Mornings, afternoons, and evenings everyone.

I keep gettting some neck pain. It is the kind of pain that you get "from sleeping funny". It is on the left side, up fairly high (upper traps).

I know it happens after shrug day, but it also happens for whatever reason (sleep?) at other times. It will definately happen if I load a BB up for some heavy shrugs, but I have had it also after doing some 50# DB shrugs.

It is a real pain in the neck. Not only is it a real pain, it is an annoying one as well. People look at me funny when I turn my entire body to look at them. It will last for 4-6 days. Recent shoulder surgery has not changed anything.

There is nothing worse than having neck pain after shrug day for almost an entire week, only to turn around ON shrug day and create the pain all over again. It equates to neck pain 24/7. I would dismiss it as DOMS, but the pain is too isolated...and I can feel the DOMS moaning out from underneath as well.

I do shrugs as part of day 2 of a 3-day split. I do upper legs, and then shoulders before I finish with shrugs. I do 3-4 sets/10 or less reps. I concentrate on form, and am not prone to rolling my shoulders. I don't "explode" on reps, but make them deliberate. Considering I work traps last, I don't do much stretching. Lately I have worked in 1-2 very light warm-up sets, but usually would bypass that. Doesn't seem to help.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

You might as well dismiss everything I write now, because this is only thinking out loud, not backing my statements by any knowledge or anything.

You say you do upper legs on shrug day. Do you do any squats? If you do, I'm thinking you might be putting the barbell too high up on your neck, thus putting pressure on parts of you not capable of taking it.

Another thing, do you sit at a computer a lot? Could be that you maintain an outstretched position for your left arm, while using the mouse with the right, thus you create a long period of static work for your left shoulder. I've had something similar with my right shoulder, but due to using the mouse a lot when I work. I felt it got better when I tried consciously to take breaks and doing other things when I'm at the computer at work.

Kind of useless, but here we go anyway: have you seen a chiropractor? It may feel muscular, but it could also be the result of a pinched nerve. You could also try going to a masseuse (no, I'm not kidding) and get your neck/upper trap muscles massaged to see if that will cause the pain to go away.

Regarding the squat bar suggestion, I suggest skipping shrug exercises for one week, and see if the pain really does come back because of the squat bar being too high.

Heck, you can even take a week or two off from lifting so that you can completely heal up. It's not going to hurt you to miss a few sessions.

Hey Knubb. Thanks for the ideas. I do indeed do squats on shrug day. I had thought the same thing so I laid off the shrugs for a week. No pain. When I reintroduced lighter shrugs, the pain was back, albiet less pain.

I do sit at the computer a lot, and it has caused other problems. That could certainly be the problem here. I try to adjust habits, but I think the only key is to NOT be at the computer. A tough prospect. heh.

Zerebus - I have never seen a chiropractor. For reasons based on mostly myths and archaic thinking, I have been holding out on seeing one... heh. I did take some time off lifting after the shoulder work I had done, and before that I had laid off the heavy shrugs to avoid weeks of neck pain. Thanks for the advice. It has made me think.

I will try and start with a lighter shrug weight that causes no problems, and build up week to week until I get some abnormal pain (in my mind anyway). I can do some shrugs with moderate weight without pain. Maybe I just need to condition my traps more before they can handle the heavier weight, even though they seem to have no problems lifting the heavier weight. I definately need to isolate the problem more.

Thanks again!

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It has been two days since I did some heavy shrugs. I have none of the neck pain that sprouted absolutely after shrugs (and other exercises I found out). :tucool:

The solution for me:

A NEW BED!

I knew it was sort of old. I knew it was sort of beaten down. I had no idea until I slept on a new bed for a few nights.

In fact, ALL my lifting DOMS have been cut substantially. I sleep better. I sleep longer. I sleep deeper. My pain is less. I wake up alert and rested. This is no joke. I roll my eyes as I read what I type. :rolleyes:

Having robot-like neck pain for 4 days after a workout, only to hit it again when it was feeling better really SUCKED. It just makes you want to quit.

Today is a day off and I want to lift so bad it is killing me! I know I could break weights today. Oh well... from one pain to another!

Thanks Zerebus, the thought of a chiropractor had me running to the furniture warehouse for a Spring Air!

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