Weight lifter's cephalgia

doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(82)80048-6

Annals of Emergency Medicine

Volume 11, Issue 8, August 1982, Pages 449-451

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(82)80048-6 Get rights and content

Physical exertion can cause migraine or the benign exertional headache. The case is presented of a 30-year-old male weight lifter who experienced excruciating headache while doing leg presses on a weight machine. Physical examination was normal, as were subsequent examinations. The patient resumed training with lighter weights and did not again experience headaches. Some experts estimate that up to 4% of the adult population engages in weight lifting occasionally, and thus this malady may be more common than is realized.

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Citation Excerpt :
It has been suggested that the pathophysiology of this headache is related to cervical ligamentous strain or stretch,59 but, other authors feel it is more likely vascular in origin and thus a type of benign exertional headache.57 Supporting the vascular hypothesis is a case report of a weight lifter's headache that was only brought on by doing heavy leg presses on a weight machine.60 In this exercise there would be relatively little activation of pain sensitive cervical structures but great increases in blood pressure, making a vascular process more likely.
Weight lifting and other forms of strength training are becoming more common because of an increased awareness of the need to maintain individual physical fitness. Emergency room data indicate that injuries caused by weight training have become more universal over time, likely because of increased participation rates. Neurologic injuries can result from weight lifting and related practices. Although predominantly peripheral nervous system injuries have been described, central nervous system disease may also occur. This article illustrates the types of neurologic disorders associated with weight lifting.
Neurologic Disorders Associated with Weight lifting and Bodybuilding
2008, Neurologic Clinics
Citation Excerpt :
It has been suggested that the pathophysiology of this headache is related to cervical ligamentous strain or stretch [59], but, other authors feel it is more likely vascular in origin and thus a type of benign exertional headache [57]. Supporting the vascular hypothesis is a case report of a weight lifter's headache that was only brought on by doing heavy leg presses on a weight machine [60]. In this exercise there would be relatively little activation of pain sensitive cervical structures but great increases in blood pressure, making a vascular process more likely.
Weight lifting and other forms of strength training are becoming more common because of an increased awareness of the need to maintain individual physical fitness. Emergency room data indicate that injuries caused by weight training have become more universal over time, likely because of increased participation rates. Neurologic injuries can result from weight lifting and related practices. Although predominantly peripheral nervous system injuries have been described, central nervous system disease may also occur. This article illustrates the types of neurologic disorders associated with weight lifting.
The cerebral hemodynamics of headache associated with sexual activity
2003, Pain
Headache associated with sexual activity is an idiopathic headache disorder and regarded to be a vascular headache but no pathophysiological studies have been performed to date to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We investigated 12 patients with the explosive type of sexual headache according to the criteria of the International Headache Society during a headache-free state by means of acetazolamide test and of stress Doppler sonography. Twelve age-matched migraine patients and 14 healthy subjects served as control groups. Changes of blood pressure, cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV), and pulsatility index (PI) were evaluated. Patients with sexual headache showed a significantly higher increase of blood pressure during standardized physical exercise as compared to healthy subjects and migraine patients. Changes of CBFV by physical exercise were not different between the three examination groups. After 1 g acetazolamide, CBFV showed a significantly higher increase in patients with sexual headache (plus 66%±16%) than in healthy subjects (plus 46%±18%), and PI showed a significantly lower decrease as compared to healthy subjects and migraine patients. These data suggest that in patients with sexual headache the metabolic rather than the myogenic component of the cerebral vasoneuronal coupling is impaired.
Other Forms of Headache
2003, Neurological Disorders: Course and Treatment: Second Edition
This chapter discusses several forms of headache. The chapter includes hemicrania continua, idiopathic stabbing headache, exertional and cough headaches, and others. The chapter also discusses short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing. Hemicrania continua is a rare, indomethacinresponsive headache disorder characterized by a continuous, moderate to severe, unilateral headache that varies in intensity, waxing ,and waning without disappearing completely. Although the essential feature of hemicrania continua is unilateral headache, some bilateral or alternating side cases have been reported. Hemicrania continua almost invariably has a prompt and enduring response to indomethacin. However, the requirement of a therapeutic response to make a diagnosis is problematic, as it excludes the diagnosis of hemicrania continua in patients who were never tried on or who failed to respond to indomethacin. Hemicrania continua exists in continuous and remitting forms. In the remitting variety, distinct headache phases last weeks to months, with prolonged pain-free remissions. In the continuous variety, headaches occur on a daily, continuous basis, sometimes for years. The continuous variety can be sub classified into: an evolutive, unremitting form that arises from the remitting form, and an unremitting form characterized by continuous headache from the onset.
Benign exertional headache
2003, Annals of Emergency Medicine
Citation Excerpt :
The syndrome included any sudden-onset headache precipitated by exertion that persists for seconds to hours and is not associated with a structural brain lesion. Since the time of Rooke, the entity has only been described in case reports, and the only such similar report in the emergency medicine literature was in 1982.6 Clues to the diagnosis include abrupt onset of severe headache lasting minutes to hours and precipitated by physical exertion.7,9,12-15
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Case reportWeight lifter's cephalgia

Med Clin North Am

Med Clin North Am

Med Clin North Am

Med Clin North Am

Med Clin North Am

Benign exertional headache

Med Clin North Am

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine

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Case report
Weight lifter's cephalgia