Hurting my neck at the gym?

I have seen several patients in my practice who have had neck problems and didn't even know it.  I feel they have done something at the gym that actually revealed an underlying problem that did not show symptoms until it was provoked.  I thought I would take the time today to discuss a few movements that are exposing these underlying pathologies.

First -  Take a look at this video where I evaluated a patient for severe pain in her left elbow.  Believe it or not, this is a somewhat common presentation.  She had a rapidly reversible condition that was primarily based in her neck.

The movements (among others) that I hear "cause" patients injuries in the gym include the "Snatch",  Clean and Jerk, and Kipping Pull Ups.

The Jerk

The Kipping Pull Up

Now these are not pictures of perfect technique, because we know if you practice these movements with perfect technique we would not get hurt... 

Look at the last picture in each of these series and see if you can see what I see.  In the Snatch, the Jerk and Kipping Pull Up you can see a significant amount of cervical protrusion (forward head) which is where the lower cervical spine flexes and the upper cervical spine extends and probably to their end ranges.

 In a neck with no underlying pathology this generally wouldn't be a problem, but for those who have underlying derangements this repeated protrusion or the prolonged forward head posture as you can see here can exacerbate the underlying problems giving you symptoms of pain and limited range of motion in your neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand or all of the above!

This is getting long but I wanted to show you the pathway of symptoms that may be cervically based.  If you have any symptoms in your arms or shoulder blades like this, chances are it is coming from your neck until proven otherwise.  I will continue this thread next week and discuss how this prolonged forward head or repeated protrusion can actually cause weakness in your arms.  Weakness in the gym is never a good thing!

You know what I am going to say now...if you have pain in your arm, shoulder, elbow or neck when performing these movements or sitting at your desk "You Deserve a Good Mechanical Assessment and Treatment Plan!"  Visit grimmpt.com  or call 504-228-0524 to set up your evaluation today! Then get back to the gym and workout without pain for a change!