Have you considered using a tens machine to help manage migraine pain and symptoms? This guide is aimed at providing you with helpful tips about tens placement for migraine headaches to help you with reducing migraines. Migraine pain can be debilitating and affects millions of people’s daily lives. There are plenty of treatments available from medical to holistic, all with varying amounts of relief for migraine sufferers. A Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation machine (TENS) provides electrical pulses which help reduce pain signals in the brain. In this article, we’ll dive into how to use a Tens unit for migraine pain relief and proper placement techniques.
Understanding Migraines
First, let’s start off by explaining what migraine headaches are. Headaches consist of dull pain that can be annoying and frustrating that can last from minutes to hours. Headaches are alleviated with over-the-counter medication.
A migraine is a severe head pain that is often debilitating, it can make simple everyday tasks challenging or nearing impossible. The symptoms are much more impactful from nausea, light sensitivity, fatigue, blurred vision, and muscle weakness to name a few on top of head pain. Migraines can last minutes, hours, days, and even in some cases weeks. Chronic migraine is migraines that occur 20 or more times each month. One of the biggest ways to tell the difference is the intensity levels of the pain migraines are excruciating, headaches are often manageable.
What is TENS therapy?
Before we dive more into tens placement for migraine headaches, let’s chat more about what TENS therapy is for migraine sufferers. It’s a small machine that you can use at home that provides low-voltage electrical currents to relieve pain and promote healing. A TENS machine is a small battery-operated device that has leads connected to sticky pads called electrodes.
These are commonly used in chiropractors’ and Physiotherapist’s offices. They can help with chronic pain by focusing on sending small electrical pulses through pads to your nervous system. This can help manage migraine symptoms and headache pain as it blocks pain signals, relaxes the muscles, and stimulates the release of endorphins. It’s great at helping with muscle tightness which can be a trigger for migraines, and the tens device is an effective treatment for relaxing sore muscles.
Be sure to speak to a medical professional before using a TENS machine for electrical stimulation. It’s important to understand the risks and side effects for your health and if it’s a recommended treatment option for you.
TENS and Migraines
Now what’s the connection between TENS therapy and migraines? As mentioned above the electrode pads that you attach provide relief from pain and help with easing symptoms. It can help take intense pain to a more manageable pain.
Using a TENS machine for migraine can help with reducing headache frequency, for those with episodic migraine and chronic migraine individuals. The transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator helps with blocking pain and relieving muscle tension when applied correctly. It’s a non-invasive option for migraine management and can provide relief at home.
TENS placement for migraine headaches
Now onto tens placement for migraine headaches! When it comes to home use of the tens stimulation therapy there are a couple tips to help with placement to maximize your relief. Please speak to a medical professional before beginning tens treatments to reduce adverse reactions and ensure it’s aligned with your health and pain management plan. This article is not providing medical advice.
First, you want to ensure your hands and the skin you’re placing the electrodes on are clean and free of lotions and creams. You can use a face cloth to clean the location with mild soap.
If you’re using your electrode pads for the first time they will be clean and sticky. If you’re reusing pads ensure they’re clean and ready for placement. Place two electrodes on your upper neck and one high on your shoulder beside your neck. It’s helpful to place the neck electrode pad on the side of the head where you experiencing pain on. Ensure the TENS machine does not go on the front or side of your neck.
From here you can place an additional pad on your temple of your affected migraine side of the head if you’d like. Turn on the device and begin with very small pulses, increase slowly. Do not turn it up high immediately, gradually increase as needed. Typical usage can be for 30-60 minutes up to 4 times a day. Typically relief can be felt for about 4 hours.
Safety Precautions with TENS use
It’s important with all electrical muscle stimulation to take precautions for safety. Ensure you speak to your medical professional about your use with your health. Be sure with the handheld device is stored in a dry and safe location away from children and pets. It’s normal to feel a tingling sensation as the pulses are delivered, if you experience pain stop use and speak to your doctor.
You may feel the tingling going to your head (brain) and spinal cord as this is where the pulses are targeted to go to help relax muscles and block pain. If you experience any skin irritation or skin surface conditions speak to a medical professional.
Do not use tens pads on any open wounds, rashes, or swollen, infected, or inflamed skin. Do not use on skin that does not have normal sensation, any part of your face that is not temple (or directed by a medical professional).
It’s important to not use it on both sides of your chest, or body at the same time, as well do not place it directly on your backbone. If you are pregnant you should not use a TENS machine unless instructed by a medical professional. Speak to a doctor before using the portable device to ensure you know the correct placement and safety precautions for tens treatment.
Tips for how to use TENS machines
Here are some additional TENS machine tips. It’s helpful to incorporate a TENS machine into your wellness routines and use it when experiencing muscle soreness. Be sure to speak to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your pain medication use with the TENS machine.
Consult your health insurance to see if the TENS machine or pads are covered in your insurance plan. Proper use of the machine should help reduce neck pain, and reduce pain intensity. If you do not experience this speak to your medical team about different treatments and alternative treatments.
Be sure to read the manual provided, each device has different operating procedures and settings. Always start with low intensity and increase as needed, pain may feel different depending on how severe your migraine is. TENS therapy works best coupled with relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, health affirmations, healthy lifestyle changes, and reducing stress when possible. Be sure to stay well hydrated while using your TENs machine.
Summary
The TENS machine can work wonder on many parts of the body to help relieve pain, and this can be very helpful for migraine pain. Depending on the type of headache you may find your level of relief varies. As a general rule try to keep consistent with using the TENS machine to help with reducing pain regularly. Be sure to seek emergency medical attention/ emergency department if needed, and speak to a medical professional before use. A TENS machine should be part of your pain management plan and does not replace medication. It can help those get relief without solely relying on medication. While TENS might work well for some, it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional before embarking on any new pain management strategy.
Leave a Reply