Can You Treat Chronic Spinal Pain with Heat and Ice Therapy?

Chronic spinal pain can be debilitating and frustrating. It can keep you from living your life the way you want to. Many people turn to heat and ice therapy as a way to help relieve their chronic pain. In this blog post, we will discuss whether or not heat and ice therapy is an effective treatment for chronic spinal pain.

What is Heat and Ice Therapy?

Heat and ice therapy is a treatment that uses either hot or cold temperatures to help relieve pain. Heat therapy increases blood flow to the area, which can help to reduce inflammation and stiffness. Ice therapy decreases blood flow to the area, which can help to reduce swelling and pain.

Does Heat and Ice Therapy Help Chronic Spinal Pain?

Heat and/or cold therapy is beneficial, but people often overlook this treatment because it’s simple, inexpensive, and readily available. The following common lower back conditions may benefit from heat or cold therapy:

• Lower back pain from common conditions, such as herniated or degenerated discs, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the bony canals of the spine causing nerve compression), or spondylolisthesis
• Direct lower back injury from falls, sprains, sports injuries (twisting injury from swinging a golf club), or collisions
• Pulled back muscle due to excessive strain or force leading to overstretching of the muscle fibers, such as from lifting weights
• Exercise-induced muscle soreness, such as a from trying a new exercise, exercising without an initial period of warming up, or overdoing a specific exercise

Always use heat and cold therapy intermittently, for 15 to 20 minutes, with a 2-hour break in between to avoid skin and nerve damage.

How to Use Heat and Ice Therapy

You can use heat and/or cold therapy at home with ice packs or heating pads. You can also alternate between the two treatments. For example, you could use heat therapy for 15 minutes followed by ice therapy for 15 minutes.

• If you’re using ice, wrap the ice pack in a thin towel to avoid direct contact with your skin. Apply the ice pack to the area for 15 to 20 minutes.
• If you’re using heat, apply a heating pad to the area for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also take a hot bath or shower.

When Not to Use Heat and Ice Therapy

Do not use heat and/or cold therapy if you have:

• An active infection in the area.
• Circulatory problems
• Open wounds in the area.
• Numbness or tingling in the area.

When to See a Doctor

If your chronic spinal pain does not improve with heat and/or cold therapy, you should see a doctor. Chronic pain can be caused by many different conditions, so it is important to get an accurate diagnosis. At Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center, when a patient comes in with complaints of back pain, we start with a medical history and physical to learn about underlying risks. We combine this information with state of the art testing to explore the spine and the nerves for signs of damage. Once we know why you are experiencing chronic pain, fatigue, or headaches in addition to the back cramps, we can put together a custom solution that fits your lifestyle. Contact us today to learn how you can live free of back pain in Texas Hill Country.

Treatment Options for Chronic Spinal Pain

There are many different treatment options for chronic spinal pain. The best treatment for you will depend on the cause of your chronic pain. Some common treatments for chronic spinal pain include:

• Electrical stimulation to calm irritated or damage nerves
• Spinal alignment therapy to straighten out slipped vertebrae and relieve pressure on discs
• Recommendations for braces or other support appliances to protect the back during activities that put it at risk
• Steroid shots to reduce pain in one specific area
• Targeted exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles that support the spine
• Surgery as a last resort to relieve chronic pain when other options have failed

At our clinic, we have full medical support including pain management and orthopedic spine surgery when necessary.

Beat Back Pain with with Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center

If chronic spinal pain is holding you back, the team at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center can help. We offer a wide range of treatments to relieve chronic pain, so you can get back to living your life. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!