Occipital Headaches From Weight Training

quote:

---

Occipital Headaches

---

They are called Tension Type Headaches. Pretty much tight and overworked muscles that connect to your Occiput. Muscles like your Upper Traps. There are a bunch of smaller muscles as well that deal with cervical extension. Other symptoms you may be seeing is forward head posture and rounded shoulders.

It sounds like you are off to a good start with posture, stretching, and seeking professional help. Some other things you can take a look at and research to help;

1. Stretch your Pec Minors and Strengthen your scapular retractors. When performing rowing exercises pull to your hips and squeeze your scapulas down and in.
2. Research "chin tucks" to improve your deep neck flexors. Research this correctly, it isn't about touching your chin to your chest, but activating very small muscles in your neck.
3. Massage/Stretching of Upper Traps/Levator Scapula, Scalenes.
4. If you do have some Pec Minor/Scapular Dysfunction you probably may have also started feeling some shoulder/rotator cuff dysfunction. Some rotator cuff strengthening can't hurt.

Just a few suggestions, hope it helps.

If the problem persists even after what the poster above posted, then it is possible (but unlikely) that the whiplash triggered symptoms related to a Chiari Malformation that was previously asymptomatic.

Do you take any stimulant preworkouts?

I started getting these really randomly a few years ago, and finally figured out it was associated with a particular preworkout that I was taking (amino energy).

Absolutely no idea why. Was debilitating, though.

Shot in the dark, and it sounds like you've got a pretty solid acute event to pin it on, but just in case might be something to consider.

I had them the other day after a moderate weight 10x10 OHP workout.