Tight Traps Injury

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
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So I was working out my legs last week. While I was on the leg press…BOOM, something in my head exploded, I felt a horrible headache. This has been the third time in less than 6 months in which this has happened.

I been getting massages and haven’t lifted in a week but today I tryed some chest work and had to stop because I felt like the headache was coming. Has anyone exprienced this injury? How long did it take to recover and is there anything one can do to shorten the recovery time?

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I had a bad bout of that a couple of years ago.

Learn to breathe. I know the powerlifters say to hold your breath to help stabilize yourself, but if you are getting the really sharp pain type headaches - then you need to exhale during the concentric part of the lift.

Also - I started taking two scoops of Power Drive about 30 minutes pre-training. DOn’t know if it helps, but I do it anyhow.

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When I got back in the gym not too long ago I got it bad. A couple of things really helped:

  1. Raising my computer monitor at work. I sit in a desk all day, and was looking down with my chin tucked. I put like 3 big books underneath my monitor and the headaches went away. It took me like 2 months to figure that out.

  2. Levator Scapulae/Upper Trap Stretch. I can’t find a good link, but it is in magnificent mobility and Eric Cressey’s maximum strength book. Just put one arm behind your back like your getting handcuffed and use the other one to push your head forward.

  3. Pretty much the same thing as above but you grab your wrist with the other arm:
    http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1561783
    #19
    and
    http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/TrapeziusUpper/Trap.html

…It really got bad when I added power cleans/power snatches to my routine. I had soreness from the new movements plus the tightness from everything else. I woke up and could barely move my head.

Ibuprofen was my best friend though for those couple months. A couple pre-workout and I could get through training with no headaches, maybe a little throb at the end but I wouldn’t even call it painful.

That period of time though was terrible, and I hope you get over it soon.

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[quote]theuofh wrote:
When I got back in the gym not too long ago I got it bad. A couple of things really helped:

  1. Raising my computer monitor at work. I sit in a desk all day, and was looking down with my chin tucked. I put like 3 big books underneath my monitor and the headaches went away. It took me like 2 months to figure that out.

  2. Levator Scapulae/Upper Trap Stretch. I can’t find a good link, but it is in magnificent mobility and Eric Cressey’s maximum strength book. Just put one arm behind your back like your getting handcuffed and use the other one to push your head forward.

  3. Pretty much the same thing as above but you grab your wrist with the other arm:
    http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1561783
    #19
    and
    http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/TrapeziusUpper/Trap.html

…It really got bad when I added power cleans/power snatches to my routine. I had soreness from the new movements plus the tightness from everything else. I woke up and could barely move my head.

Ibuprofen was my best friend though for those couple months. A couple pre-workout and I could get through training with no headaches, maybe a little throb at the end but I wouldn’t even call it painful.

That period of time though was terrible, and I hope you get over it soon.[/quote]

Thanks for taking the time to find those links, I REALLY appreciate it. I actually just tryed the stretching exercise and you can deff feel the muscle stretching, feels good to say the least.

I got massages for about 4-5 days this week and it deff got better but after my work-out today it was dissapointing to find out it was still there. I’m going to try and find some strong pain-killer or something similar so it helps me get thru training.

I JUST WANT TO EAT BIG AND LIFT HEAVY…NOT ASKING FOR MUCH AM I!!!

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