Headache in back of skull from deadlifting/pull-ups

[Rubsc0]

This is the second time I've had this pain in the past year, last time being 8 months ago. Basically, what happens is that I get a massive headache in the back of my skull when I do pull ups or complete my last set of deadlifts. It feels like it starts from the upper neck and then spreads throughout the back of my head. The pain lasts for 3 or 4 minutes, and eventually becomes unnoticeable after 10 minutes. I only feel it when I'm doing those lifts or sometimes laying down in bed, but not at all during the rest of the day.

This has been going on for 3 weeks now, and last time I had this pain it went away much quicker. All it took last time was for me to stop lifting for a week, but I've just done that and I'm still not healed up.

Someone suggested that it might be related to the occipital protuberance, because both exercises involve the traps which are connected to it.

Thanks.

Edit: I take caffeine pills before workout sometimes. Could this effect it somehow?

[Dastardly]

Who knows.

Go off caffeine for a while and see how you go.

[morbidlyfat]

While we're just throwing out random voodoo recommendations, I might guess that it's actually an expression of tooth pain. Try using a mouthguard for a while.

[KAG]

Basically, what happens is that I get a massive headache in the back of my skull when I do pull ups or complete my last set of deadlifts. It feels like it starts from the upper neck and then spreads throughout the back of my head. The pain lasts for 3 or 4 minutes, and eventually becomes unnoticeable after 10 minutes. I only feel it when I'm doing those lifts or sometimes laying down in bed, but not at all during the rest of the day.

This has been going on for 3 weeks now, and last time I had this pain it went away much quicker. All it took last time was for me to stop lifting for a week, but I've just done that and I'm still not healed up.

Someone suggested that it might be related to the occipital protuberance, because both exercises involve the traps which are connected to it.

I've had these symptoms before. Do you have any other pain in your neck or shoulder area?

Mine was caused by a severely pinched nerve in the cervical area. But mine caused intense pain through the neck and into the trapezious area.

The last time I had it, I decided to try to work through it. I was okay until I deadlifted, and then I had the same problem you do. I got an intense headache in the back of my head, and it lasted a while.

It would also hurt when I got up from bed because of the angle I always sleep.

[Rubsc0]

I haven't had any pain in my shoulder area. I've been feeling a slight soreness right under my skull right at the bottom where it connects to the neck ever since my last work out where I encountered the pain (albeit not as severe as the time before, I was able to work throuh) . This is where it starts, and when I lift too much it explodes and spreads throughout the back of my head. I've been treating with ice, heat, and some advil.

[vanslix]

I haven't had any pain in my shoulder area. I've been feeling a slight soreness right under my skull right at the bottom where it connects to the neck ever since my last work out where I encountered the pain (albeit not as severe as the time before, I was able to work throuh) . This is where it starts, and when I lift too much it explodes and spreads throughout the back of my head. I've been treating with ice, heat, and some advil.

That sounds more muscular. Nerve pain tends to be sharp and radiates down the nerve path. Your pain also sounds symmetrical and nerve pain is usually unilateral. I'd try a massage and stretching out your neck with regularity, maybe even some traction.

[zootvall]

This is the second time I've had this pain in the past year, last time being 8 months ago. Basically, what happens is that I get a massive headache in the back of my skull when I do pull ups or complete my last set of deadlifts. It feels like it starts from the upper neck and then spreads throughout the back of my head. The pain lasts for 3 or 4 minutes, and eventually becomes unnoticeable after 10 minutes. I only feel it when I'm doing those lifts or sometimes laying down in bed, but not at all during the rest of the day.

This has been going on for 3 weeks now, and last time I had this pain it went away much quicker. All it took last time was for me to stop lifting for a week, but I've just done that and I'm still not healed up.

I'm a physical therapist and I work with a lot of lifters. What your describing concerns me. I don't think you should just hope it goes away with rest. There are a number of relatively benign things it could be that could easily be treated by a competent PT (such as: your shoulder blade stabilizers are not holding your shoulder blades solidly when you pull and so you're using some of your neck muscles to try and do this job, and hurting them in the process), but there are a few more severe things I'd want to have ruled out by a physician sooner rather than later. The fact that you have the pain when you lie down is very odd and means vascular/blood pressure or pressure on your cervical discs when lifting could be involved, and the fact that it's bilateral means something central (like your spinal cord) could be getting compressed. There are very few fragile areas of the human body, but the base of the skull is one of them. I don't mean to be alarmist, but you're describing a number of yellow flag symptoms. Get it checked out.

[Rubsc0]

Jesus, now you're scaring me... I had this problem 8 months ago and it only lasted for a week and it eventually went away on its own after another week. It came back last month after two weeks of summer break of not lifting and returning to deadlifts my first day back. The thing is that I don't even pull that much, so I'm hoping it's just a muscle spasm.

As for laying down: I should elaborate that it's only when I'm typing on my iPad and my head is resting up on a pillow while my chin is on my chest, If I'm flat I don't feel anything.

Thanks for the info. If it doesn't go away within the week Im definitely going to a orthopedist or something.

[girifox]

I have very similar symptoms, but when I lie down it doesn't come on. That's a bit strange.

I found for me it's what some people call an "exertion headache" (google that). For me, it was caused by overly tight occipital muscles and a bunch of others the names of which I don't recall around the upper shoulders. Caused by - not lifting - but from too much of a forward head position when typing at the computer (which I do all day).

I found a sports massage guy actually trained in remedial work (ie. not a relaxation massage) and got very painful massage into the base of the skull (the occiptals) plus lengthening of the traps and other muscles all around that area. I got about four treatments.

Secondly, when doing chin ups I would make sure I didn't push my head forward at the top of the bar, because that'd bring it on.

Pretty much fixed it for me.

[zootvall]

Jesus, now you're scaring me... I had this problem 8 months ago and it only lasted for a week and it eventually went away on its own after another week. It came back last month after two weeks of summer break of not lifting and returning to deadlifts my first day back. The thing is that I don't even pull that much, so I'm hoping it's just a muscle spasm.

As for laying down: I should elaborate that it's only when I'm typing on my iPad and my head is resting up on a pillow while my chin is on my chest, If I'm flat I don't feel anything.

Thanks for the info. If it doesn't go away within the week Im definitely going to a orthopedist or something.

I certainly didn't mean to scare you. If your neck is in a weird position when lying down, then it's probably just muscular. But I wouldn't play around with a 'massive headache'. If it doesn't go away soon, I'd go see someone to have anything serious ruled out. girifox is right on with the forward head thing. It's a very common habit and can certainly be what's causing your problem.