Neck Pain

[GqArtguy]

I do OL and SM so my body is exposed to a lot of stress and I get adjustments and ART as a tuneup to keep me lifting in a healthy manner.

I have a problem with my neck. After a heavy OL session, I will get this locking up in my neck and trap region on my left side so that it hurts to turn my head to the left. The greater the pain, the greater the decrease in the ability to turn my head. Looking up hurts in a spot at the left corner of my neck where the collar begins.


My chiro/ART guy works the trap, levator scapulae, scapula, etc. He also adjusts my T1 (or any other vertebrae that arent moving well) because he says its movement is limited because of stresses imposed by a heavy yoke or bar.

My questions are: 1) what can I do to avoid this pain from occuring? and 2) what exactly is the cause of this discomfort (a specific muscle imblance or what)? I ask my chiro these questions and he says its the nature of the sport, and I can agree to an extent, but if my form is good and Im not going heavy all the time, then I feel that I should be able to go for a while without pain rather than having things lock up every 2 wks or so.

[Lisa~]

I have no helpful advice, I just wanted to say awwwwwww, don't want you to hurt! Julie or Bryan, can you guys help out a friend?

[bryanc]

I'll give it a start, but Julie might be the anchor on this relay.

I think the biggest question in my head is, "Which tissue is causing your pain?" You describe a bunch of symptoms, each of which is synonymous with muscle, or bone pain. I don't see any descriptions that lead me to think there's a nerve issue (not a classical one anyways).

So, to narrow things down:

1) What are you doing in your OL sessions that cause this pain?
2) Are there OL sessions that you escape pain-free? What is different about these two sessions?
3) When you say "locking up" do you mean that you physically cannot move your own neck, or that it's "locked up" because it's too painful to move? Or, in other words, if I could nerve block your pain, would I be able to move your neck, or would it be stuck?
4) Have you had any imaging of your neck done?
5) What makes your pain better or worse?
6) Is your pain progressively becoming worse with each episode, or better, or is it random, or is there a pattern?
7) How soon after lifting do you notice the problem? Or does it occur with lifting?
8) Do you have any other symptoms other than the decrease in range of motion and pain?

[UConnJulie]

I see a lot of this type of pain (and have experienced it myself) and it is usually facet joint dysfunction ... usually upper cervical. Try this ...

Stand against a wall with your heels out enough that your butt and back are in contact. Rest the back of your head on the wall. Where are you looking? If you are looking up, then your upper cervical position is likely to blame (during training and/or comps and/or regular life) and the pain you are experiencing is because the upper cervical vertebrae are locked in extension causing compensatory flexion in the lower cervical region.

Somewhere I have seen a good explanation of a chin tuck exercise ... on T-Nation written by (of course) Mike Robertson ... Maybe Lisa has the link (Maybe part of the Neanderthal series?) Isometrically strengthening the deep cervical flexors in a neutral neck position can help too (but you have to get to neutral first!) ...

Ask your chiro about your upper cervical spine mobility ...

[Lisa~]

Julie, We discussed and linked the chin tuck in this thread:

Exercises to strengthen neck muscles?

(Just in case that's actually what he needs.)

[UConnJulie]

Thanks Lisa! My mind has been a bit foggy lately

[GqArtguy]

Originally Posted by bryanc

I think the biggest question in my head is, "Which tissue is causing your pain?" You describe a bunch of symptoms, each of which is synonymous with muscle, or bone pain. I don't see any descriptions that lead me to think there's a nerve issue (not a classical one anyways).

I think its muscle because my chiro will adjust the T1 or C3 or C4 depending on which one isnt moving as well as it should.

1) What are you doing in your OL sessions that cause this pain?

Lifting :p I usually feel it after a lift. This weekend I was all fresh and I did a snatch with 80 kg, and as I held it, I heard a bit of crunching in the left scapula, as if I were popping my fingers, and afterwards I started feeling the tightness in the neck. It was weird because it was actually a good lift. That was a first.

I think doing a lift with more muscle than technique will spur it on. Ill feel it on a violent clean or a jerk that "feels" heavy. Ive been doing a lot of jerk technique stuff to correct this.

2) Are there OL sessions that you escape pain-free? What is different about these two sessions?

Meh it kinda comes and goes, I dont know when it will occur.

3) When you say "locking up" do you mean that you physically cannot move your own neck, or that it's "locked up" because it's too painful to move? Or, in other words, if I could nerve block your pain, would I be able to move your neck, or would it be stuck?

It feels like when you sleep the wrong way and you wake up and cant move your neck without feeling like death. Sure you can move it, but it hurts like hell.

4) Have you had any imaging of your neck done?

MRI? No.

5) What makes your pain better or worse?

Massaging, ART, adjustments make it better, but it will get expensive if I have to do this every week. I will roll a golf ball along spots of the shoulder and back of the trap, and Ill also use a thera-cane and do some poor-mans ART. My chiro's ART and adjustments get rid of it though.

6) Is your pain progressively becoming worse with each episode, or better, or is it random, or is there a pattern?

Sometimes Ill get it really bad or sometimes Ill get it and itll be minor enough to go without getting worked on for 2 wks.

7) How soon after lifting do you notice the problem? Or does it occur with lifting?

It can occur right after a lift, and its confined to OLs. My strongman stuff and gym stuff doesnt really create it.

8) Do you have any other symptoms other than the decrease in range of motion and pain?

Umm when I look straight down and its bothering me, I can feel the upper trap getting tugged, or at least whatever muscle runs down the left side of my neck (at about 7oclock if facing ahead is 12) and connects into the trap. If I look straight up, it feels like a corner is pinched where the trap crosses into the neck.


Oh and I did the chin thing against the wall, I end up looking straight ahead.

[UConnJulie]

Definitely sounds like a facet joint ... upper cervical ... watch your neck position on your lifts ... you need to keep your upper cervical spine in neutral and not extension (ie looking up). If you feel a tug when looking down, that means to me that those muscles need to be stretched ... again have the chiro look at your upper cervical spine ... stretch upper traps, levators, and SCM ...

[Bill Hartman]

Have someone support your arms in a shoulder shrugged (passive scapular elevation) position (or rest your elbows on a table and sag down) but be sure you remain passive with upper traps relaxed. Turn your head in the painful direction. If it's not painful or you can turn your head significantly more than with your shoulders in normal posture, you most likely have a scapular stability issue. Stretching won't be the fix. It'll be an isolated weakness that needs to be resolved.

If it's the same regardless of passive scapular position, look more for a neck issue.

Bill

[bryanc]

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

Which lifts cause you pain? I mean, technically a DL is an Oly-lift.

And it might not be a bad idea to log your pain. If you're logging your workouts, then it's only one small extra note in your log book to see if there's a pattern.

[LisaS]

just curious, how is a DL an Oly-lift? AFAIK, Snatch and Clean & Jerk are the two Olympic lifts.

[bryanc]

Sorry, my bad. I blame it on...no, I can't blame everything on bad research.

[LisaS]

beta-alanine deficiency ?

[bryanc]

Yes...yes that must be it.

[GqArtguy]

Originally Posted by Bill Hartman

If it's the same regardless of passive scapular position, look more for a neck issue.

Bill

According to that, its more of a neck issue

As far as what causes the pain, I dont really know. The lifts happen so fast that its hard to figure out when something is happening.

[UConnJulie]

There can be a lot of things that tie into it ... cervical position during the lift, any instability in the joints, weakness of the deep anterior muscles ... as well as scapular instability or poor scapular muscle firing patterns.

It really sounds like an upper cervical facet thing ... see if your chiro can take a look ...