Pinched nerve?

I ran into a problem the other day when I was squatting.  My buddy thinks it's a pinched nerve, but I've looked up symptoms and it seems inconclusive.  Wondering if something like this has happened to any of you guys.

I was doing 15 rep squats for the first time.  2nd set was tough, but I felt like I could get through it.. But then around rep 8 my head started throbbing a bit, and by rep 11 the pain was so intense I had to rack the weight.  Debilitating pounding for like 3-5 minutes, and then more manageable (but still rather intense) pain for the rest of the workout.

The pain was almost entirely in the back of my head, and it spread just a bit down into my upper neck.

Next workout was okay.  I got a bit of throbbing, but I took more rest between reps, and that seemed to help.  The next workout I got careless, sped through a warmup set, and got the same intense throbbing.  Had to take about 10mins of rest before continuing.  

So it's not just heavy weights that cause it.  I thought it could be a lack of oxygen, so I expereminted a bit with straining and holding my breath; but I couldn't reproduce the headache that way, and I always breathe once or twice between squat reps anyway.  It seems only to happen during squats.  Some other exercises cause some discomfort (like OHP), but it's only the squats that have dropped me to the floor.

Any feedback is much appreciated.

Snatchula,
  I don't think what you experienced is unusual.  I've heard several people mention similar experiences, and always with high rep squats.  It happens to me too:  I was doing some squat program Old Navy posted called Austrial Legs of Oak that involved squatting as many reps as possible in so many minutes and seconds.  The second day of doing them, I had to stop ten seconds early because I thought I might have a stroke or something.  I felt like I might pass out which is not good with a barbell on your neck!  The throbbing was, as you say, in the back of my neck sort of between my ears.  I wonder if it isn't the increased blood pressure for that length of time does the same thing as what happens during a migraine.  Needless to say, I don't do high rep squats anymore.
   Hope N$ replies:  He just did a 20 rep squat program.  Good luck!  :)

Yeah, N$'s input would be nice, I'll try to get him over here.  Seems this section goes mostly unnoticed. 

I'd considered that it was somehow due to the high reps, but then it happened again during a 7-rep lightweight warmup set, so I couldn't really say.. Did it ever happen to you again, or just the once?

I tried 15 rep squats again today, and even though I was really careful, I knew it was coming, so I had to cut my 2nd set short again.  At least this time I didn't let it overtake me, but it's so frustrating!

I think 12 reps might be okay.  I was thinking of doing 12-8-4 for HST, instead of 15-10-5.  Or do you think it'd make more sense to just start at 10 reps and do 4 weeks of that, making the weight increases, say, 10 lbs per workout instead of 20?

hmm,

Well this is sort of tough, my first response is to get it checked out...

I never experienced anything like this during my 20 rep squats, immense pain throughout my body, but that was just from the weight on my back. I did pass out a while ago doing cleans and busted my nose on the floor when I passed out...but even then I never had any pains in my neck/head.

I wonder if you broke a blood vessel due to pressure and it just needs to heal. I dont want to scare you either but intracranial hemorrhaging may be worth looking into, all though I dont think thats it. If its broken blood vessels due to pressure it may take awhile to heal and you might just have to lay off until they do.

Perhaps its as simple as having the bar too high up while squating, and/or extending your neck up as you descend down, putting unneeded stress on your neck muscles, causing you pain.

Im sure like everyone else your doing the valsalva maneuver while going down, have you tried exhaling very slowly on the way back up? as if to strain a little air out, little by little on the way up? release some of the pressure.

Like I said this has never happened to me, I would check with the doc...but the above would be my guesses.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

you could have had the resistance placed over your cervical plexus (c1-c4 plexus). those nerves supply the head, neck, upper chest, and shoulders. try a different bar placement on your back.  the nerve cells in these plexuses originate in either the CNS or in specialized cells called receptors which would alert your body of the improper placement through pain. that's just my .02

it could also be caused by elevated blood pressure due to improper breathing as $ pointed out.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Thanks for the responses.  

I do use the valsava maneuver, and always have even before I knew what it was called.  Just always felt natural and safer lifting that way.  I don't, however, release air on the way up and might give that a shot.

As for bar placement, I put it over that groove that you get between muscles or bones or whatever, just a little under the high point of the shoulders.  Fairly low, lower than I used to, and about as low as I feel safe putting it.

I don't think I have a habit of extending my neck up, but I'll pay some more attention to that to be sure.

I've found that 10 reps is fairly safe if I'm careful, anything over that is questionable.  Maybe something will heal and later on I won't have this problem, but for now I'll stick to 10 reps or lower.  

Thanks again for the input.  I'll keep it in mind, and if things get out of hand, I'll definitely be seeing a doctor.

Now this isnt meant to scare you, but..it could be serious.

Im the one who posted "Possible to get brain aneyurisms from deadlifting?" because after I deaded hard one day on a rep while forgetting to breathe out. When I finally dropped the weight, my brain/head felt weird. Like a lot of pressure on my sinuses and temple.

2 months later, I still have the same problem. Ive had two MRIs done on my head and neck and they finally figured out the problem. I strained my neck muscles which caused a huge spasm, and this caused my cervical curve to become straightened. So to this day, my symptoms have gradually increased to more head pressure/neck pain/muscle twitching/pinched nerves until I can fix my neck. I have another appt with an orthopedic surgeon tommorrow.

Always go to a doctor if you're not sure.