Deadlift fucks up my neck, repeatedly

[Jay]

After a day of deadlifting, I often wake up with a sore neck that lasts for about 3 days during which I am mostly useless. It's the kind of sore neck where it's hard to have your head in an upright position and feels like exercise just to keep it parallel to the horizon -- you end up walking around looking at the ground.

This has happened to me a few times, but I think my form is okay. I am not ending the deadlift with my head facing the ceiling. What happens is, at the top of the deadlift, when the bar is almost all the way up, I feel (and, sort of hear?) a series of snaps in my neck, like a cord is slowly fraying in there one thread at a time near the top of my spine. The next day I wake up with a fucked up neck.

This has happened a few times to the point where I am afraid to deadlift because I just can't deal with my neck being fucked up for 3 days afterwards. I do not want to eliminate the deadlift.

Has anyone experienced and remedied something like this? I'd like to avoid a chiro if possible, or at least figure out what is wrong with me before going. If this has happened to you and you have remedied it with one I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks.

[TomV]

Video.

[Baker]

that sounds like something that needs to be looked at by a competent professional. you might wanna lay off the deads until you are looked at, but that's your call.

[hatmanii]

Chiro.

[theuofh]

nevermind

[Ryan Long]

Jay,

I have a bad neck as well, 3 degenerated discs, multiple bone spurs impinging my spinal cord, bilateral stenosis, wah! First suggestion, get the book Treat Your Own Neck, buy a cervical pillow, and follow the directions in the book. Don't DL if your neck still hurts. See a chiro or PT and have them try to adjust your neck. Consider getting a cervical traction device at home to relieve the pressure on the discs and nerves, I use this one http://www.amazon.com/New-Designed-C.../dp/B00066CQBO You can find it for about $200 on ebay or see if you can get your insurance to buy it for you. When I pull I really focus on keeping my head and eyes down and never shrug my shoulders, shoulder shrugs are a sure way to lock my neck up for a week at a time. Follwing this advice I've been mostly pain free for the last 8 months. Before that I was in near constant pain for 13 years. Hope you have similar luck.

[gman]

After a day of deadlifting, I often wake up with a sore neck that lasts for about 3 days during which I am mostly useless. It's the kind of sore neck where it's hard to have your head in an upright position and feels like exercise just to keep it parallel to the horizon -- you end up walking around looking at the ground.

This has happened to me a few times, but I think my form is okay. I am not ending the deadlift with my head facing the ceiling. What happens is, at the top of the deadlift, when the bar is almost all the way up, I feel (and, sort of hear?) a series of snaps in my neck, like a cord is slowly fraying in there one thread at a time near the top of my spine. The next day I wake up with a fucked up neck.

This has happened a few times to the point where I am afraid to deadlift because I just can't deal with my neck being fucked up for 3 days afterwards. I do not want to eliminate the deadlift.

Has anyone experienced and remedied something like this? I'd like to avoid a chiro if possible, or at least figure out what is wrong with me before going. If this has happened to you and you have remedied it with one I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks.

Hard to see what you are doing wrong from here, but from the sound of it, you are shrugging with your shoulders and neck muscles. Can you post a video?

[Evan]

You could just be tensing up you neck way too much when you do your deadlift.

I know I do this unconsciously whenever I do anything that makes me nervous (water skiing, etc)

[Kincain]

maybe a stupid question but do you look up in front when your deadlifting or to the ground. I can imagine when you look 'up' in front you might put your head backwards in your neck and that can probably cause the problems. my 2 cents