, including upper back and neck foam rolling to target any spinal problem, I squatted again. The headache returned during my warm-up, this time as a pressure in my forehead. I made it through the entire workout, though squats were brutal. I got 5-5-4 on 265x3x5 and did decent on my other lifts. I believe I only made it through squats because I didn't hold my breath throughout the sets, refreshing myself in between each rep and re-oxygenating.

Now, what do you think could be the problem? I've never had this happen before. I've been fully hydrated for these workouts and plenty warmed-up. The slight headache from today still lingers, but I can't stop squatting to cure it. If this lasts another week I'll see a doctor, but I wanted to see what you thought about it. What could it possibly be?

Well, thanks for taking the time to read through this shit.
- Nick

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have no idea what this is. My advice would be to see a neurologist before you train again. Really. It might be nothing, but this is NOT a simple headache.

[tnumrych]

While clearly not the exact same thing given the circumstances surrounding your symptoms (lest you failed to mention something), this sounds eerily similar to this condition. At least it sounds plausible. The mechanism at play in both situations could be the same.

[SRS]

I had something remarkably similar happen but when benching. On the advice of a doctor friend, I went to the ER and had a CT scan followed by a lumbar puncture to rule out bleeding in my head. I followed up with a neurologist who diagnosed it generally as a exertion headache after an MRI. After a couple weeks of rest, I've had no more problems. According to the docs, it just happens sometimes. It's not the most comforting explanation, but at least I know there is nothing terribly wrong.

Rip is right - go to a doctor. It may be nothing but potential brain injuries/conditions are nothing to fuck with.

[smithy]

About 6 months ago i was returning to training after a lay off. I was training for a few weeks and i got to about 140kgs and started to experience a very intense head throb during my 2nd set. I finished my whole work out with quite a bit of pain. I didnt squat again for about 2 weeks - not because of the pain but i had to go work away. When i got back i returned to 140 again and the same shit happened. I thought about it for awhile and searched online to find nothing, I went back over my form and realised i squat with a incorrect neck position, not the one that is taught in SSBBT. I corrected my neck position and the pain seemed to go away. I didnt return to 140 though i backed off and worked back up.

This is my experience. You should go get checked out though.

[Mcpie]

This sounds different, but I found that extremely tight traps gave me terrible headaches whenever my heart rate rose. Worked extremely hard on removing trigger points in my neck/upper traps and it got a lot better. Just a thought.

[Fafner]

This sounds different, but I found that extremely tight traps gave me terrible headaches whenever my heart rate rose. Worked extremely hard on removing trigger points in my neck/upper traps and it got a lot better. Just a thought.

What did you do to remove the trigger points?

[Jonathon Sullivan]

I have no idea what this is. My advice would be to see a neurologist before you train again. Really. It might be nothing, but this is NOT a simple headache.

Second that. Get worked up. Don't train until you do. Period.

[vxmorpheusxv]

Today, I went to the gym to redo Friday's workout and conquer this damn headache. After my extensive warm-up, including upper back and neck foam rolling to target any spinal problem, I squatted again. The headache returned during my warm-up, this time as a pressure in my forehead. I made it through the entire workout, though squats were brutal. I got 5-5-4 on 265x3x5 and did decent on my other lifts. I believe I only made it through squats because I didn't hold my breath throughout the sets, refreshing myself in between each rep and re-oxygenating.
- Nick

Wait. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying you normally hold your breathe for all 5 reps of a work set??

[SilentShots]

This sounds different, but I found that extremely tight traps gave me terrible headaches whenever my heart rate rose. Worked extremely hard on removing trigger points in my neck/upper traps and it got a lot better. Just a thought.

I tried that today and it seemed to help. Would you recommend a lax ball for it?

Wait. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying you normally hold your breathe for all 5 reps of a work set??

No, no. I usually take short shallow breaths between reps. Today I actually took large belly breaths between reps to get myself fully oxygenated.




Well after some research, it seems that I may be getting exertion headaches, a somewhat common problem with squatting. I'll see how Wednesday goes, and if I have any problem, I'll see a doctor. Should it be my general pediatrician (I'm 16) or a neurologist at first?

If I do have to take time off though, how should I handle the break training wise? I hate to think of stopping, though a deload might do me good. I just love to train too much.