New Chiropractic Patients
Should you use hot or cold treatment for back pain?
Whilst the benefit of hot and cold treatment for back pain is not in question, there is a ton of conflicting information out there. And, just to complicate things, people have different preferences.
In this post, we consider your hot/cold treatment options for back pain. Is one better than the other? When is cold treatment the better option, and when should you use hot treatment?
Both have their benefits depending on the type of injury and pain, which is the most important thing to consider…
Cold treatment generally works best with new injuries to counteract swelling and inflammation and should be applied straight away, or at least as soon as possible.
You may for example tweak a muscle in your lower back bending down, or twisting. The cold will help numb nerves in the area and shrink blood vessels to reduce swelling.
You can use a number of things to ‘ice an injury’.
Purpose-made ice packs (either reusable or single use) are ideal but a bag of frozen veggies or crushed ice works just as well! Just be sure to wrap the packet in a towel or cloth before applying.
Wheat packs are another good option. They can be kept in the freezer until needed or popped in for a few hours prior to use. As an added bonus, wheat packs can also be used for heat therapy, and you can easily make your own!
A damp chilled towel also works well for cold therapy.
Heat treatment is more effective for ongoing back pain and older injuries once swelling and inflammation have gone down. It helps relax tight muscles and increases blood flow to the area to speed up healing so is particularly effective for tight, stiff, aching joints and muscles.
A hot water bottle, heat pad, warm towel, or heated wheat bag are all good sources of heat for heat treatment but make sure they are not too hot.
Also – wrap whatever you use in a towel or cloth so it’s not directly touching your skin.
Other heat treatment options include a nice warm bath or shower.
Certain types of lower back pain benefit better from heat whilst others benefit from ice therapy. We touched on them above but more specifically:
Arthritis, sciatica, and herniated discs are common sources of lower back pain. Depending on whether the pain is acute, or chronic, they often benefit from cold or heat treatment respectively.
Injuries from falls, accidents, or heavy lifting can cause sharp, acute pain. In these cases, cold therapy applied immediately helps minimise swelling and inflammation.
Heat therapy can be used as a follow up to ease stiffness as the injury heals.
A muscle strain or sprain in your lower back often benefits from cold therapy right after the injury to reduce swelling.
Once the initial inflammation subsides, heat therapy will improve blood flow to assist with healing and relaxation.
Muscle soreness after exercise is common, particularly new exercises or exercise routines.
Applying ice straight after an exercise session, even if you’re not immediately sore, will help reduce any inflammation. Follow-up heat treatment will then relieve lingering aches and pains.
A combination of hot and cold therapy often works well with back pain.
Acute back pain, which is sudden pain brought on by injury, is generally best treated with cold therapy first to reduce swelling and inflammation.
After a few days, you can switch to heat can help relax tight muscles and improve blood circulation and healing.
For ongoing, or chronic, lower back pain, continuous low-level heat therapy is most effective. It helps loosen stiff muscles and reduces discomfort.
If the heat source can be worn throughout the day for consistent relief, it often improves the outcome.
After a workout, icing your lower back helps to reduce the likelihood of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This proactive approach can help you recover faster and get back to your routine with less discomfort.
Incorporating heat and cold therapy into your daily routine can be simple.
For instance, use an ice pack immediately after strenuous activity to prevent inflammation. Later, apply a heating pad or take a warm bath to relax your muscles.
Alternating between heat and cold at different times can maximise relief and help manage chronic discomfort.
Heat or cold therapy is contraindicated for certain conditions. You don’t for example apply heat to swelling because you want to reduce the temperature of the area by reducing blood flow (blood brings heat to the site).
Conversely, you don’t apply cold therapy to stiff muscles and joints because you’ll reduce blood flow and make the stiffness worse.
The rule to remember when using hot and cold treatment for back pain is cold treatment works best for sudden or acute back pain where there is a risk of swelling and inflammation. Or where these are currently present… The cold helps numb pain and reduce blood flow to the area.
Heat treatment is the one to use for chronic aches, pain, and stiffness because it helps relax the muscles and improve blood flow for healing. Often a combination of both – ice immediately after the injury happens followed by heat once it starts to heal is a good approach.
