opnsysme Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 Not to sound like a wuss but, occasionnally I get this incrediible headache in the back of my head down the left side, and down my neck. Usually when I'm trying to do hold on the gripper for time or trying to close the next higher one. It also seems to come on if I do other intense lifts. I also notice I clench my teeth sometimes, anyway just wondering if its a"tumor" or just something to get used to ? Any ideas? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wells Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 How long does the headache last? If it continues afterwards... that may not be good. Try warming up more before your grip work. By the way, is a severe pain associated with the headache? A throbbing, radiating, or a localized sharpness? If so, take care, better be safe than sorry so mention it to your family doctor just in case if it continues; you wouldn't want to fall over with an aneurysm, stroke, or a heart attack. I posted before that my teeth ache a bit after grip work. I think I clench my jaw too hard when exercising and when I sleep at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 23, 2003 Author Share Posted August 23, 2003 No it goes away after 20 minutes after I stop working out. Its weird, I think its almost like if I bare down on a exercise it starts and I justed noticed I was biting down really hard, so I'm going to make a effort not to do that and see if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 Possibly blood pressure. Have you had yours tested at all? Is it high? I had a friend who would get light headed all the time when he would squeeze on a gripper. Come to find out-his resting BP was high (powerlifter who ate like shit and did zero cardio!) Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 23, 2003 Author Share Posted August 23, 2003 Actually no by BP is pretty good, not as good as a runner but I think the last reading was something like 120/70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bender Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 My mothers, friends son... Had horrible head aches, so bad that he was seeing doctors and that standard pain-killers did nothing for him. Then, one day somebody suggested a head + neck mesage. He got one, and he never had a head ache again. It could be problems with you tensing up the muscles in your head and neck, and then they arn't relaxing. Get a good rub down by your self or significant other (hard and firm, nothing easy and fun) and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 23, 2003 Author Share Posted August 23, 2003 Thats a great idea!! GRip traing for my wife i.e neck rubs!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagewood Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 I get these sometimes and the only thing that seems to help them is to stretch out my neck. Usually my left side hurts so I take my right hand and put it on the back left side of my head and pull my head forward and to the right hold for a 10 count then relax for a 10 count. This always does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 23, 2003 Author Share Posted August 23, 2003 Thanks I'll try that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 Do you take any vitamins or minerals? That might be the problem right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wells Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 Blood pressure stats are best determined over a period of a few days... testing three to four times a day... as one's blood pressure can change in five to ten minutes and quite dramatically I might add. by the way... are you sitting down when you're gripping? Sometimes bent knees can cause blood circulation problems for some individuals. There was a famous bodybuilder in 1980s, can't remember his name, that I read about that had difficulty with certain exercises when his knees were bent during the entire exercise set. Squats were fine if he did them quickly but he avoided bench presses, one-arm seated dumbell bicep curls, and bent knee bench rows. He had to subsitute with other exercises. For example instead of bench presses he would do weighted push-ups having three or four 45s placed on his back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bport Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 You might be using improper breathing. One time when I was benching I held my breath on accident and got an extremely bad headache that came on everytime I did bench for the next month or so. It felt like my brain exploded I eventually had to just take a break from bench and it healed. When I do grippers I noticed that I was using shallow breathing and clenching my jaw muscles very tightly. I was getting headaches and jawaches. Now I take deep breaths when I do grip work and concentrate on keeping all my muscles from the neck up relaxed. I haven't had any head pain since. Breathing is very important in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 I think its the breathing and clenching my jaw. I have in the last two grip work outs tried to make sure I wasn't clenching and not holding my breath and that seemed to help. Thanka agin everyone! Nice to get honest answers from a board and not get flamed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Page Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 I developed the same thing when i started H.I.T. I could not figure it out. It got to where every excersize I did I would get those incredible head aches. I went to a sports chiropracter and he suggested I get an MRI. I am glad I did because as it turned out I had to herniated disks in my neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 25, 2003 Author Share Posted August 25, 2003 Wow , what did you do to get it fixed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Cenidoza Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Could be trigger points somewhere in the neck referring the pain to the head. There's an excellent book on self massage called "Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" by Claire Davis. So far I have not had ANY aches or pains that that book did not at least help with. massagewarehouse.com has a tool for massaging your own neck and back, it's called the theracane. My girlfriend is a massage therapist and getting rubs from her is great but there's a couple problems about having the lady friend rub you, which I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. 1. She won't do it ALL the time. 2. It's a workout for her to go as deep as I'd like. 3. She won't do it ALL the time! Do it yourself and the problems are resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mt-tom Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 opnsysme- I used to get the exact same headaches. They occurred during extreme physical exertion or at times of great stress. Turned out I was getting migranes. Now I'm on medicine to lower my blood pressure slightly (it wasn't high to begin with) which does a good job preventing the headaches. I also take Imitrex when I get a migrane. This has been working wonders. I still need to be a little careful about overexertion. Heavy lifting involving the shoulders or neck still give me one of the bad migranes if I give it 110%. I also watch my stress level. If I were you, I would check with a neurologist. It made a dramatic difference in my life. Not sure if we have the same conditions, but the symptoms sure sound the same. Take this for what it is worth. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opnsysme Posted August 26, 2003 Author Share Posted August 26, 2003 mt-tom Thanks, so far (last night) I did a heavy 20 rep squat , which is where I first notice the problem, and I strecthed and made sure I didn't clench my teeth and I didn't get the headache, so I will watch to see if it happens again and if it does I'm going i n to the Doctor. Thanks again for all of your input !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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