deadlift injury - neck and trap area?

[jabanurmes]

Good morning athletes,

I've been lifting for 4 years and I've had some injuries in the past: golfer's elbow, shoulder, chest, adductor, hips

But this one from yesterday has stunned me.

I was going for a deadlift PR, and I did hit the PR. However, when I started the pull, I forgot to pull my head back, so I was looking down and I felt a sudden sting/stitch (felt like one) at the left side of my neck/trap.

After the movement and today, I feel a burn around the front of the neck and trap area running down to the upper chest.

I feel it most whenever I try pull my chin to the upper chest and a bit when I try to extend my neck (like, making it upright).

I think it's the area of the scalene muscles and sternocleidomastedius. It feels extremely sore, but when I press on those parts, I don't feel any pain. So I really feel only pain whenver I make an upright upper body position, pulling my chin to the upper chest.

I tried to squat after deadlift yesterday. Impossible. I couldn't even stabilize 220 pounds, and I usually squat 450.

Anyone who had this? I know I'm not gonna deadlift or squat until it's fully gone. But that does concern me...also I don't have any movement restrictions, but I feel like something happened internally. Maybe some nerve got clamped or something.

Please help me. Thanks in advance.

[jabanurmes]

Update: today I've trained for the first time since Wednesday when I sustained the injury. I was just taking dumbbells and going back to bench to do upper chest DB press and while walking and holding the DBs I felt a strong burn from the traps down to the upper chest area.

[Mark Rippetoe]

This is probably a neck injury, but I can't tell from here. If it's not better by Tuesday, get it looked at.

[jabanurmes]

Thanks, Mark, for the reply. I have an update.

So I was doing research on anatomy and I've looked up possible injuries. I've found an exercise on the internet to stretch out tight scalene muscles ( How to Treat Tight Scalene Muscles at Home ).

As I was attempting to do the exercise, namely to hold my arms behind my back, I immediately felt the strongest sensation of burn around the clavicle area.

This suggests that something must be impinged as it is very tight. I can still move freely, like, rotate, tilt my head, swing and flare my arms, like, I have no mobility limitations or range of motion issues. Not at all.

It's just that when I carry out particular movement patterns (holding heavy DB, heavy BB, holding my arms behind my back, internally rotate my shoulders) that I get this burning sensation.

This also suggests the middle part (evidently) has tightend up. Question is...what is it, and how can I treat it.

I'm going to an orthopedic on Wednesday and Friday. I have to. I'm still hoping someone knows something and can help me out. Probably a much more serious injury than when I tore my finger extensor tendon and couldn't deadlift for 6 weeks. This feels worse than it.

[GioFerrante]

Few months ago I slept on my neck wrong and woke up feeling stiff. I did my overhead presses that day and I ended up pissing off all the muscles in my neck region and had to take 2 weeks off training. Muscle spasms. Hurt like hell to sleep, lay down or sit at my desk to work. After 2 weeks I was able to slowly get back to training.

Trying to stretch it only made it worse. The neck does not like to be messed with once it is aggravated in my experience. Give it at least a couple weeks off. I got prescribed a low level muscle relaxer before bed, toradol shot and high dose NSAID/Tylenol. Made the recovery easier but I don't know if it necessarily sped things up.

In my experience as well, once you've pissed off your neck, it will tend to be prone to more episodes in the future. If you feel pain coming on, best to take it easy in the weight room for a day or two, otherwise it can knock you out multiple weeks. You can work on those stretches once there's little or no pain, I've found them useful to relieve some stiffness but not when the muscle is already pissed off.

[Frank_B]

I’ve had something similar before. I see my massage therapist when I piss it off. She literally has a way of grabbing my SCM muscle like she’s trying to hold onto it for dear life. It hurts like hell, but it fixes me almost every time.

[jabanurmes]

Thanks to all replies. I have an update.

I just had an ultrasound today. It came back negative. All muscles seems to be perfectly fine and functional. Orthopedic told me that it could be extreme soreness.

I will still try to get an X-ray on Friday. I don't think it's the bones and it appears not to be muscles either. But I don't know. We'll see.

[jabanurmes]

Update: X-rays were negative.

Doctor assumes it might be a grade 1 sprain of...location still unknown.

I also have found out something unusual with my Squat.

When I go into a low bar position (I've been using LB for over 2 years) I feel the burning sensation, but this isn't the case with high bar.

I hope this can be answered by Mark. I've never had an issue with low bar until now.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Question: Do you expect training to be pain-free?

[jabanurmes]

To a major extent, yes. I want to do the movements I've done for years without pain, discomfort. Again, never had an issue with LB until now.

But Mark, that's not the point here. You have decades of experience, knowledge, wisdom and success. The question now is...which muscle fibers/muscles at below the front neck are involved in a LB Squat?

I can't imagine no athlete has ever come to you with that same issue. I may be wrong.