Helmet related head pain?

[martin_j001]

This past weekend, I noticed after about 4 hours on the bike that my head (from the base of my skull up the back of my head) was made extremely sore/painful. I was able to temporarily releive the pain by removing my helmet. After the ride (about 5 hours total), I really never wanted to see my helmet again--its the only thing I did not enjoy about the ride!!! I use a Giro Pneumo and this was my first ride of that length. A few days later, I started to experience the same pain after only an hour of having the helmet on!! It seems to me to have something to do with the Roc Loc straps, but I have tried loosening them to no avail--it still feels the same. I finally get to the point where I just have to take it off, or stop riding!!!!!! Has anyone out there experienced this before? If so, what should I do? I have been wearing the same helmet for the past year and a half of cycling, and have never experienced this feeling before (of course I have not ridden for more than two to three hours tops before this). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....Thanks in advance

Jeff

 

[xxguitarist]

Find a new helmet?

 

[zaskar]

The Pneumo is a nice helmet, you just have to get use to wearing it your neck mucsels will get use to it.

 

[ibike73]

I used a Pneumo for years. I experienced the same trouble. I bought a new helmet. I have started using a Bell helmet. It is super comfortable. I had that thing one for 11 hours during a race in Pa. No head pain troubles at all.

Ron

 

[BIANCHI_EURO]

My personal medical theory for this problem is that a vane (correct spelling?) is pressed by the helmet preventing the normal blood flow. That gives the pain in your head. This also declares the disappearing of the pain after moving the helmet.

When I put on my new sunglasses. It takes 10 minutes before I get a head ache. When I put em off, after one minute it's all over. The bars of those glasses press against my head (just behind my ears) and press on the two vanes there.

You have to be carefull with releasing the tension on the straps because your helmet can flip of just at the moment you need it.

Regards, Frank.

 

[unclemuzza]

Originally posted by BIANCHI_EURO
My personal medical theory for this problem is that a vane (correct spelling?) is pressed by the helmet preventing the normal blood flow. That gives the pain in your head. This also declares the disappearing of the pain after moving the helmet.

Unlikely to be a vein since they drain blood away from tissue and have a much lower pressure than arteries which supply the blood. I suspect you would need to have your helmet fastened very tightly to restrict the flow of blood in the occipital artery or its descending branch that supply this area. I could be wrong here and you would need to get it checked by a registered physio but I suggest it may be some kind of impingement on the greater occipital nerve or its root.

Its a tricky one but there are tests that can be done to find the cause(s). Hope you are feeling better anyway.

regards

Muzza

 

[patch70]

Originally posted by unclemuzza
Unlikely to be a vein since they drain blood away from tissue and have a much lower pressure than arteries which supply the blood. I suspect you would need to have your helmet fastened very tightly to restrict the flow of blood in the occipital artery or its descending branch that supply this area.

In fact, because a vein is at lower pressure, it is easy to occlude. Just try blocking veins in your arm to make them swell up beyond the blocked point. Thus blood continues to go up (in the case of the head) but has trouble getting back down if you occlude occipital veins. This situation can lead to an increase in pressure as well as some accumulation of fluid in the tissues. Perhaps this can cause pain.
As you said, pressure on a nerve may also be a cause but that would not go away for several minutes after taking off the offending helmet.

 

[BIANCHI_EURO]

I was a little wrong in fact with my pronouncation since English is not my native language. However this seemed to lead to a very interesting theory by patch70. Neigther am I sure if blood accumulation in tissue leads to pain. Might be possible. Interesting theory...

Back to unclemuzza. Instead of "vanes" (haha), I meant artery. Indeed, I agree with you that it is virtually impossible to obstruct the occipital artery with a helmet. By occipital artery you mean the main artery going straight from the hart to the head, right?

However this main artery is split in smaller artery and finaly in very small artery. Every organ in the human body has it's own artery and vein. Indeed artery have muscled thicker walls and a higher pressure, no valves etc., but I assume that it's a possibility that minor artery might be blocked by the very local pressure of a helmet. (Usually there's only pain on a certain side of the head).

The obstruction of artery does lead to pain.