Dead Lifting Dillema

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BigG ANDtheRHC

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A few weeks ago I began having some problems with my deadlift. After warming up its the first exercise in my back routine, as it may be in all of yours also. However 3 weeks ago I was getting up the 5th rep on my 3rd set and this shooting pain suddenly came to the top area of my head. I quickly set down the weight and the pain slowly went away. Throughout the rest of my workout it kept coming back as I would do sets. For example, when I was doing the upright rows it would get stronger as I went on. It felt like someone was tearing open my head, it became so unbearable I had to stop. I decided to take a week off from lifting to see if things got better.

After a week I got back into my routine and things were ok. The pain was there but it was dull. I got through my chest and leg routines and things were ok. I simply worked through the headaches. However, today was my back routine, and once again I was faced with the deadlift. Things went great through the first 2 sets but all hell broke lose on the final set. Around the 8th rep the pain came back instantly and it was the worse I had ever felt. I felt like passing out it was so bad. I took a 20-minute break and let it die down and finished my back routine. This is getting really annoying.

Does anyone know where this intense headache is coming from? I've been lifting for a while and never felt it before. Has anyone ever had this happen? Any feedback would be appreciated.
 
wow.. i would probably get an mri or @ least see a doctor... it sounds like it might be out of this forums knowladge(@ least for me..)
 
I agree.Instant pain like that is a definite red flag.See your doctor.And just out of curiousity, were you holding your breath during the lifting portion of your deadlifts?
 
Hit up a doctor agreed. I think it may be some nerve damage or perhaps an effect of overstraining. Quit lifting until you get checked out...it may only serve to exacerbate the problem.
 
Seems like you could be getting extertion headaches.
When you were doing the deadlifts were you stressed? wound up? tight lat muscles?
Were you making sure you're breathing and technique was proper?

It's said the cause of extertion headaches is increased blood pressure hitting a nerve in the back of your neck/head, causing sharp pain which can last up to 2hours. Sometimes the pain goes higher in the head, wherever the nerve is being impacted.
These headaches happen to less than 10% of people... some being more prone than others.

Most definatley see a doctor. Get an MRI just to play is safe.
Hope it all works itself out for ya.
 
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yea I'll get it checked out. I make sure to breath and I do have proper form, but I've really been pushing myself lately when it comes to deadlifting. I'm pretty sure it is an extertion headache because the way you desribed it fit what I what the headaches felt like.
 
this definatly sounds like an exertion headach stalefish covered the subject in a nutshell. and your doctor should see no neurologic evidence that you had a problem. this sort of condition is treatable with NSAIDs, like indomethacin which is an older one so Im sure you will get a newer kind. anywho ask your doc about NSAIDs. they tend to recur over weeks to months when the activity is repeated. Gradually they subside, although they have persisted for years. o ya NSAIDs stands for (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs).
 
Aha! I'm not the only one!

This sounds exactly like what I experience a few months ago, although it happened to me when I was doing a bicep curl and then aggrivated by chest press.

The pain I got was located on the back left side of my head, level with my ear. It was very intense when agrivated, I felt like I would either pass out or vomit, luckily I did neither.

I took two weeks off and then went back, but it was still there. I decided to take another week of and go see a physical therapist. I saw her three times and she helped me alot. Taught me some stretches, did some strange heat thing on my neck. I went back to the wieghts and kept it light for another two weeks and I was feeling better.

Now I'm fully recovered and totally understand how annoying this is. It frustrated the hell out of me. Let me know if I can help you out with this at all.
 
well I'm glad I'm not the only person who got this. My pain wasn't as low as my ear level, but I still felt like vomiting or fainting. (like you, I luckily never did either) I saw a personal trainer today and I am going to talk to a professional powerlifter tomorrow about my deadlifting form. This guy can deadlift 700+ so I'm sure he'd know if my form was off. I also sheduled a doctors appointment for March 21 and I'll make sure to inquire about the NSAIDs. Thanks to everyone for their input.
 
I occasionally get these shooting extreme headaches in various parts of my head, can come on when lifting, caused by a neck muscle spasm would never have known if I didn't get an Xray at a time when it was spasming. I usually have to take three or more weeks off when I get a muscle spasming as it just starts right back up as soon as I lift a weight until it has healed right up. Doesn't feel like a neck problem at all just a headache for no apparaent reason, can also make my fingers and arm numb and such depending where the spasm is.

Took forever for the doctor to figure this out so make sure to ask when you see a doctor as it is better than going repeatedly for expensive tests that find nothing like MRIs and so on.
 
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