Ice or Heat for Back and Neck Pain? A Rocky River, OH Chiropractor Provides Real Answers for a Very Common Chiropractic Question

Ice or Heat for Back and Neck Pain? A Rocky River, OH Chiropractor Provides Real Answers for a Very Common Chiropractic Question

When should I be using ice? Should I use heat for my back pain? These are likely two of the most common questions asked within a Chiropractic practice.  Whether you suffer from a sprained ankle, a chronic injury, back pain, or neck pain: ice or heat may can offer pain relief and speed recovery. When performed correctly these simple treatments are convenient, affordable, and effective. Make the wrong choice when choosing ice or heat, however, and you might actually make your pain and condition worse.  Let's discuss what scenarios call for the application of ice and when heat would be the wiser alternative.

Whether you should choose ice or heat  usually depends on three main factors:

The type your injury and pain,
The age of the injury
Your specific goals for treatment.

Of course, the presence of many underlying health conditions might also play an important role in which treatment is acceptable in your case, but the three major decisive factors are usually those described above.  Let's begin by briefly reviewing the major categories of pain and injury.

There are two main types of injury and pain: acute and chronic. Acute injuries are injuries that have just recently occurred.  Generally speaking, an injury that occurred within the past 72 hours is classified as an acute type injury.  Acute pain is pain that began suddenly, recently and usually with an easily identified cause. For example, imagine you injured your back while working in the yard or that you sprained you elbow while playing tennis. These types of injuries are acute.  Acute injuries typically involve swelling and the involved area is often red and tender to the touch due to inflammation. Mild acute pain and injury are normally short lived and recovery is typically fast.

In contrast, chronic injur and pain occur much more gradually over a longer period of time. The cause of a chronic condition is often difficult to pinpoint.  A specific cause or point in time when the condition began are typically unknown in chronic conditions.  For example, a patient may notice a dull and nagging knee pain or a neck pain that gradually appeared with no known cause. Chronic pain generally involves less swelling when compared to the acute types.  Chronic pain is also generally much more persistent and longer in duration than acute injury and pain. Ice is the best treatment choice for acute injury and pain that have occurred in the past three days.  If you have suffered a recent injury, or have a condition that involves bruising or swelling, ice is likely the best choice.   You are probably curious what ice actually does, so let's examine the effects of applying ice to an injury.

Cold therapy actually sedates nerves that transmit pain signals.  This creates a numbing analgesic effect to reduce or eliminate pain.  Ice can is also known for calming muscle spasms associated with many acute injuries.  Ice also produces vasoconstriction which is a narrowing of blood vessels.  This vasoconstriction reduces the flow of fluid and blood in the area which serves to control anymicroscopic bleeding and also reduces swelling and inflammation.

What is the proper method for applying ice? The ideal ice pack is comfortable, soft, and flexible enough to conform to the shape of the body area being treated.  Although many ice packs are available commercially, purchasing one may not even be necessary.  One of the most affordable and effective ice pack solutions might already be in your home freezer. A plastic bag filled partially with crushed ice chips, or even a bag of frozen peas or corn can make ideal ice packs. To prevent frostbite and promote comfort, always wrap an ice pack in a towel or similar barrier. Ice shold be applied to the involved area for about 10 to 15 minutes and then removed.  Next, allow the skin over the treated area to return to normal ambient temperature without help before reapplying the ice pack..  This warming generally takes about one hour.  This entire process can be repeated several times daily for 3 or 4 days.

Ice is generally considered the safest choice for those situations when you are unsure of whether to use ice or heat.  When in doubt, play it safe and use ice. You stand less likelihood of causing harm if you incorrectly use ice versus heat.  Two phrases to help you remember this general rule are "ice is your friend" or "ICE is NICE".  Now that we have a greater understanding of how and when to apply ice, let's discuss when heat should be used.

Heat is usually the better choice for chronic conditions.  Heat can also be used for injuries older than about 4 days as long as inflammation and swelling have subsided.  Chronic muscle spasms, muscle aches, and persistent muscle stiffness are conditions that often respond very well to heat.

So what does heat actually do?  Heat therapy increases the temperature of tissues which increases soft tissue flexibility and ranges of motion within joints.  Heat also promotes vasodilation which is a widening of blood vessels.  Vasodilation results in increased blood flow within the treated area.  This increased circulation brings more vital nutrients and oxygen to the injured area and also increases removal of waste byproducts.  While these effects are great for speeding healing and recovery, they can also lead to increased inflammation and swelling. This is just one reason heat should not be applied to an acute injury or where swelling is present.

What is the best technique for applying heat? Moist heat is normally the best application choice.  Moist heat is known to penetrate more deeply than dry heat.  Moist heat also prevents dehydration of the skin which can occur with dry heat.  Although many commercial moist heat sources are available for purchase, a simple warm bath or shower are affordable and effective ways to apply moist heat.  Moist, hot towels are yet another convenient and effective source of moist heat.  To prevent burns, a towel or other barrier should always be used between the skin and heat source.  Treatment temperatures for moist heat should be warm yet comfortable.  Heat can be applied for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time.  It should then be removed for about a half hour before reapplying.  This entire heating process can be repeated several times a day as needed.

Unless specifically instructed by your Chiropractor or other health care provider, heat should not be applied for longer than 20 minutes at a time.  You should never sleep on a heating pad or other heat source since this can lead to burns or other severe injuries.

Depending on the nature of your condition, the unique benefits of ice and heat can often be combined for maximum benefits. For example, suppose you suffer from chronic knee pain and stiffness. Before engaging in activity or exercise you could apply heat to the knee.  This heat would increase range of motion and flexibility of the knee to better prepare it for the activity to come.  After exercise or activity you would then apply ice to the knee to limit both pain and inflammation.

To conclude, ice and heat are simple, affordable, and effective  treatment techniques for relief of back pain, neck pain, and more.  Making the right choice for your specific condition is imperative to avoid making your pain and condition worse. Application of ice is best for acute injuries that have occurred within the past 72 hours.  Ice is also ideal for controlling and limiting swelling and inflammation.  Ice packs should be wrapped in a towel before being applied.  Ice can be applied for ten to fifteen minutes and then should be removed for about one hour. This process can generally be repeated several times a day for up to three days.

Heat is most effective for chronic pain and stiffness. Moist heat is generally considered superior to dry heat because it penetrates more deeply and prevents dehydration.  Heat can be applied for about 15 to 20 minutes and then it should be removed for one hour before it is reapplied.  Heat can be applied three to four times a day as needed.

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