Thread: Head pain while weight lifting

hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and have a question. Whenever I seem to workout my upper body (namely chest and shoulders). I seem to get a strenuous pain in the lower part of the back of my head. This is then followed by a pain on my forehead if I continue and finish my set. This pain usually comes while doing exercises such as Bench Press, Military Press, and sometimes pushups... I'm not quite sure what it is, though I know that it started when I was using a weight machine (attached weight) to do inclined bench press, without warming up first... If anyone has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and I hope to hear from someone soon.

i have something similar. it hurts in the back of the neck, then hurts in my temples. i recieved info saying it could be a pulled muscle in the neck. is it whenever you push yourself hard? thats how mine kicks in

yea, it usually starts after a few reps, and it'll feel as though theres a lot of pressure in my head... I don't think it's my neck, but I guess it could be anything. The thing that makes me believe the neck is unrelated is when the front of my head hurts...

Well weight lifting = highly elevated blood pressure.

So I would assume your pain has at least in some part something to do with the Elevated blood pressure.

lol yes i agree.

silent, does "wacking it" = highly elevated blood pressure too?

Haha well honestly I'm not all that sure. I have never wondered how high ones BP gets while whacking it...

I would assume its raised but not near as much as weight lifting.

Thanks for the input everyone. As for the last inquiry, though somewhat off topic, If I were to guess, I'd say that it alleviates pressure and is not going to cause any blood pressure related issues. Furthermore it is considered healthy in that it keeps ones prostate at a normal size. At least that's what I've heard.... lol

I found some info on this, we actually have whats called weightlifter's headache.

...you have a benign -- meaning not dangerous -- condition frequently called "weightlifter's headache." "These kinds of headaches come on with a bang," Newman says.

"Many people get them every time they exercise and they're characterized by the sudden onset of throbbing pain. Nausea is also a common symptom, although vomiting usually isn't." These benign headaches usually disappear within 30 minutes of stopping the exercise, says Newman.

here is some sites i found regarding this, tell me what u think...
Exercise Can Be a Pain in the -- Head
Head pain / diziness - Exercise & Fitness

This link states how to stop the headaches
Exercise induced headache – how to stop it before it starts

I know it's been a while since i've replied, however I just thought I'd say that the headaches have stopped. At first I was very confused about the headaches... and I'm still somewhat confused, however the way I dealt with it was by continuing to work out even when the pain started. Though this can be a bad idea if the pain is something of serious concern, I wanted to try continuing exercise even while the pain started. This seemed to help in that I haven't gotten the pain since. Perhaps it was a coincidential occurance due to one thing or another, however it may have also been caused by my transition to heavier weights. Just thought I'd give an update.

Good that it didn't come back again.. yep you are right, it can be a coincidence also...But I would suggest if you have that again bothering you, you should once consult your doctor.. Just for safety...May be very mild tension headache home remedy ....


headachereliefband.com/non_drug.html

It sounds like a sciatica. Maybe stretch your lower back and and a massage to see if the pain goes away. Last alternative... chiropractor.

Originally Posted by DianeLambert

It sounds like a sciatica. Maybe stretch your lower back and and a massage to see if the pain goes away. Last alternative... chiropractor.

Very possible, I used to get these headaches and assumed it would be blood pressure but my doctor said it was due to the muscles in my back being tight and pulling across the top of my head.

Foam roller work across your back can be good for that if you're still looking for treatment.

Hmmm, 2 year old thread

Originally Posted by BigTomW

Hmmm, 2 year old thread

Doh! I saw Evan responded in August but didn't look at the year!

The number one reason for this is holding your breath. You must constantly breath when lifting. If you need to get with a qualified trainer and learn how to lift correctly. The second reason is that you are lifting more than you should. Take it easy it is not worth blowing out a blood vessel and sustaining a permanent injury.