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Heat or Ice for Back Pain
Heat or Ice for back pain...which do you use? The best answer depends on the circumstances of the pain condition. Heat and ice are medical traditions going back thousands of years. They are free (or cheap), easy to use and available for
home back pain relief.
Heat or Ice for Back Pain /
Let's Cool it Down...
Ice therapy is very useful for certain types of back muscle injuries. Ice will work well for
muscle strains and sprains,
especially in the first 48 hours following the injury. Ice will reduce swelling and provide minor pain relief by numbing local tissue. Ice also slows down neurological impulses in the area forcing nerves to transmit less pain messages to the brain. Ice will trigger a reflex response to the lower temperature, causing the body to increase circulation. This brings oxygen and nutrients to the area and helps to remove pain causing waste products from the muscles. This makes ice a good physical treatment option for
oxygen deprivation back pain.
Ice may be applied with a cold gel pack or simply ice wrapped well in a towel. Never apply ice directly to the skin. Do not keep ice on the area for longer than 20 minutes at a time.
Heat or Ice for Back Pain /
Time to Warm it Up...
Heat Therapy works to increase circulation to the affected area. Once again, it is most effective at treating muscular problems. Heat should be applied after 48 hours following an injury. Heat application too soon will cause increased swelling and discomfort in the injured area. Heat can be applied with a heating pad, but moist heat will work much better. A hot wet towel can work wonders. Use common sense with the temperature and do not make it so hot as to cause a burn.Heat can also be applied by a professional care giver, in the form of ultrasound or shortwave diathermy. These procedures are non-invasive and can increase the benefits from traditional heat therapy by targeting the exact source of the pain.
Do Heat or Ice for Back Pain Really Work?
I had an intimate relationship with heat, and especially ice, for many years. My
chiropractors
all suggested ice whenever I had an acute
back spasm.
The reasoning given was to “reduce the inflammation.” Now according to their own diagnoses, I suffered from
degenerative disc disease
and 2
herniated discs.
I did not have ANY inflammation… Trying to understand many diagnoses and subsequent nonsensical treatment agendas is impossible...but I digress...I did use ice thousands of times… 20 minutes on, one hour off…for years. I think I might have received an occasional
placebo reaction
from the ice, but never any ongoing relief. Ice and heat ARE EXCELLENT for muscle injuries such as bruises or sprains / strains. I have used them both successfully many times for martial arts injuries. If the cause of your back pain is muscular, I would recommend ice for the first 2 days, followed by alternating ice and heat, 20 minutes each, every 2 hours. The final answer to the question, "Heat or Ice for Pain?" ... BOTH.
Heat or Ice for Back Pain to Home page
5/23/06 Revised 5/28/08
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