Lifting weights can tone your body, but the activity can carry unfortunate side effects such as muscle pain and injury. When you lift weights, you may unconsciously tighten or clench the jaw. This can lead to muscle pain and ultimately injury if you do not correct the problem. Being aware of the proper weightlifting positions can help you avoid weightlifting dangers and alleviate neck pain.
Weightlifting Dangers
Weightlifting and neck pain can signal more than a tough workout session. If you flex the back muscles too hard, you can experience stress fractures in your neck. Muscle strain and ligament injury also are common injuries associated with weight training. Over time, frequent weightlifting can place extra strain on your neck and back. This can lead to disc degeneration, which causes the cervical vertebrae to tighten and place pressure on the nerves in the neck.
Exercises to Avoid
If you commonly experience neck pain after weightlifting, you should first check your form on all exercises. Any exercise can be problematic for your neck if you do not practice proper form. However, there are some exercises known to place excess strain on your neck. These include clean-and-jerk exercises that involve picking up weights from the ground and lifting them overhead. Dead-lifts and snatches, which also involve picking up weights off the ground, also should be avoided because of the sudden impact they place on your neck.
Stretching
If you have not experienced a weightlifting injury, your neck pain can be due to tight neck muscles. If you press on the muscles between your shoulders and neck and feel pain or tightness, this can indicate tight neck muscles. To remedy this, you can stretch the neck by gently tilting the head to the right, then left. Apply a warm washcloth to your neck to loosen tight muscles before stretching them.
Safety Precautions
If you regularly experience neck pain after weightlifting, see your physician, who can evaluate your neck for signs of injury or degeneration in the spine. If you are in good enough health to continue weightlifting, transition to lifting less weight and increasing the repetitions you perform. This can place less strain on the neck while allowing you to build muscle.
Using weight machines can be preferable to free weights because exercises can be performed in a controlled motion. If a weight is too heavy, the weight machine allows you to drop the weights if needed. Another option is to use a spotter while you are weightlifting. A spotter can ensure you do not lift weights so heavy that you cannot support them.
References
- Spine-Health: Bodybuilding, Weightlifting and Back Pain; Thomas E. Hyde; July 2000
- Dummies.com: How to Treat Neck Pain
- Question for Advanced Condition: Preventing Injuries While Weightlifing; Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale
- San Francisco Back Pain: Weightlifting with a Herniated Disc; Dr. Eben Davis; July 2008
