I'm asking this here because us FtMs usually work our upper bodies more than MtFs, so people here might be more likely to know. If it belongs somewhere else perhaps, feel free to move it.

This past week, I've been getting little lumps in my neck, they basically look like miniature bird eggs under my skin. I would think it's swollen lymph nodes, but they're going away now and I haven't gotten sick (for once in my life). The weird thing is that my entire neck hurts so bad. I've been in immense pain this past week just holding my head up all day long. Even when I lie down, the pain continues. I'm not sleeping wrong, and even if I had slept wrong one night, I wouldn't be in pain like this for this long.

Is it possible I somehow strained my neck muscles while working out at the gym? Does something like this present this way? If it is possibly a strained muscle, how long does it usually last before something like this goes away? I've strained other muscles before, but never my neck, so I don't know what a neck muscle strain or pull feels like. Or does anybody else know what might be going on?

They could be muscle knots from working out. Typically this happens if you have poor posture or are lifting improperly. You can usually take care of knots yourself if you put a tennis ball in a sock and put the ball on the area of the knot and press up against the wall. You can also go buy one of those giant muscle rollers, it is basically just a foam Lincoln log or just massage it with your hands yourself.

If you think this may not be a muscle knot, I suggest you go to the doctor and get it checked out. I'm not a doctor but I just thought I'd throw this thought out there because it could possibly be it. Don't take any injury lightly though because it could actually be very serious. I would get it checked out before lifting weights again if the massaging doesn't work.

Thanks for your input. I use machines rather than free weights and such, so my posture's always protected, but I do go quite heavy, so I suppose that could still be a possibility. If that is the cause, it's strange that it hasn't happened until now, as I've been lifting about the same weight for the past month or so. I'll try to massage it for now and see what happens.

How much magnesium is in your diet? I've read that a deficiency can cause muscle pain.

Potential swollen lymph nodes and a sore neck = stop messing around here and get your butt to a doctor NOW.

It could just be that you're going for too high a weight for what your arms/shoulders/chest/back can manage and therefore straining your neck.  Have you been doing sit-ups and pulling on your head?  Have you been doing push-ups and tucking your chin?  Either of those is damaging for the neck and would cause pain.  But even if it is that, don't mess around with ifs, buts and maybes, go to a doc!

Quote from: Jack_M on July 25, 2013, 09:11:01 PM
Potential swollen lymph nodes and a sore neck = stop messing around here and get your butt to a doctor NOW.

It could just be that you're going for too high a weight for what your arms/shoulders/chest/back can manage and therefore straining your neck.  Have you been doing sit-ups and pulling on your head?  Have you been doing push-ups and tucking your chin?  Either of those is damaging for the neck and would cause pain.  But even if it is that, don't mess around with ifs, buts and maybes, go to a doc!

This. Ivebeenworking out for years and never had "lumps" time for a doctor.

Quote from: Jack_M on July 25, 2013, 09:11:01 PM
Potential swollen lymph nodes and a sore neck = stop messing around here and get your butt to a doctor NOW.

This. Could be goiters- do a google image search on that word and that should properly motivate you to get thee to a doctor.

I know my husband used to get terrible muscle knots in his calves that would cause him intense pain. He started drinking more water and sport's drinks while working out and the knots only happen once every few years now. I don't know if this helps, but I hope it does a little.

I've never heard of something like this from working out. You could have swollen lymph, or goiters, or any number of things. Best to follow the others advice and go to a doctor to find out.

Thanks everyone. The lumps went away, and as they were going away, I became SEVERELY exhausted (still am to some degree), so maybe it was just some kind of weird infection...still getting migraines every day, and now I'm developing intense stomach pains, so...yep, definitely not a workout thing.

I'm under the impression that goiters are located on your thyroid at the front of your neck, and these were on the back of my neck and in my hairline.