Hey guys! I am a 26yo male, 6’7 250lbs. I’ve been training for years and recently started a strongman routine and gradually introduced new exercises, managing intensity and volume guided by a coach. Almost 2 days ago I was training in the gym. I started with Continental Clean&Press. While doing them, I noticed a sharp pain in the middle area of my upper trap, just below the neck. Was not that bad and I continued training. The problem now is that the pain is herendous, wakes me up during night affecting my sleep, my neck ROM is greatly reduced, it’s very hard to find a position that does not hurt. The good part is that I don’t feel dizziness, or balance problems. Today, I am supposed to deadlift, but it hurts. I tried to do some neck flexion/extension, ear-to-shoulder left and right, neck circles, neck turns left/right. All of them are pretty painful. I tried some massage with topical creams which provide some short term release, but the pain comes back. Also, tried ibuprofen which does nothing. I am familiar with your opinion on those, but I still tried them because the pain is very disturbing. Where should I start? What kind of exercises should I do to get things right?
Edit: I deadlifted today and it was fine, pain was minimal 2-3/10. The problem is that it still persists on day by day activities like turning my head left-right when driving(with reduced ROM), even laying in bed, walking etc. Even when sleeping.
Sorry to hear about the neck issue. This sounds like a fairly typical presentation of acute neck pain (sometimes called acute torticollis or a “wry neck”). While the pain intensity is often very high and the loss of range of motion is frustrating, the natural course or history of this is pretty good. It mostly resolves on its own in a few days to a week.
The fact that you were able to deadlift with 2-3/10 pain is certainly a good sign. It demonstrates that despite the sensitivity and “locking up” sensation, your were able to to handle significant load.
That is the winning strategy here: find the movements you can perform tolerably and do them, rather than focusing on the range of motion you currently lack.This is covered here (and you may be familiar with it):
If you want a specific programming adjustment or a professional evaluation to manage this, you would need to consult with our Pain & Rehab team directly:
Hey Jordan! Thank you very much for your answer. I actually was trying to increase the ROM by doing some “mobility” for my neck, but I’ll stop that and I will continue training at a tolerable dose. One more question, any meds that I can use so I can sleep at night? I mean till the neck gets better. I tried ibuprofen, but it hasn’t worked.
Generally speaking - and this is not specific medical advice to you- over the counter pain meds like NSAIDs and acetaminophen can be used as directed unless you have reasons to specifically avoid them. Some people find a warm compress, ice, etc. help take the edge off, though others feel nothing, too.
