About five in ten Canadians suffer from neck pain. Having a neck pain or a stiff neck is a common problem. There are many types of neck pain. You can get painful neck pain if you sleep in an awkward position, sit in the same position for a prolonged period, get injured or have a condition that affects the neck muscles (fibromyalgia). Therefore, for people who are suffering from neck pain, we introduce electrotherapy to cure neck pain. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is considered to be the most effective of all electrotherapies. Here are some benefits of TENS for your neck pain.
TENS is a type of electrotherapy that is a natural and effective solution for pain relief that provides you with little or no known side effects. It is a drug-free option that avoids the known negative side effects that you might get by consuming painkiller medication.
It is a fact that endorphins are our body’s natural painkillers. These hormones exist in the brain and are triggered to reduce stress. Endorphins are transmitters that are generated when there is a feeling of ecstasy and well-being. TENS helps to stimulate the production of endorphins, thus fighting stress that generally results in neck pain and headaches.
TENS is known to minimise or eliminate pain through gate theory or endorphin release. A TENS unit helps to reduce or block pain signals travelling to the brain, thus providing users with pain relief. The pads used in the TENS unit are placed near the pain as electrical pulses transmit through the pads to the skin. The skin supplies a series of nerve fibres that decrease pain signal sent to the brain. The unit helps the body to produce greater levels of natural pain-killing chemicals like endorphins.
Chiropractors help to provide spinal adjustments to reset poorly configured vertebrae and to restore the central nervous system. When TENS is combined with chiropractic therapy, it tackles the problem from two angles, ensuring nerve endings and relieving pain. It can show the exact spot where the machine (TENS unit) can be more effective.
Sometimes tight muscles can be the reason for neck pain. TENS affects the myofascial trigger points (knots) in the neck area. The mild electrical nerve impulses from TENS can reduce the pain signals going to the brain and also affect the muscle knots, thus providing relief caused by muscle knots.
A TENS machine can be used at the comfort of your home. The TENS machine is a non-invasive way to manage your pain. The electrodes attached to the body can be moved to target the painful points, making it a low-risk treatment option.
Electrotherapy is a better alternative than taking pain medication with possible side effects on the body. It is best to speak with your physiotherapist before using the machine and consult some other alternative methods of pain management.