Heat Therapy for Back Pain – How this Simple Therapy is Often More Safe and Effective than Drugs
If you suffer from non-specific back pain, you may be more than a little fed up if your doctor suggests taking a painkiller, which does nothing to solve the root of the problem and only masks your symptoms. There are ways you can relieve your pain that are more effective, without the same risk of harmful side-effects.
The most basic type of heat therapy is that of a hot compress for an arthritic knee or sprained ankle. It can also be used for back pain.
The Spine Journal found that heat therapy significantly improved function in back pain sufferers. 100 people with back pain were split into four groups. Group one were given just heat therapy, group two were advised to exercise, group three had a combination of heat therapy and exercise and group four were given a booklet about back pain (they were the placebo group). They found that the greatest positive effect occurred in the group receiving both heat therapy and exercise and that this combination was 175% more effective than a self-care back pain booklet. 72% of patients in the heat therapy and exercise group recovered completely with all the function they had had prior to their pain. The study concluded
‘Combining continuous low-level heat wrap therapy with directional preference-based exercise during the treatment of acute low back pain significantly improves functional outcomes compared with either intervention alone or control.’
So, why does heat therapy help?
Heat overrides pain receptors in the skin, decreasing the amount of pain experienced. Heat stretches the tissue in the back and relieves discomfort. It also dilates blood vessels and allows more oxygen to flow to the affected area, which speeds up recovery.
Heat can be applied in the following ways:
1. Using a heat patch. These are available from pharmacies and can be stuck onto clothing.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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