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- $Unique_ID{BRK01128}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Weight Lifter's Cephalgia}
- $Subject{headache weight lifter's cephalgia Ill Defined Symptoms symptom brain
- activity induced headaches footballer's migraine Exertional effort
- trauma-triggered migraines angiography CT scans}
- $Volume{N-1}
- $Log{
- Classic Migraine Headaches*0003902.scf
- Common Migraine Headaches*0003903.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Weight Lifter's Cephalgia
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- QUESTION: I have a good friend who has made weight lifting his hobby ever
- since college days. He has frequently been plagued by headaches during both
- practice and competition. Now a doctor has defined this condition as
- "weight lifter's cephalgia", and I am curious about the seriousness of this
- disease. I don't want my friend to suffer the fate of other athletes we have
- read about lately. What can you tell me about this?
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- ANSWER: I am sure by now you have discovered that the word "cephalgia" is
- just another way of saying "headache". Just like the rest of us, athletes may
- suffer the same headaches that afflict all mortals, with about the same
- consequences, severity and seriousness. However, there are a classification
- of headaches, called "activity induced headaches," that may more often affect
- individuals that participate regularly in sports. They bear many descriptive
- names such as "weight lifter's cephalgia", "footballer's migraine" and others.
- They share the same characteristic in that they all occur during the exertion
- that accompanies an athletic effort. At present they are grouped into three
- categories; exertional headaches, effort headaches and trauma-triggered
- migraines. For the most part they are all benign, but require a careful
- examination and investigation to determine the precise cause and diagnoses.
- Exertional headaches last for but a few minutes, can occur in any part of the
- head and tend to move about. Though many experts classify exertional and
- effort headaches together, some investigators distinguish the effort headache
- as one that comes on during weight lifting or other nonaerobic activity.
- Trauma-triggered migraines result from contact sports, such as hockey,
- football and wrestling. If any of these headaches recur frequently, and
- despite the fact that simple analgesics may control the pain, they should
- receive the attention of a physician, and the necessary tests such as
- angiography, CT scans and other analytical evaluations should be conducted to
- determine if any serious condition exists. A good coach may be the vital link
- between the athlete and the physician, as the competitive player is often
- reluctant to seek out the needed medical attention for so "trivial" a reason
- as a headache. Perhaps some caring advice from you to your friend will be
- helpful in this situation.
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- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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