pain to the back of the head/neck

[nezha]

Whenever I work out, I get intense pain in the back of my head and neck. It only happens when I am doing resistance work, such lifting weights, doing pullups, etc. I don't get it when I do cardio, and I don't get it when I'm just sitting around either.

I went to the doctor and he said to take a break from working out and gave me some pills to take. I've been following his instructions, but I was wondering if any of you guys had experiences with similar pains.

btw it doesn't seem like just muscle pain, since it doesn't get worse when I move my head and neck around.

[ironlurker]

Just to make sure, does it happen while you're working out or after?
I've gotten weird pains in the back of my neck/head after doing a lot of dips/pullups etc. It feels like a headache more then a muscle pull, even though that's what it is.

It's too bad your doc wasn't more helpful. I use to run into that as well, "just don't lift then".

Some things to ask yourself-
is it sharp and shooting or dull?
does it happen exactly when you're lifting, during the general time period, or after?
do you have weakness or limited range of motion when the pain hits?
have you ever had an injury or trauma to your head, neck or back?

If you're in college, find out if your school has a physical therapy program. If they do, your student health clinic can give you a referral to them, and the copay is usually pretty cheap. Even if you're not in school, see if you can get a referral to one. Seeing a PT would be the best thing for you if your doctor isn't very helpful.

It sounds to me like a pinched nerve, but you'll want an expert to examine you to make sure.

[Equipoise]

You're getting a pinched nerve in your neck. This happened to me when I was having to do endless pushups at the academy. One thing to keep in mind is your strain while doing your lifts. Try to avoid gritting your teeth and tensing up prior to the lift. Chances are you're doing too much weight for the type of lift that you're doing.