Tension Behavior
Text Neck
Chronic pain in your neck that happens from looking down. Here are some signs that you might have text neck:
Neck Pain caused by looking down at your phone
Stiff Neck with a reduced range of mobility
Shoulder Pain builds as tension grows - this hurts too
Headaches start from the back of your neck and go up
Arms or Hands might feel tingly or sore
Tension & jaw
Jaw Pain
Chronic Behavior which stresses the neck muscles can build tension in the face and jaw.
Connected Muscles and Nerves: The muscles in you neck and jaw are connected. When the neck muscles are tense, they can pull on the muscles in your face and jaw, causing pain.
Referred Pain: Pain from one part of your body can sometimes be felt in another area. tension in your neck can send pain signals to your jaw.
Posture Problems: If you have poor posture, like slouching or leaning your head forward, in can strain neck and jaw muscles.
Stress and Clenching: Stress can cause you to clench you jaw and tighten your neck muscles without realizing it. The can make both you neck and jaw hurt.
TENS BREAKS THE TENSION PAIN CYCLE
Breaking the cycle between pain and tension stops tension from causing more pain.
Tension may cause migraines, pain in the neck and jaw due to several reasons:
Muscle Tightness
When you're stressed or tense, your muscles tend to tighten
up, especially in areas like the neck, shoulders and jaw. This muscle tension can lead to
discomfort and pain.
TENS therapy causes muscle relaxation. It does this by
triggering the release of endorphins. Endorphins are natural painkillers made
by the body. It's able to help muscles relax. This reduces stiffness and
discomfort.
Poor Posture
Lifestyle and behavioral activities causing stress often lead to poor posture, such as hunching over or tensing your shoulders. Bad posture can strain the muscles in your neck and jaw, leading to pain over time.
TENS units reduce pain and relax muscles. They ease movement in tense areas. This can help people to do stretching and postural strengthening exercises. It also reduces tension and improves posture over time.
Jaw Clenching and Teeth Grinding
Many people clench their jaw or grind their teeth when they're stressed or during sleep. This can cause muscle tension in the cheek muscles and pain in the jaw.
TENS units can change the activity of nerves. These nerves control muscles and sense pain. By altering nerve activity, TENS can reduce muscle spasms. These spasms are common causes of tension-related discomfort. TENS can also reduce hyperactivity and sensitivity.
Restricted Blood Flow
Tension can restrict blood flow to the muscles, which can result in pain and discomfort.
TENS therapy can promote blood circulation in the targeted area. Better blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. It also removes waste. This increased flow can help tense muscles relax and heal.
Nerve Compression
Tense muscles can compress nerves in the neck and jaw. This can cause pain, tingling, and numbness. As a result, many people suffer from migraines.
TENS works based on the pain gate theory. This theory suggests that TENS units provide electrical stimulation. It can interfere with and block the transmission of pain signals to the brain. TENS units work by stimulating nerves in tense areas. This "closes the gate" to pain signals. It reduces the feeling of tension-related discomfort.
Stress-Related Conditions
Chronic stress can make conditions like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder worse. TMJ affects the jaw joint and nearby muscles. It causes pain in the jaw and neck. It's often accompanied by headaches.
TENS units offer a non-invasive, drug-free approach. They target muscle and nerve tension. They provide relief from pain and promote relaxation and healing. TENS is an excellent stress-coping tool, and it's going to provide aid.
TENS CLINICAL STUDIES
"There is evidence that TENS reduces pain and improves range of motion in chronic pain patients"
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Sternocleidomastiod muscles
The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles are on each side of the neck. They play a key role in moving the head and neck. TENS therapy causes muscle relaxation. It does this by triggering the release of endorphins.
Endorphins are natural painkillers made by the body. Relaxing the neck muscles can reduce tension and stiffness. This can improve range of motion. -
Trapezius muscles
TENS therapy improves blood circulation to the Trapezius
muscles and surrounding tissues. Better blood flow can bring oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. It also removes waste. This helps muscle relaxation and healing. The TENS unit's electrical stimulation can help with stretching. It's also able to relax muscles and reduce discomfort during stretches. -
Splenius muscles
TENS therapy changes the activity of nerves. These nerves control muscles and sense pain. TENS alters nerve activity. This reduces muscle spasms and hyperactivity. It leads to better muscle function and less tension. TENS therapy delivers low-voltage electrical impulses through skin electrodes over the Splenius muscles. Electrical impulses block pain signals to the brain, relieving muscle tension discomfort.
