Neck strain/ back of head pain

Hi everyone.

A month ago I was doing 5x5 for almost a month and a half and basically I developed some crazy head pain all around the head for approximately 3 weeks it was continuous.

Also I developed some photophobia and dizziness for approximately 2 weeks.

The neck wasn’t stiff, as I got it checked out by a doctor. They said that I had inflamed the meninges and it would subside within 1-3 months.

I believe I was lifting my head while coming out of the squat. ( the work weight that I reached was low 135 lbs. my weight is 185 lbs and I’m 31 years old)

Basically right now I just have a full ache in the back of the head where the neck meets.

I believe I need to fix my form when it come to the neck.

I’m just wondering what this might be? Is it a pinched nerve? The doctor said that i don’t have any neurological damage.

Can I go back to the gym? I will contact a SS coach to get proper training once everything is good again.

Thank you.

What kind of doctor did you go to and how was this diagnosed? This sounds like something a chiropractor would say in passing. Inflamed meninges (meningitis) is a serious thing that requires medical attention Immediately.

If this is not meningitis, and you just strained your neck during a squat, fix your form and start lifting again. Get your formed checked on this site and/or hire a coach (like me :)).

Thanks Nick.

Just to add... I do have tightness or stiffness in the neck and upper traps. I feel it when I’m stretching the shoulders.

I feel fine with moving the neck, though.

You are welcome! Just to clarify, if you start running a fever or the pain becomes sharp go to the hospital.

I think my big question was - the symptoms I have/had normal for a serious neck strain? ... thanks for taking the time to reply.

They could be, especially if the person that experienced the strain is very worried that it might be something worse.

If there is a point at the base of your skull that you can press on to reproduce the pain, it could be occipital neuralgia. Googling that will probably get you some ideas about where to press and if it is what you are experiencing.

It is not dangerous, but if it is annoying enough, you can get a nerve block done. I had this intermittently for a while, but it kind of faded away without me doing anything special for it.

I press and get no pain ...

Btw how long did your pain last?

I think I was stretching my neck when looking down and the slightly looking up on the ascent. It might be just a serious strain.

Thanks for the advice.

I got in intermittently, sometimes randomly, and it didn’t seem to be related to a specific movement, but would most commonly occur at the end of a heavy set or workout. It felt like I was just maybe isometrically tending my neck the way you sometimes feel like you’re squeezing everything on the last rep of a heavy set.

The neck pain/headache would last maybe an hour, and I could aggravate it by pressing on my occipital notch. After maybe 3-4 months of regular lifting it faded away.