TENS Units and Muscle Stimulators for Athletic Pain Treatment

!±8± TENS Units and Muscle Stimulators for Athletic Pain Treatment

Pain is nothing new to athletes. They often deal with pain and soreness, to at least some extent, every day. Some believe being able to push through the pain is what creates the best athletes. However, a body can only cope with so much pain before it gives in and gets worse. There are many forms of treatments, medications, and products to alleviate pain. TENS Units and muscles stimulators are two viable options that should be seriously considered.

Medication is generally the first method of treatment athletes will turn to. It is easy to just pop an anti-inflammatory every eight hours and it is practically guaranteed to help in some way. But, we have all seen those aspirin commercials that depict a person continually taking the medication several times in one day. This can be very dangerous in the long term. Naproxen, the drug used in medicine like Aleve, can cause circulation problems and stomach and intestinal bleeding if it is used often over long periods of time. Then of course there are other prescribed medications which can be habit-forming and can be just as, if not more, dangerous to your overall health.

As time progresses, many athletes will begin to suffer from more chronic pain as opposed to common soreness or the occasional sports injury. Not only will physical therapy be a must, It is a good idea to begin usage of a TENS Unit. A TENS Unit is an alternative to a life of pain medication. The device is specifically used for chronic pain and provides immediate relief through the use of electrical impulses. Essentially the unit "tricks" the brain into thinking there is no pain because the electrical impulses will stop the pain signal that is sent to your brain. The machine can be used anywhere on the body -back, neck, shoulder, leg, etc.; simply attach silver electrodes to the area receiving pain. Best of all, you can control the pulse rates, pulse widths, and frequencies to find the best amount of relief.

Alternatively, athletes can also use muscle stimulators, but for different reasons. A muscle stimulator is not used to treat chronic pain. Instead, it can speed up one's muscle recovery after an injury -which probably occurs fairly often for professional athletes. The device can also build muscles and prevent muscle atrophy. A muscle stimulator also uses silver electrodes, but electronic pulses sent will contract the muscle tissue, allowing an increase in blood flow.

Both devices can prove useful to athletes to help their bodies feel better and get them back out on the field.

TENS Units and Muscle Stimulators for Athletic Pain Treatment

Ott Lite Replacement Guide Good Bargain Baby Photo Contest Gerber Brand New Polk Isonic

Surviving Softball Tournaments and All Nighters - 7 Basic Steps

!±8± Surviving Softball Tournaments and All Nighters - 7 Basic Steps

"The hard is what makes it great. If it were easy everybody would do it." This quote by Rockford Peach Coach Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own pretty much sums it up. Whether it is slowpitch softball, fastpitch softball, or baseball, there are basic steps to surviving a tournament, especially a weekend all-nighter tournament. This sport is great and here is how you can be at the top of your game.

1. Stay in shape -- Practice with the team and/or with stand alone training aids. You need to be in shape. Chances are that if you are signed up to be in an all-nighter, you have this part covered. Get the cardio working. It's easier to leg out a homerun when your heart is in top condition. Breathing is good. Also, get in a few extra hits at the batting cage or team pitching machines.*

2. Stay hydrated -- Don't underestimate the power of H2O. Water should be your number one choice. Avoid energy drinks as long as possible; all that sodium can weigh you down in the heat of the day. Yes this is softball, but please limit your alcohol intake.

3. Eat right -- Carb it up. Rice, pasta and other wheat based foods are good sources of carbohydrates to energize your body. Protein (meat and peanut butter) will help repair torn muscles. Milk products will keep your bones strong and avoid breaks or fractures. Avoid crash and burn sugars.

4. Stretch and warm Up -- Take care of those muscles. They'll be getting a work out around the clock. Take a slow jog around the field or park before your game. Throw with a partner to get your arm warmed up. Loosen your back with a few practice swings when you are on deck. You may even want to swing with two softball bats or a softball bat weight.

5. Be prepared -- Pack a softball emergency kit: Biofreeze, ice packs, ace bandages, ibuprofen, antibacterial spray, hand sanitizer, and a change of clothes. As simple as it sounds, fresh dry socks can make a big difference in how you feel at your next game. Brick dust and dirt can infect sliders' strawberries very fast. Keep the antibacterial spray and Biofreeze in your bat bag so you can use them immediately if needed.

6. Buddy system -- In addition to setting the alarm clock, trade phone numbers with a teammate. You don't want to be the reason your team had to forfeit a 4 AM game. Try to stay close to the ball park. If you wake up late, you don't want a speeding ticket or worse, you don't want to get into an accident trying to beat the coin toss.

7. Take care of your equipment -- After each game take inventory of your softball equipment. You don't want to start a game only to realize that you left your softball glove in the dugout at your last game. Make sure your softball bat can withstand the cold night temperatures. Even in the summer, nights can get pretty cold. Because cold weather can dent thin walled bats, it is recommend to limit use when temps are below 60 degrees. A bat sock or warmer may help with this.

Follow these steps and you will increase your chances to a fun-filled, injury free tournament. It isn't easy being the best. It takes hard work, preparation, training and responsibility. Being the best is great. Train hard, use the right softball equipment, and enjoy your sport.

* Be aware that using your bat in a cage may nullify your softball bat warranty. Use with leather-covered balls only, not plastic or rubber cage balls.

Surviving Softball Tournaments and All Nighters - 7 Basic Steps

Purchase Lg 55ld520 Leaves Mulcher Buy Online Cheep Olympic Trampolines

A TENS Unit: The Alternative to Pain Relief

!±8± A TENS Unit: The Alternative to Pain Relief

For those suffering from chronic pain, one may feel that his life has become nothing but popping pain relief medication. However, constantly taking pills may not be appealing or others need something more than just pills. A TENS Unit is a way to alleviate pain without the use of pills and it a great alternative option.

A TENS Unit, also known as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, is a device that sends small electrical impulses through the skin to the nerves. Two electrodes are placed on either side of the area where you feel pain. You then set the frequency of the impulses. A higher frequency will block the pain signals and a lower frequency will cause the body to produce endorphins, our natural way of reducing pain. Where can you use the TENS Unit? It is typically used on the back, feet, shoulders, and neck, but it can really be used anywhere you have pain.

Although many may be inclined to use such a device, the TENS Unit is only for acute or chronic pain. It is not meant for those who have suffered a minor injury that will go away within a few days. Athletes and those in physiotherapy most commonly use the machine. How effective is the TENS Unit? It ultimately depends on the person. For some, it helps a great deal. For others, unfortunately, there is not much of a difference. The amount of relief also differs from person to person. Some users are relieved of their pain long after the stimulation is over. Other people only feel relief during the stimulation.

The devices are usually portable and can be used at home or you can take it with you to a physical therapy session. When purchasing a unit, you may notice that there are single, dual, and quad machines. Two electrodes are used on a single channel, meaning you can only apply the electrodes to a single area. If there is a dual channel, meaning two channels, there are four electrodes, which can be placed in two areas. Finally, a quad channel has eight electrodes.

You will often see different "modes" advertised for the units. Just like you have different preset modes on a treadmill, the TENS Unit can also have specific modes to target different areas of your body. Each mode is already preset to specific pulse rates, pulse widths, and frequencies. A mode already set for neck pain or wrist pain may do a much better job than you trying to figure out what frequency to set the machine.

A TENS Unit may not be the right device for everyone, but it a great alternative that can help with chronic pain. Whether you've suffered from a sport's injury or have post-surgery pain, this machine may prove to be an effective method that doesn't require the use of medication.

A TENS Unit: The Alternative to Pain Relief

Coupon Pasta Maker Machines Price Proform Xp 400r Recumbent Bike

Tendonitis and the Effects on Your Routine

!±8± Tendonitis and the Effects on Your Routine

What turns out to be a small, yet annoying pain in your joint, can quickly turn into something much more debilitating. At first, you just think it might be a pulled muscle. Maybe I did a bit too much weight? But the intermediate to advanced bodybuilder knows what muscle soreness feels like after a workout. This isn't it. But there is a potential solution.

My biceps routine, which was progressing quite nicely, turned into a non-existent routine (curling a 30lb dumbbell was impossible) after I was "officially" diagnosed with acute Tendonitis in my right arm (just below the elbow joint). The doctor said that this particular Tendonitis doesn't heal. It can get less painful but the micro tears and damage are permanent. As usual, the recommendation was to 1) quit whatever aggravates it 2) use a cream that gives some heat to the area.

Rather the follow rule #1, because if you are a hardcore bodybuilder, just quitting the exercise isn't how this injury happened in the first place. I found something that worked. I didn't want to quit doing bicep curls. Bicep curls are one of the most recommended exercises for building mass. It's a simple, basic movement that works.

I did stop doing biceps movements until the pain subsided. Once the pain was significantly less, I decided to adjust my form, have a spotter assist on certain bicep exercises and used a topical cream (Biofreeze by AST). I changed the movement to go strict on any and all bicep exercises. My arms are now tight to the sides with constant tension on the muscle. Using a spotter for dumbbell bicep curls helped me eliminate the natural tendency to flare out the arms to get that weight to the completion phase of the exercise. Heavy weight with the arms slightly out tends to put a lot of pressure on that tendon.

Taking a break from the exercises allowed me to heal enough to think rationally about the adjustments I needed to make in my routine. Going back to strict form, using a topical (heat) cream and having a spotter assist with a few of the bicep movements has all but eliminated (in a medical sense) my Tendonitis . I suffer no more pain from bicep movements because of these modifications.

Tendonitis and the Effects on Your Routine

Shop Belkin Mimo Router Frye Boots Vintage Discount