So cold or heat?
Heat or ice? Which one should I apply to my back when I have pain? This very much depends on what is causing your pain. If the pain is coming from the muscles, then you want to apply heat to the affected muscle. The reason for this is because heat is going to increase the blood flow to the muscles, increasing the flow of nutrients and thus increasing the healing process. If however, the cause is an inflammatory issue, coming from perhaps a joint dysfunction then ice is going to be the desired choice. This is because ice will aid in decreasing the inflammation present and thus help you to feel better. As you can see, it is essential to know exactly what's causing your back pain so that you can apply the correct one. If you're not sure which one to use for back pain, I would suggest that your best bet would be to use ice as the vast majority of back issues come from a joint dysfunction (even if there is a muscular component also present). So how long should you apply the ice of heat for? I would recommend applying twice a day for around 10 minutes, then ten minutes off, then another ten minutes on. Repeat this twice a day until you start feeling better.
Presented by our Aylesbury Chiropractor Dr. Steven Hulme (Doctor Of Chiropractic) on behalf of Corrective Chiropractic & Corrective Clinics.