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headache pain during squats

dicko10

dicko10

New member
G'day all,

The last two times I have done 20 rep squats I have had a very sharp pain the back of my head near the join with the spine. Happened both times after like the 15th rep.

It feels like a hangover, sharp kind of headache, but isolated to the back of the head in this area.

It continues to hurt after I've finished my workout (even an hour after but to a lesser extent).

I squat high bar (perhaps too high?) and lay the bar across my traps.

Has anyone experienced this, know what i am talking about, or can offer some advice??

Thanks heaps everyone!

ps- i have posted this in the injury section also, excuse my indulgence.
 
Are you taking any vasodilators? If so you could be getting a headache because blood is pounding around your head too fast, which is what happens with a hangover - alcohol is a vasodilator (however, it is a poor pre-workout supp...).

If so, try reducing/stopping this supp. Or alternatively you could take a vasoconstrictor. The most common being caffeine, which is why coffee helps with a hangover headache.

Otherwise you might want to get a CT scan!
 
Sounds like the bar may be pinching something or you are dehydrated but I would think that its the bar placement
 
TheGiftToLift said:
are you taking any nitric oxide supplements like No-Xplode?
Click to expand...
No mate. Only supps is a red-bull before sometimes.
Sumo said:
Sounds like the bar may be pinching something or you are dehydrated but I would think that its the bar placement
Click to expand...
Hey mate, I think I may be pinching something, on second thoughts my bar placement is probably too high. Someone else suggested exertion headaches, which may be true, and my symptoms seem like its that, but i think it could be a combo of things.
 
try draping a towel around your neck for extra padding on top of barbell pad and slightly flex your traps and shoulders to create a cushion of muscle.
 
i had this today... i squat high bar too... could be pinching something... could also be that exertion headache... i was quite worried, squatted anyway:p
 
place your fingers at the base of yOur skull and run them down the spine the will fill a lump.
The bar can sit under there.
 
AndyMitchell said:
place your fingers at the base of yOur skull and run them down the spine the will fill a lump.
The bar can sit under there.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks. ill keep it in mind when i set up next time. getting a feel for where the bump is right now with a wood bar.
 
could it be from the exertion,

I get a sharp headache when I do 20 reppers,
only on the last 5-6 reps where I'm really gritting my teeth to get them out.

find it goes after a bit of a break and some water, usually takes about 10'ish minutes
 
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If you've ever gotten a bad head-ache from squatting chances are you've arched your neck.
The coaching point is usually "keep your eyes pointed high on the wall" ...of course when you do that a sort of Venturi valve in your spinal cord closes and pressure is built up....but if you bend your neck forward you got another problem because you might lose your balance....wow!

Pay strict attention to form, throw ego out the window, start light keep it simple.

My suggestion has always been to just maintain the natural curvature of the spine, that includes the neck.
 
I get these sometimes if my breathing stops. Like when im straining really hard to push out a final rep sometimes i hold my breath and get a sharp pain in the back of my head. I learnt my lesson the hard way - always breath!

Started breathing properly and never had the problem again so it could possibly be that that is causing this for you?
 
I get this sometimes when I laugh hysterically...same pain. was at the gp's and myself and the doc were laughing hysterically because she gave me a 60yr old womans bloood work back by mistake..anyway i mentioned i had the same pain you do and she said it was from energy use and lack of oxygen for a short time..

maybe urs is different...but it sounds like your eyes are bulging out of your head and your not breathing into your last few reps as you concentrate.
 
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