Back pain can be one of the toughest pains you can experience. The slightest movement can be breath taking and can keep you out of action for a day to weeks or longer. When the back is first injured, a patient may take matters into their own hands and try to treat it themselves. Many times, aside from pain killers, many may reach out to heat, such as a heat pad or hot water bottle to try and take the edge of the pain. Unfortunately, in many cases this might be the wrong thing to do.
When injury first occurs, it is often a sprain or strain and muscle spasms. If a nerve in the back is trapped or irritated, muscles spasm to protect the nerve and stop you from moving in a way to splint the injured area.
So when muscles spasm, applying heat is one thing that patients tend to do, but because the injured area is already inflammed, adding more heat can increase inflammation. It’s kind of like adding gas to a fire.
So what should be done with an acute injury such as this? Ice. Using an ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel and applied to the area helps to decrease the inflammation. But caution needs to be applied, application shouldn’t be done directly to the skin and it shouldn’t be applied for long periods as a frostbite type injury could be experienced.
The optimal time is around 15 to 20 minutes. The process to help relieve the pain goes through several phases.
- The first is the feeling of cold when it’s first applied.
- Next, a burning sensation will be felt.
- Third you should experience some aching or throbbing.
- Finally a sharp pain is felt before relief.
- At this point the pack should be removed.
It may take several applications before pain is under control, so try for a few times a day for two or three days. If pain still hasn’t dissipated, then you should come in for an examination and treatment. That’s where we come in. Utilizing many treatment options, we will determine the most appropriate treatment or treatments based on your pain. Call us today or schedule an appointment online and we can help you.
