RI Chiro Guides: Heat/Cold Therapy Rock!

Heat and cold therapy are great for lower back pain relief—but how do you know which one to use? Find when to use ice and when to use heat.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/should-i-use-ice-or-heat-my-lower-back-pain

Heat Therapy for Lower Back Pain

Find out how to effectively use heat therapy to relieve your lower back pain.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/how-use-heat-lower-back-pain-relief

Heat & Back Pain

Sometimes battling the heat with back pain can be tough. Check out these tips.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/battling-heat-and-back-pain

Battling Heat & Back Pain

Sometimes battling the heat with back pain can be tough. Check out these tips.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/battling-heat-and-back-pain

DIY Heat/Cold Therapy

In a world of sophisticated medical care, a simple ice massage can still be one of the more effective, proven methods to treat a sore lower back or neck. It is effective when used either alone or in combination with other treatments, such as chiropractic care. Read more below:

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/heat-therapy-cold-therapy/ice-massage-back-pain-relief

Spring Forward into Spring Cleaning

With March comes the start of spring...and spring cleaning.

Household chores can come with unwanted pain if not done carefully. Bending and/or twisting at the waist is a common cause for upper and lower back pain. From washing dishes, to vacuuming, you'd be surprised to know that having a proper technique can prevent you from experiencing back or neck pain. 

Back-Saving Tips for Chores:

• When you wash dishes, open the cabinet beneath the sink, bend one knee and put your foot on the shelf under the sink. Lean against the counter so some of your weight is supported in front.


• When ironing, raise one foot a bit. Place it on a small stool or a book to take some strain off your back.


• To vacuum, use a "fencer's stance." Put all your weight on one foot, then step forward and back with the other foot as you push the vacuum forward and back. Use the back foot as a pivot when you turn.


• Use a cold pack if your back begins to hurt. Wrap an ice pack in a towel moistened with warm water. The warmth gives way to gradual cold, which likely will alleviate the discomfort. (No ice? Try frozen veggies instead.)


• If pain persists for more than a day or two or if you experience numbness after doing chores, tingling or weakness in your arms or legs, see a doctor of chiropractic.

Dr. Jardon's Newsletter from Spine Health - Feb-March 2015

Video: What to expect from your first adjustment

This video discusses a doctor's experience with treatments for low back pain, including proper methods for controlling inflammation, strength training, cold and heat therapy, and medications.

Watch this video to learn more about possible methods to treat back pain marked by inflammation.

Start watching here...

Easy Do-It-Yourself Ice Massage Therapy

To do ice massage therapy, a regular ice cube may be used, but it’s better to use a larger piece of ice. One easy way to do this is to freeze water in a paper or Styrofoam cup, then peel the top inch or two of the cup to expose the ice surface. Read more about how to use ice massage for back pain relief.

Applying heat therapy

The most effective heat therapy products are the ones that can maintain their heat at the proper temperature.

"Warm" is the proper temperature. Patients should not have their heat source be hot to the point of burning the skin.

Read more about how to apply heat therapy.

Pulled Back Muscle Treatment

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/pulled-back-muscle-treatment

Fortunately, back muscle strains usually heal with time, with most healing within a few days and almost all resolving within 3 to 4 weeks. The large muscles in the low back have a good blood supply, which bring the necessary nutrients and proteins for healing to take place.

• See Back Muscles and Low Back Pain

If the lower back muscle pain is severe, the patient may be advised to rest, but for no more than one or two days.

Initial Treatments for Pulled Back Muscles

Typical first line treatments include some combination of:

• Pain medication (such as acetaminophen), to interrupt transmission of pain signals to the brain
• See Pain Medication
• Anti-inflammatory medication (such as ibuprofen, or possibly oral steroids), to reduce the local inflammation that is a cause of the pain
• See NSAIDs
• Muscle relaxants, which may be prescribed on a short-term basis to relieve severe lower back pain associated with muscle spasms.
• See Muscle Relaxants
• Massage, which can help promote blood flow in the lower back (to help with healing), loosen tight lower back muscles, and release endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.
• See Massage Therapy for Lower Back Pain
• Chiropractic. Gentle manual manipulation is an option to help loosen tight back muscles and promote healing in the lower back.
• See Chiropractic Treatments for Lower Back Pain.

Article continues below

• Ice or cold packs. Application of some type of cold pack can help reduce inflammation, which is helpful immediately following the injury.
• See Ice Massage Therapy
• Heat therapy. Application of heat to the lower back is helpful longer term to stimulate blood flow and healing to the injured area.
• See Heat Therapy

If an episode of low back pain lasts for more than two weeks, the muscles may start to weaken. Because using the lower back muscles is painful, the natural tendency for most patients is to avoid using them. However, lack of activity leads to disuse atrophy (muscle wasting) and subsequent weakening, which in turn causes more low back pain because the muscles are less able to help hold up the spine.

In This Article:

• Pulled Back Muscle and Lower Back Strain
• Pulled Back Muscle Treatment
• Lower Back Strain Video

Back Exercises as Muscle Strain Treatments

Importance of Lower Back Exercise Video

As a general rule, people who are active and well-conditioned are much less likely to suffer from low back pain due to muscle strain, as regular exercise stretches the muscles so they are less likely to strain, tear or spasm.

• For further reading: Exercise and Back Pain

There are three types of muscles that support the spine:

• Extensors (back muscles and gluteal muscles)
• Flexors (abdominal muscles and iliopsoas muscles)
• Obliques or Rotators (side muscles)

While some of these muscles are used in everyday life, most do not get adequate exercise from daily activities and tend to weaken with age unless they are specifically exercised.

• More about Exercises for the Back and Abdominals

A complete exercise program for the low back should consist of a combination of:

• Stretching for Back Pain Relief
• Back Strengthening Exercises
• Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise

Finally, a regular, sustained program of hamstring stretching will help reduce and prevent back muscle tightness and injury. The hamstring muscle runs through the back of each thigh. Tightness in this muscle limits motion in the pelvis which can strain the lower back. Regular hamstring stretching can gradually lengthen these muscles and reduce the stress felt in the lower back.

• See also Specific Hamstring Stretches for Back Pain Relief.