Chances are pretty good that if you’re here, you or a loved one is suffering from some kind of back pain. I promise that this article will teach you something that you can use right now to find relief! Keep reading to discover the best at home treatment for back pain.
I’ve previously written about the most common cause of back pain. I’ve explained how a person with no training can tell if they are getting the treatment they need for their back pain. I wrote a controversial article about why an MD is not the person to see for back pain. And I even posted a video of myself performing a fun and excellent exercise that will help prevent back pain! In this article, I am going to explain the best at home treatment for back pain, but which is usually done incorrectly, so people think it doesn’t work. I explain this therapy every day in my practice, and every day I hear from my patients how much it has helped give them relief!
When it comes to home treatment for back pain, ICE is your best friend!
Ice is your friend!
There is no better home treatment in existence for back pain than ice! The problem I find is that generally, ice is not used correctly. To help you understand how to use ice effectively, I will explain what it does.
Ice has 3 major effects on the body. The first is on the blood circulation in the painful area. When something gets hurt, there is usually swelling. The swelling causes pain and spasming of the muscles. As the muscles tighten, they restrict the circulation of blood to the injured area. When ice is first applied it causes vasoconstriction of the blood vessels being cooled. Meaning the blood to the area is sort of shut off during the first 5 to 10 minutes of ice application. Then, after about 10 minutes, the blood vessels vasodilate (open up), and blood flow to the area rushes back in. When you look at the skin of an area that has been iced, it’s bright red. That red color is from all the fresh, oxygenated blood.
The second effect of ice is on the muscles. There are always muscle spasms with back pain. Ice causes muscles to relax. Ice is very effective in reducing muscle spasms!
The third effect ice has is neurological. Check it out:
- Ice slows the nerve transmission in pain nerves.
- Ice reduces the activity of nerve endings.
- Ice increases the pain threshold.
- Ice causes a release of endorphins.
- Ice over-rides the pain sensation
Pretty COOL, don’t ya think?
There are two ways to do ice! The way that works, and every other way.
I put together this informative video to teach you the way to do ice that will help decrease back pain.
A couple important points to finish up with. I always get asked about heat. I will write another article more in depth on heat, but in short, the heat from a hot pack or a heating blanket only penetrates about 3 mm deep. In other words, heat applications only warm the skin. The muscles, joints and nerves are not affected by a hot pack. While a hot pack is soothing and can feel good, its benefit is only skin deep.
Finally, using ice for back pain is only part of the solution to fix the reason for the pain and to prevent future problems. Pain indicates that something is not right. Ice will help with pain, inflammation and muscle spasms, but it does nothing to correct the function of the painful area. So, while ice is just part of the treatment plan, it is the best thing you can do at home for it!
I love getting your questions and comments below!
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