I was interested in hearing your opinion on the possible cause of the headaches I have had the last couple of weeks.
For some weeks I have been having a kind of sedated feeling, faint ache at different spots at the back of my head, which sometimes switches places (behind the ear, at the surface at the back of my head… but never at the front). Now this isn’t the kind of pain that is that severe I want to take medicine for it, it is just very distracting and has impacted my congntive function as well. Otherwise I feel fine, and after blood work came back normal my doctor told my it is probably tension headache. Now I guess thats possible but having had problems with ocd and depression for about 10 years, headaches were never something I had at times when anxiety and stress levels were a lot higher (I feel good overal at the moment).
At the time of lockdown (two-three weeks before the pain started) I also bought my own barbell and some weights to keep training in the best capacity I could. Loading lighter weights than usual, i though I would switch to highbar squat while I always do low bar. Although I haven’t felt any pain during the squat I started thinking that perhaps that could be another cause of those headaches? Do you believe that is reasonable? I was already thinking to just stick to front squats at the moment but maybe I’m just overthinking it:) It’s just been very annoying and would be a relief to find the cause.
It seems to be there irrespective of training at the moment. To give an example, yesterday it started behind my right ear, jumped to the top of my head (to a small spot) by noon and still later I felt some slight pain behind my left ear.
Weeks ago though I felt it at the entire right side of my head, like I was aware of that part through a kind of sedated feeling.
I brought up squats, but should rather say training in general. With limited equipment I did floor presses, the bar resting on a rack which was too high so it wasn’t the ideal position the pick the weight. Seated overhead presses I did from a normal chair but also there I though perhaps I kept my head in a suboptimal position which might explain my complaints now. However, I never experienced the onset of any pain during training itself.
The other thing that kind of changed a while before is that I was only only 2,5 mg of lexapro and supplemented with things like ashwagandha and maca. The doctors reassured me it wasn’t because of any supplements but he did propose I up the dose again to 5 mg, which I did. Cognitively that seems to have improved things, but right now for example I again feel some pain at the right side of my head, below my ear.
Do you think I woud benefit from going to an osteopath of physiotherapist or do you believe this kind of pain, which is weird to explain how if feels, is probably not the result of a mechanical issue?
I would say that the majority of headaches are not the result of “mechanical” issues. Given the persistence of your symptoms I am skeptical that they are due to your squatting, and would continue to work with your physician on the evaluation and management of these headaches.
Can you simulate the pain by pushing on the base of your skull sort of below and maybe toward the middle from your ear? The focality of this suggests maybe occipital neuralgia. You can google that to find the places to push.
Occipital neuralgia is not a bad or dangerous thing, if you have it, but if it is really annoying you can get a nerve block, if that’s what it is.