When suffering from back pain, perhaps the most common question asked by the patient is whether relief can be felt by applying a hot pack or cold pack. Plus whether he should apply heat or ice? The best way to know this is, is perhaps to know exactly what heat and ice packs do to the pain and how both heat and ice work on an area affected with pain. Knowing this information is useful because that way one can take the decision to apply either ice or hot packs immediately if needed.
 

Should you use ice or heat to treat back pain? Once you understand the mechanism behind these treatments, you’ll be more likely to use them correctly when your own back pain flares up.

Heat and ice usually work in the same mechanism. A cycle of spasms causes pain in the body. An application of hot or cold actually breaks this cycle. As a result, the brain is not able to understand the pain signal. Due to the application of heat, the blood flow into the affected area increases. More oxygen and other nutrients are able to reach that part of the body and tissues are healed gradually.

Cold packs can be useful tools for reducing strained or pulled muscles in your back. Learn more about how cold packs can help you from a certified physical therapist Dr. Karen Pryor, PhD., PT of Expert Village.

The nerves that send the signals of pain also stop working due to application of heat or ice. So pain is not experienced which is why back pain relief heat and cold packs are effective. A question that may arise is that when heat and cold act in the same mechanism, why is it necessary to apply either one or the other.

Ice or Heat for back pain? Which one is better for your backpain? Watch as Jesse Cannone, leading back pain expert from LoseTheBackPain.com, gives his insights.

When a patient injures themselves, it is important to apply ice onto that part of the body immediately. This will help reduce the swelling. When swelling is reduced, the muscles need to be stretched with exercises. During this point in time either heat or cold can be applied. This will help you to heal quicker.

In this video chiropractic physician Dr. Maryam Jafarieh discusses treatment and therapy of back pain, neck pain and headaches.

Sometimes contrasting the application of hot and cold can bring miraculous results. Alternating between the application of ice and heat in a gap of a few minutes and repeated three times can do the trick. Back pain relief through this technique can be very effective.

For more tips and tricks be sure to order your free copy of our fantastic back pain treatment options book below. It is a softcover of over 250 pages.