Heat Therapy for Neck and Back Pain Relief

Dallas Orthopedic Spine Specialist Dr. Craig C. Callewart discusses proven stress reduction and pain prevention tips for workplace computer users.

During the first 48 hours following any injury that strains the back muscles, ice massage and ice applications are generally the most helpful in relieving pain. After this initial period, heat therapy is probably more beneficial to the healing process. For some people, alternating heat therapy with a cold application such as ice massage therapy provides the most pain relief.

The Benefits of Heat Therapy Back Pain Relief

Moist heat, such as a warm bath or whirlpool, is thought to aid the healing process by increasing circulation and relaxing muscle spasm. Whether one uses moist heat or dry heat, the desired effect is for the heat to penetrate down into the muscles. When warmth and heat penetrate the injured and sore muscles, this provides dual benefits:

• Relaxing the back muscles (to reduce painful spasms)
• Facilitating stretching the injured tissues to reduce stiffness

Heat therapy is both inexpensive and easy to do. Several types of heat application are readily available and include heating pads, hot water bottles, commercial heat wraps, baths, warm gel packs, and more.

Precautions for Heat Therapy

As with ice application, when applying heat therapy, care should be taken to avoid burning the skin. Any type of heat source should be “warm,” not hot, to avoid burning the skin.

Please note that heat should not be used in certain circumstances. For example, if the lower back is swollen or bruised, heat should not be used as it is better to use a cold pack to reduce the inflammation or swelling in the area.

Patients should consult with their treating physician if they have heat disease or hypertension. In general, heat therapy should also not be used if the patient has dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, peripheral vascular
disease, an open wound, or severe cognitive impairment. There is no exact prescription for ice and heat application, and many physicians and physical therapists will recommend trying different forms of heat therapy and cold application to see which provides the most pain relief.

Don’t Let Neck and Back Pain Affect Your Quality of Life – Get Quality Care

Many orthopedic conditions can be addressed with nonsurgical treatment options. For specialty care and serious back and spine problems, seek quality orthopedic care.