Question about neck pain

[nolimits]

Last week I was benching and on my final heavy set I felt something pull in my neck while I was straining out my last rep. It was sore for a few days and started to get better until yesterday on my last set of incline presses I pulled that fucker again and can barely move my neck it hurts so bad. I've got it on heat right now and it feels slightly better. I figured out that I was straining my neck super hard on my heavy sets and pushing my head away from the bench instead of keeping it flat. I'm just wondering if anyone else has run into this problem and how long it took to heal, and if they had any remedies, I don't want to go to the doctor and get all hopped up on painkillers.

 

[Green Monkey]

I think that a strain like that isn't uncommon for heavy benchers.

My guess is that it's minor, but I'd see a doc if you still have pain in 5-7 days.

For now, good ol' RICE - although I think I'd skip the compression - and advil/aleve should help.

If you must exercise, use moist heat to warm it up and then stretch/warm up slowly.

If you do all that and it still hurts - stop what you're doing and go to a doc.

 

[Superbad09]

definitely a strain common for pretty much anybody who either isnt very used to benching (and pumps out hard sets) or somebody who has a bad habit of pushing their head into the bench.

i usedta do this to myself when i was only benching like 145-165 pounds back when i was like 15 so i think its just a bad habit.

either way, ur not supposed to you use heat in the first few days, it could just aggravate it....just ice and anti-inflammatories like advile (ibuprofen) and aleve (naproxen).

 

[EE6_TBOIO_MATb]

Use ice on the first day, man.
Heat is for after the inflammation is gone.

 

[EE6_TBOIO_MATb]

Sorry I meant first dayS. (plural)

 

[Lusst]

What the hell were you doing with your neck to injure it on Bench? I've had mine tweak a bit while doing DLs...but Bench??

 

[Prodigal Son]

Yeah, I don't get that either. I have strained my neck pulling before or even with heavy shoulder shrugs but not with bench, even with a high bridge.

 

[JPC]

I used to pull something in my neck quite often when straining on overhead presses. Since adding neck work to my routine it hasen't happened in a long time.

 

[Steak**]

At around the end of June my neck became sore really bad, as well as my jaw. I also became really sick. I just ignored it for awhile. Then one day I woke up and everytime I smiled I felt retarded, it just didn't feel right. Then I realized it was because I couldn't move half my face. I went to the doctor and turns out I have lyme disease. I'm sure you don't have lyme disease but I just wanted to say I pretty much lost the pencil neck competition. I should get back to the gym this week though finally.

 

[nolimits]

i think i was just straining too hard and unconsciously pulling my head AWAY from the bench. definitely strained something but thank God it's slowly (very slowly) getting better. whoever recommended ice was right on.

 

[mschatz]

It happens. Tiger balm, icy hot, or any menthol-based muscle rub helps