Odd neck issues

[inkdefense]

I always had issues using my chest (I think it was too weak compared to the rest, so it never really was able to do any work), but this issue is now a thing of the past, and have been getting amazing chest gains.

Now the bad news: I was benching, and everything was moving well, I think my form is pretty good, but suddenly I felt something cramp up in my neck, and a dull, but very intense pain in my neck and skull. I literally felt it cramp up over the course of a second or so. Now every time I try to bench, overhead press, squat or deadlift, the pain is retriggered... I have to take a minute to sit down and try not to vomit...

I think it may be the sternocleidomastoid muscles mainly, as stretching these induces the same "near vomit" dull pain. I've been stretching and massaging my neck muscles with a Lacrosse ball for a week now, but the problem remains. I also have a bit of forward head posture problems, which (as far as I know) is associated with weak sternocleidomastoids. I think the issues are probably related. How do I fix it, so I can get back in the gym? You can probably imagine to finally be getting the chest gains of your life, and then basically becoming disabled. :-)

It's also an issue in my daily life, and I'll usually wake up with tension headaches, which persist throughout the day. Ibuprofen 600 mg don't change much.

Replies kindly appreciated, enjoy your saturday!

Edit: I think it might be that some muscles are overdeveloped on the back of my neck due to the forward head thing, and some in the front are weak... So I think my body was trying to stabilise my head, but the muscles in the front were simply too weak, and got strained... Sounds plausible? How do I fix it?

[braden101]

I had the same thing. It lasted for months, the headaches are no fun, those really nauseating type of dull persistent headaches.

My issues were solved after a couple visits to the chiropractor and some trigger point therapy all overmy neck. A lacrosse ball is too much pressure and is too big for those nasty little SCM trigger points imo and will most likely make them worse.

The good thing about neck trigger points is they are very easy to get to with your fingers and you can normally replicate the pain quite easily when you find the nasty ones.

Do some googling and learn how to release those sore points with your finger or go an see a massage therapist that specialises in trigger point therapy or dry needling.