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What’s Better For Lower Back Pain Heat Or Ice

Can I Use Ice Therapy

Ice or Heat: Which is better for low back pain?

Ice therapy doesnt have many of the limitations of heat therapy. For example, its not typically as dangerous to people with other health issues. However, it can be a problem for people who have sensory issues that make it difficult to sense pain. This includes people who have diabetes, as nerve damage may have impacted their sensitivity to extreme temperatures. Its important to be able to see and feel what the ice is doing, so you dont accidentally let it sit on your skin too long to cause damage and, ultimately, more pain. Its also not recommended for people who have poor circulation.

As we mentioned previously, its important to understand the source of your pain and which treatment is going to be the most effective. Ice therapy is not useful for individuals who are trying to treat stiff joints or muscles because it will not loosen up stiff areas it will have the opposite effect!

When To Use Heat For Back Pain

After the inflammatory phase, the first 72 hours, you can start to introduce heat to the situation in most cases. However, in some cases, even after the first 72 hours, its still too early for heat. If you continue to have sharp pain, or have pain that radiates down your leg, do not use heat, its too early and you should continue to ice until these symptoms subside.

Generally speaking, heat is good option for chronic or long-term issues that present with dull and achy pain, as well as muscle tightness. Heat helps to increase pliability of tightened muscles and increases your flexibility, which in turn helps to decrease your pain and improve function.

As a general rule, you want to use heat for about 30 minutes at a time. Anything longer than 30 minutes, and you may start to notice increased inflammation and pain.

There are two different types of heat therapy: Dry heat and Moist heat.

Dry heat Easy to apply. Includes heating pads and dry heat packs.

Moist heat slightly more effective than dry heat, takes less time, however, its more difficult to apply. Includes moist heat packs, steamed towels, and hot baths.

When To See A Doctor For Back Pain

Here are six other signs that you need to visit an urgent care for your back pain:

  • Sudden or severe pain
  • Pain that lasts more than 24 hours
  • A noticeable change in the way you walk or stand
  • Persistent pain that doesnt get better when you rest
  • Sudden or severe pain that worsens over time
  • Pain that increases with activity

If you experience any of these symptoms, then you should immediately visit a medical professional. A physical therapist may be able to help you with your back pain. However, if you dont have health insurance, then you should visit an urgent care for your back pain.

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Use Cold First And Then Apply Heat For Acute Back Pain

When your back pain is acute and/or occurs due to a direct injury, use cold therapy first.2 Lowering the body temperature will help constrict the blood vessels, reduce swelling, decrease inflammation, and cause a numbing effect.1,3

See Ice Packs for Back Pain Relief

Once the inflammation has subsided, use heat therapy. When you apply heat, it improves the flexibility of soft tissues, movement of muscles, and overall functioning of the back. The local warmth stimulates blood circulation in your lower back, which in turn brings healing nutrients to the injured tissues.

It is also advised to continue using heat therapy intermittently for several hours or days in order to improve tissue healing and prevent recurrence of pain.2

Back Exercises And Stretches

What Is Better For Back Pain Heat Or Ice

Simple back exercises and stretches can often help reduce back pain. These can be done at home as often as you need to.

For information about exercises and stretches that can help, see:

A GP may be able to provide information about back exercises if youre unsure what to try, or you may want to consider seeing a physiotherapist for advice. Read about how to get access to physiotherapy.

Doing regular exercise alongside these stretches can also help keep your back strong and healthy. Activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates are popular choices.

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When To Use Heat Therapy For Back Pain

Is heat good for back pain? The answer depends on what type of back pain you are trying to address. If you are living with chronic pain or discomfort that lasts for more than four weeks, heat may help relax the tissues in the area and decrease pain signals. Heat can also encourage blood vessels in your back to dilate, which can promote healing.

Can I Use Heat Therapy

Heat therapy can be very beneficial, especially in cases where people are suffering from chronic pain. It is relatively easy and inexpensive to use and typically provides quick, noticeable results. However, it is important to note that heat therapy can be dangerous if you have a preexisting health condition, such as dermatitis, diabetes, vascular disease, multiple sclerosis or deep vein thrombosis. Individuals with heart disease or hypertension also should avoid it. If you are pregnant, youll want to talk with your doctor before using a sauna or hot tub for heat therapy.

While we briefly mentioned it before, its also important to note you should avoid using heat therapy if your pain is coming from an open wound or an area of your body thats swollen or bruised. Its just not the right treatment for these issues and could potentially cause problems because there are certain conditions such as swelling where it may not be good to increase circulation to the affected area.

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Contrast Therapy: Using Both Cold And Heat Therapy For Back Pain

Hot/cold immersion therapy alternates quickly between cold and heat therapy to jolt your bodys circulation. As you might imagine, rapidly shifting between hot and cold water can be very stimulating, but outside of that, the benefits of this method of dealing with an injured latissimus dorsi or any other injury is fairly unknown.

Some studies have shown contrast therapy can improve your bodys immune system, but others show minimal net benefit or near equal benefits as with doing cold and heat therapy separately.

Contrast therapy can be used for recovery purposes after a trying workout or to reduce swelling related to injuries. But it should not be used for fresh injuries when swelling, heat and redness are still present.

Start With Cold Therapy For Acute Back Pain

Ice Versus Heat for Back Pain

If you’ve had your back pain for four weeks or less, using cold therapy initially is likely your best bet. By bringing the temperature down, you can constrict blood vessels and simultaneously minimize swelling and information. You’ll be left with a numbing effect that hopefully offers relief.

Once you’ve noticed an improvement in your inflammation, transition to heat therapy. The heat can help with flexibility, muscle movement, and overall functioning. It will deliver nutrients to the injured tissues and allow you to feel better.

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Common Causes Of Lower Back Pain

There are a large number of causes of low back pain. The reason why a persons back hurts will determine if heat or cold is the most appropriate remedy to help them feel better.

A common reason for people to experience pain in their lower back is muscle strain. This is generally caused by overexertion and often goes away within a few days. With muscle strain, the pain is localized in one area, dull and achy. However, just because it is not particularly serious in most cases does not mean that it does not hurt. A pulled muscle in the back can make standing, walking and other types of movement difficult.

Sciatica is another major cause of back pain, and it can be debilitating in more severe cases. In addition to affecting the lower back, people with this condition may have problems with their legs or feet feeling

numb or being difficult to move. Sciatica-related pain is felt on a continual basis, presents as a kind of tingling or burning and does not go away. It is generally contained to one side of the body and can be somewhat alleviated by moving around as opposed to staying still.

Degenerative disc disease in the lower back may affect people in their late teens, and it can cause large amounts of pain in the lower back. This disease generally involves a continual level of tolerable pain with occasional flare ups that may be severe and cause spasms. Luckily, this condition is almost always treated successfully.

Unconventional Wisdom About Icing

Icing has a good reputation as a treatment method which it may not deserve. Even if it is helpful, many people are unclear about when and why to use it. Unfortunately, it is routine for healthcare professionals to recommend ice massage or ice gel packs for back pain. For back pain specifically , its particularly likely to fail or even backfire.

Neither icing or heating has much potential to relieve acute back pain. This was shown by a 2010 experiment at a busy emergency department. The test was simple: give some patients ice packs, give others heating pads, and compare the results. Which were pretty much the same. Both heat and cold resulted in mild yet similar improvement in the pain severity. The researchers recommend that the choice of heat or cold therapy should be based on patient and practitioner preferences and availability.

Whats going on here? Why didnt one of them win? Or lose?

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Heat Or Ice For Upper Back Pain

Both ice and heat can help upper back pain, but, like lower back pain, which to use depends on the timing and probably causes of your pain. Healthline suggests that you, use a cold pack and anti-inflammatory pain relief for the first three days after the pain starts. After that, alternate applying heat and cold to your injury.

Best Practices: How To Ice Your Back

Pin on Essential oils
  • Apply ice to the sore area for 10 minutes every hour.
  • Stick to the every-hour schedule. The more often the cycle/transition happens, the faster your body can heal.
  • Place a thin barrier like a towel between the skin and ice pack to prevent skin damage.
  • If youre using ice therapy for therapeutic or athletic reasons, you should do so several hours after your workout. Ideally, this should be done the first thing in the morning/and or right before bed.
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    Using Heat To Relieve Lower Back Pain

    Using a heating pad is a great way to get relief when people are experiencing pain in the low back region. It is effective because heat makes the blood vessels wider, and this helps blood flow in addition to helping

    the muscles relax. With more blood moving into the area, the back gets an increased supply of nutrients, and harmful elements are removed effectively.

    However, people should keep in mind that just using heat is often a temporary measure. Individuals who are experiencing pain on a regular basis should definitely see a doctor and investigate more permanent solutions to help with their back issues.

    So What Is The Story With Necks

    The information we gave explaining what happens to the back when it is iced holds true with necks as well. However, the argument against icing the neck is not as strong as it is with the back, the word never does not apply here.

    Just like back pain, the majority of neck pain is not considered inflammatory or injurious in nature. This is the criterion for icing an injury. Just like backs, the neck is easily irritated with cold. Have you ever been hit in the back of the neck with a snow ball? The cold hurts worse than the snow ball impact!

    The most common problem people face with their neck is the crick in the neck, which is enough to make you slightly hostile. This is usually brought on by chilly air hitting the neck at night, and not by the way you slept on your pillow.

    Even if we break down all of the specifics, it is better to learn by experience. Take a small piece of ice from the freezer and place it on your neck for a few seconds. You will see quickly that your neck does not like it at all.

    Unfortunately, no matter what you do, the neck is more fragile than the back. Because the brain knowns this, it pays more attention to the back than it does the neck, and protects it a lot more. Necks are susceptible to being injured a lot more easily, especially with a condition known as whiplash which is way more common than straining muscles in your lower back.

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    What About Medicated Cold Patch Or Heat Patch For Lower Back Pain

    According to a Japanese specialist, in reference to Japans 2012 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Low Back Pain, you may use either a heat or cold patch for low back pain.

    This is how.

    Medicated heat patches contain active ingredients such as capsaicin. Capsaicin is a compound that is responsible for the hotness of hot peppers.

    On the contrary, cold patches contain active ingredients such as menthol. This gives the cool feeling to relieve pain.

    That is, these patches do not literally warm up or cool the body in the first place. They give the sensation of feeling cool or warm alongside with other analgesic or anti-inflammatory ingredients to relieve the pain.

    You can use either a cold patch or a heat patch depending on what feels more comfortable for you.

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    When To Avoid Hot And Cold Therapy

    Ice vs. Heat | Back Pain Relief

    Under certain circumstances, you may need to avoid using cold therapy, heat therapy or both for your lower back pain. If you suffer from any of the following, we always recommend that you talk with your doctor to determine best practices for you.

    • Open wounds, dermatitis, blisters or rashes
    • Impaired sensations

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    Do Not Ice Lower Back Or Neck Pain

    Wait! What? You shouldnt ice low back pain? The truth is, treating low back pain with ice can make the pain worse. Icing these areas can actually cause the body to feel threatened. In many cases, you will immediately notice that the muscle spasm increases the second you place ice on the injured area. In other cases, you might notice a very unpleasant sensation when the ice is applied.

    After a few minutes go by, you will notice that your pain has increased, and the area becomes extremely stiff and difficult to move. While it does not do any permanent damage, it is not a very pleasant experience and you most likely will not try it again.

    According to scientific studies, the reason the lower back and neck react in this manner is because they are full of muscular trigger points, or muscle knots. These are common muscle dysfunctions found in the back because this area carries so much of the human weight and is responsible for so many movement functions.

    If you consider how your body is structured, you will see how much your spine really does, it protects the spinal cord, it carries all of the nerves to various exit points throughout your body, and if compromised, it can cause you to become paralyzed. That is pretty hard work for something that looks like a rippled stick put together with a lot of puzzle pieces. No wonder the brain is so over protective!

    Best Pinched Nerve Home Remedies And Preventions

    Other than applying heat and ice, there are a few other home remedies and preventative measures you can try for a pinched nerve.

    • Maintain a healthy posture.
    • Get a massage .
    • Try yoga or other gentle stretching techniques.

    And of course, if home remedies dont work and the pain persists, know when to visit a chiropractor. Doctors of chiropractic specialize in pinched nerves. The nervous system and the musculoskeletal system are intertwined, and chiropractors are trained to use different techniques to relieve the pressure on a pinched nerve. Some patients see relief after only one visit!

    Resources:

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    When To Use Ice For Lower Back Pain

    In most instances, you should use ice on your back for the first 24 to 72 hours following an injury. Cold therapy helps minimize swelling and inflammation. This, in turn, eases your pain. Cold therapy may also decrease tissue damage.

    Whether you use an ice pack, a frozen towel or even a bag of frozen vegetables, place a cloth between your skin and the source of cold to prevent ice burn. Cold therapy should be applied for no more than 20 minutes at a time, but it can safely be applied up to 10 times in a 24-hour period.

    Ice Or Heat For Back Pain Caused By A Herniated Disc

    2 Therapies For Ice Or Heat For Lower Back Pain: What Is Better?

    Again, here, much is to be said about how long you have been in pain. Both ice and heat may help relieve herniated disk pain. VerywellHealth says that both cold therapy and heat therapy may help a great deal because by helping to relax the muscles of the back, ice and heat applications can relieve muscle spasm and provide significant pain relief.

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    When Not To Use Ice

    Cold is not suitable if:

    • there is a risk of cramping, as cold can make this worse
    • the person is already cold or the area is already numb
    • there is an open wound or blistered skin
    • the person has some kind of vascular disease or injury, or sympathetic dysfunction, in which a nerve disorder affects blood flow
    • the person is hypersensitive to cold

    Ice should not be used immediately before activity.

    It should not be applied directly to the skin, as this can freeze and damage body tissues, possibly leading to frostbite.

    Professional athletes may use ice massage, cold water immersion, and whole-body cryotherapy chambers to exercise-induced muscle damage that can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness . DOMS commonly emerges 24 to 48 hours after exercise.

    A study published in The Cochrane Library in 2012 suggested that a cold bath after exercise may help prevent DOMS, compared with resting or doing nothing.

    The participants spent between 5 and 24 minutes in water between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.

    However, the researchers were not certain whether there may be negative side effects, or if another strategy might be more helpful.

    Cryotherapy is primarily a pain-reliever. It will not repair tissues.

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