Saturday, July 6, 2013

Back pain relief - Hot or Cold Therapy

This is the question we are always asked..Should I use Hot or Cold therapy for a back pain problem.
Hopefully this should answer your questions:
Heat or cold also shut down the nerves that fire the pain signals—heat relaxes them, cold numbs them. When the brain doesn’t get the pain signals, it doesn’t act to contract muscles and constrict blood flow. After applying heat or cold consistently and continually for a certain period of time, the pain-spasm cycle is broken. Then, real healing can begin. - See more at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/treatments/ice-or-heat-for-back-pain/#sthash.Q6K0Dgif.dpuf

When an injury first occurs, use ice first. This is true whether the injury is acute (caused by some trauma like lifting something heavy or sitting too long) or subacute (a flare-up of a chronic condition, like sciatica). It’s also important to use ice fast. You need to get ice to the injury within 5 minutes to get the best effect. If you’re not at home and don’t have ice handy, head to the 7-11 and buy a bag of ice. Begin treatment immediately. Apply ice for the first 48-72 hours. Use it for 20 minutes, then take it off for 20. Repeat as often as you can. - See more at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/treatments/ice-or-heat-for-back-pain/#sthash.Q6K0Dgif.dpuf
 While the overall qualities of warmth and heat have long been associated with comfort and relaxation, heat therapy goes a step further and can provide both pain relief and healing benefits for many types of lower back pain.
Muscle spasm in the lower back can create sensations that may range from mild discomfort to excruciating lower back pain. Heat therapy can help relieve pain from the muscle spasm and related tightness in the lower back.

Heat therapy application can help provide lower back pain relief through several mechanisms:
  • Heat therapy dilates the blood vessels of the muscles surrounding the lumbar spine. This process increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, helping to heal the damaged tissue.
  • Heat stimulates the sensory receptors in the skin, which means that applying heat to the lower back will decrease transmissions of pain signals to the brain and partially relieve the discomfort.
  • Heat application facilitates stretching the soft tissues around the spine, including muscles, connective tissue, and adhesions. Consequently, with heat therapy, there will be a decrease in stiffness as well as injury, with an increase in flexibility and overall feeling of comfort. Flexibility is very important for a healthy back.
Cold Therapy

Do you know when to use ice and when to use heat on a sports injury? Most athletes know to apply ice to an acute injury, like a sprained ankle, but aren't so sure when to use heat. The following guidelines will help you sort it out.
Acute injuries are sudden, sharp, traumatic injuries that occur immediately (or within hours) and cause pain (possibly severe pain). Most often acute injuries result from some sort of impact or trauma such as a fall, sprain, or collision and it's pretty obvious what caused the injury.
Acute injuries also cause common signs and symptoms of injury such as pain, tenderness, redness, skin that is warm to the touch, swelling and inflammation. If you have swelling, you have an acute injury.
Cold therapy with Warm Buddy cold packs is the best immediate treatment for acute injuries because it reduces swelling and pain. Ice is a vaso-constrictor (it causes the blood vessels to narrow) and it limits internal bleeding at the injury site.

What should I use for these treatments?

Warm Buddy have been manufacturing their range of heat packs that can be used for hot or cold therapy since 1995.
These are reusable, I have been using mine for 11 years now and use it daily, I also keep a separate one always in the freezer to use on fresh/new injuries and one for use in the microwave.
Our Sports Therapy wrap is by far the most popular of our hot/cold packs, it has the longest heat holding time and has a weight that really helps work the heat into the muscle tissues to relieve the aches and pains fast.
Back pain relief
Sports therapy wrap for all your aches and pains

 We have a complete range of heat packs that will meet all your needs, be it neck pain, PMS, headaches, lower back pain, also check out the rest of the Warm Buddy family of pain relief products.

We have also introduced a low fixed shipping rate as we are always aware that shipping costs can add up to a high percentage of the purchase.

Also to help you on the way why not use our introductory welcoming discount coupon code, this will help offset the shipping cost.

So in a nutshell use cold therapy for a new injury to reduce any swelling and hot therapy for old injuries, aches and pains.

Remember to keep muscles warm prior to any strenuous exercise as this helps reduce muscle injuries to start with..
Have a happy and safe summer.
Heat or cold also shut down the nerves that fire the pain signals—heat relaxes them, cold numbs them. When the brain doesn’t get the pain signals, it doesn’t act to contract muscles and constrict blood flow. After applying heat or cold consistently and continually for a certain period of time, the pain-spasm cycle is broken. Then, real healing can begin. - See more at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/treatments/ice-or-heat-for-back-pain/#sthash.Q6K0Dgif.dpuf
Heat or cold also shut down the nerves that fire the pain signals—heat relaxes them, cold numbs them. When the brain doesn’t get the pain signals, it doesn’t act to contract muscles and constrict blood flow. After applying heat or cold consistently and continually for a certain period of time, the pain-spasm cycle is broken. Then, real healing can begin. - See more at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/treatments/ice-or-heat-for-back-pain/#sthash.Q6K0Dgif.dpuf
Heat or cold also shut down the nerves that fire the pain signals—heat relaxes them, cold numbs them. When the brain doesn’t get the pain signals, it doesn’t act to contract muscles and constrict blood flow. After applying heat or cold consistently and continually for a certain period of time, the pain-spasm cycle is broken. Then, real healing can begin. - See more at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/treatments/ice-or-heat-for-back-pain/#sthash.Q6K0Dgif.dpuf
Heat or cold also shut down the nerves that fire the pain signals—heat relaxes them, cold numbs them. When the brain doesn’t get the pain signals, it doesn’t act to contract muscles and constrict blood flow. After applying heat or cold consistently and continually for a certain period of time, the pain-spasm cycle is broken. Then, real healing can begin. - See more at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/treatments/ice-or-heat-for-back-pain/#sthash.Q6K0Dgif.dpuf

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