Tension Pain: When Your Body Gets Stuck in Superhero Mode

The Tension and Pain Connection 

Have you ever wondered why you seem to have the energy and power to “do what you have to do” when the heat is on?  How many times have you felt exhausted at the end of a long day, but somehow found yourself ready to take on the world when faced with a dangerous or upsetting situation?

You may have heard of the “fight or flight response,” the body’s reaction to danger.  In any situation that calls for increased energy–from moving out of the way of a wayward vehicle to opening your mail and realizing an important payment is past due–your body’s response is to deliver adrenaline. This increases blood flow and tenses the muscles in order to help you deal with the challenge. It’s our built-in Superman response. 

This is a great advantage when your life or well-being is in danger. But if your body is sending Superhero vibes to your brain every time you are faced with a predicament, it may not be efficiently letting go of the danger signals once you are safe again. 

Over time, this tension builds up, causing your muscles to become chronically hyper-loaded.  This tension can raise blood pressure as well as force muscles to tighten around bone structures, potentially pushing them out of alignment. 

That’s when we feel the pain. Chronic muscle tension can actually limit blood flow to the muscle itself and can cause everything from cramping to degeneration. Tense muscles may begin to react to everyday stress and strain by increasing the tension, especially in the neck and shoulders. This can cause chronic tension pain, affect bodily functions and even degrade your range of motion.

We Address the Cause of Tension Pain, for Medication-Free Relief

Physicians often prescribe medications to ease this tension pain without addressing the underlying cause. The result can be increased pain once the medication “wears off.” This is a dangerous cycle, as your body builds tolerance for these medications and doses must be increased to achieve results.  

Cold Laser Therapy, (Low Level Laser Therapy or LLLT) offered by your Loveland Chiropractor, is a great first step to easing this tension, without the use of medications. During Cold Laser Therapy, we use safe, penetrating light to activate the healing processes naturally occurring in the body. We adjust the intensity and depth of the light waves to target the specific muscles suffering dysfunction. As the healing process activates, inflammation reduces and increased blood flows to the muscles. This causes them to ease and begin returning to their normal state – providing relief. Once you break the cycle of the tension, your body will also start learning to take it easy on the emergency energy burst. Less tension means you can enjoy a more relaxed, pain-free lifestyle.

We may also recommend Chiropractic treatment when muscle tension has caused misalignment of the muscoskeletal system. During your first visit, Dr. Erickson will discuss your concerns, perform diagnosis, and recommend a treatment plan to address not only the pain, but guide you to better handling the underlying cause of your tension. Give us a call to discuss how to get started managing your pain!