First PT Session - headache since
Discussion
Hello,
I had my first session with a PT on Friday after work. He established that I'm relatively fit but needed to work on my stomach / core muscles in particular. The PT had me doing a series of crunches which effectively involve crunching into a ball - bringing your head and arms up to meet your knees while lying on your back (hope that makes some sort of sense). As I got more tired doing these I started to strain in my head and neck rather than my stomach muscles and got a pretty bad headache. It's Sunday now and although the headache has lessened I still have it.
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this before and if I should be booking in to see my doctor as I don't really wont to waste his time if it's 'just a headache' but am a little concerned.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Deacon
I had my first session with a PT on Friday after work. He established that I'm relatively fit but needed to work on my stomach / core muscles in particular. The PT had me doing a series of crunches which effectively involve crunching into a ball - bringing your head and arms up to meet your knees while lying on your back (hope that makes some sort of sense). As I got more tired doing these I started to strain in my head and neck rather than my stomach muscles and got a pretty bad headache. It's Sunday now and although the headache has lessened I still have it.
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this before and if I should be booking in to see my doctor as I don't really wont to waste his time if it's 'just a headache' but am a little concerned.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Deacon
I am a PT, though not yours as I didn't work Friday 
Muscle that work in synergy or muscle that oppose each other tend to be fairly finely balanced. As you start to bring a forward movement of the head, in relation to the shoulders, the muscles in the front of the neck tend to go into over drive. This can be caused due to the acute effect of the training and once this disappears all will be fine. Alternatively the muscles are responding to a chronic effect of you being sat at a desk all day will crap posture. This would mean that the exercise set off a pre-existing imbalance.
Let it settle down. IMHO it doesn't require a doctor. Just corrective stretches. The muscles in the back of the neck will now be working as hard as they can to prevent the head being pulled forwards. In the v. short term, pull your head 45 degrees off forwards with the hand on top. Repeat the other side. This should help you alleviate your headache today.
Moving on from there, it sounds like you'd need to correct some posture imbalances, so stretches for the muscles on the front of your body would be required.
This is of course all my opinion and without being able to give you an assessment. So take caution with anything you do.
Also if your PT is asking you to do crunches to improve your core strength on your 1st session with him, I'd find a new one. A weak core does not need strengthen by flexing forwards. But that is also only my opinion.
Muscle that work in synergy or muscle that oppose each other tend to be fairly finely balanced. As you start to bring a forward movement of the head, in relation to the shoulders, the muscles in the front of the neck tend to go into over drive. This can be caused due to the acute effect of the training and once this disappears all will be fine. Alternatively the muscles are responding to a chronic effect of you being sat at a desk all day will crap posture. This would mean that the exercise set off a pre-existing imbalance.
Let it settle down. IMHO it doesn't require a doctor. Just corrective stretches. The muscles in the back of the neck will now be working as hard as they can to prevent the head being pulled forwards. In the v. short term, pull your head 45 degrees off forwards with the hand on top. Repeat the other side. This should help you alleviate your headache today.
Moving on from there, it sounds like you'd need to correct some posture imbalances, so stretches for the muscles on the front of your body would be required.
This is of course all my opinion and without being able to give you an assessment. So take caution with anything you do.
Also if your PT is asking you to do crunches to improve your core strength on your 1st session with him, I'd find a new one. A weak core does not need strengthen by flexing forwards. But that is also only my opinion.
Thanks for the reply and thoughts. Feeling a little more reassured as worst case scenario burst blood vessels in head thoughts were running through my mind!
The crunches were just one (small) part of the session but what seemed to cause the headache.
I'll definitely speak to him about it before my next session though.
The crunches were just one (small) part of the session but what seemed to cause the headache.
I'll definitely speak to him about it before my next session though.
DeaconFrost said:
He was recommend to me by someone who'd worked with him before successfully but maybe I need to look round for an alternative.
Out of curiosity what's so wrong with crunches on the first session?
Absolutely nothing to be fair, don't take one comment as he's no good.Out of curiosity what's so wrong with crunches on the first session?
Has he put together a plan yet? Also what are you goals?
DeaconFrost said:
Out of curiosity what's so wrong with crunches on the first session?
As I said it was only my opinion.I have been training people for 6 years. Not been in a commercial gym for 3 or so. Since that time I have not had a client do a crunch. Couldn't tell you how long before that without going back through some very old session plans.
I just think they are a crap exercise for gaining good results fast. It is very unlikely that your movement patterns require more stimulus to flexor muscles. Do you spend a lot of time sat down? I rate crunches fairly low down on my preferred exercise list.
Leads onto the first session thing. What movement assessments has your PT done on you to assess that work on these flexor muscles was required? This is what I do on the first session I have with new or returning clients. I can then create a plan from that. Otherwise I would simply be guessing what was needed.
GranderTransit said:
It is very unlikely that your movement patterns require more stimulus to flexor muscles.
Are you insinuating that the source of the OP's neck strain was an exercise described as a 'crunch' but was,in fact,basically a hip flexor exercise? Interesting way of putting it.
goldblum said:
Are you insinuating that the source of the OP's neck strain was an exercise described as a 'crunch' but was,in fact,basically a hip flexor exercise? Interesting way of putting it.
DeaconFrost said:
As I got more tired doing these I started to strain in my head and neck rather than my stomach muscles and got a pretty bad headache.
Wasn't really an insinuation. Or are you saying that the crunch wasn't a real crunch due to the fact that it involved the hip flexors? I didn't specify what exactly was being flexed. All I said was that I wouldn't do it and said why.I expect that is just due to over strecthing mucles that havent been used in a while - neck muscle can be strained when doing crunches particularly if it's not something you've done for a while or ever before because you end up tensing everything in order to complete the crunch.
There is nothing wrong with a crunch as an exercise, although correct technique is more complicated than it looks in order to make sure you're engaging the correct muscles.
I'd mention it to your trainer and if you start to feel it again on any exercise pipe up and have a break. As you become stronger and more stable, strains like this will become much less likely.
BTW I'm assuming the headache is around the back of the head, and linked to the straining of the neck?
P.S. I'm a trainer too and sometimes it can be hard to tell if people are finding something as difficult as they are - some are very good at hiding the exertion levels. Then there are others that will say they are working too hard if their heart rate rises by more than 10bpm. If you genuinley find something uncomfortable you really should let the PT know there and then, I'm sure he'd much rather adapt and make it more comfortable for you than make you push through and suffer in silence. Also as others have said, definately don't write him off just on this one issue.
There is nothing wrong with a crunch as an exercise, although correct technique is more complicated than it looks in order to make sure you're engaging the correct muscles.
I'd mention it to your trainer and if you start to feel it again on any exercise pipe up and have a break. As you become stronger and more stable, strains like this will become much less likely.
BTW I'm assuming the headache is around the back of the head, and linked to the straining of the neck?
P.S. I'm a trainer too and sometimes it can be hard to tell if people are finding something as difficult as they are - some are very good at hiding the exertion levels. Then there are others that will say they are working too hard if their heart rate rises by more than 10bpm. If you genuinley find something uncomfortable you really should let the PT know there and then, I'm sure he'd much rather adapt and make it more comfortable for you than make you push through and suffer in silence. Also as others have said, definately don't write him off just on this one issue.
Edited by balders118 on Monday 5th March 09:51
Ordinary_Chap said:
Has he put together a plan yet? Also what are you goals?
He's putting together a plan this week ready for my second session on Sunday. I have 3 main goals - 1. to improve general fitness and keep myself healthy, 2. to loose some body fat (although after measuring it on my first session the pt said it was quite low at 14.3 anyway) 3. to gain some muscle mass.GranderTransit said:
Do you spend a lot of time sat down? ...
What movement assessments has your PT done on you to assess that work on these flexor muscles was required?
Most of my day is spent on my feet. I'm a teacher so I'm usually on my feet not sat down.What movement assessments has your PT done on you to assess that work on these flexor muscles was required?
About half of the first session was spent on movement assessments, the other half was a variety of exercises to see which areas needed particular work he said
Hoofy said:
How did he decide you had a weak core? Flabby gut?
He said i have a slight curve at the bottom of my spine and I identified that my gut is where i seem to have most of my fat. He said my back was quite strong and so my body was taking the path of least resistance and using it leaving my stomach a bit weak (not his exact words but what i remember)GranderTransit said:
goldblum said:
Are you insinuating that the source of the OP's neck strain was an exercise described as a 'crunch' but was,in fact,basically a hip flexor exercise? Interesting way of putting it.
Wasn't really an insinuation. Or are you saying that the crunch wasn't a real crunch due to the fact that it involved the hip flexors? I didn't specify what exactly was being flexed. All I said was that I wouldn't do it and said why.GranderTransit said:
It is very unlikely that your movement patterns require more stimulus to flexor muscles.
What do you mean by this? What 'flexor muscles' are you referring to? Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff