Back injuries aren’t just painful; they’re also crippling. Many of the things we do, from sitting to bending over, depend on the health of our back musculature and bones. When these fail, we get injured. The ensuant pain and dependence on others tend to be intolerable, so we seek ways to remedy the injury.

Two of the most common home remedies are icing and heating the back. However, it’s not always apparent which treatment to opt for; in fact, making the wrong choice can worsen your pain. Here’s when to use heat or ice to remedy your back pain.

Ice for Inflammation

Generally, whenever you injure your back, you should begin by icing it for some days. By lowering the affected area’s temperature, the ice pack reduces inflammation, constricts blood vessels, and minimizes swelling. There are many ways to administer ice or cold on an injury. The most common ways to do so are ice baths and packs.

Suppose you injure your back while doing deadlifts in the gym. A common injury is a herniated disc, where the nucleus pulpous (the center of the disc) leaks and can press against a nerve. Ice can help reduce the swelling and inflammation, relieving pain and pressure off your nerve.

Heat for Stiffness

Once the ice helps alleviate the inflammation, your pain will decrease, but the injury won’t necessarily be healed. It’s important to not take reduced pain as a sign of a complete recovery. Start applying heat to the injured area to stimulate more blood flow to the area. That’ll help heal the injury by bringing nutrients to it through improved blood flow. Heat is commonly applied with sprays, hot showers, and hot packs.

Besides acute pains, heat is also used to treat chronic back pain. Typically, chronic back pain is a result of tight muscles that force the back into improper positions. The pain could also be caused by myofascial trigger points, which occur when the fascia under the muscle fibers tighten. Applying heat will help loosen up the muscles and fascia, improve your muscles’ flexibility. This will relieve your back from being forced into improper positions.

If you’re dealing with back pain and are looking for relief, get in touch with us at Healing Hands Physical Therapy Centers, Inc. We provide low back pain relief treatment, rehab for sports, auto, and work-related injuries, active living for seniors, and more in Augusta, GA.