Every person who has suffered from pain on the back muscle can appreciate having to relieve back muscle pain by simply soothing the aching and sore muscles using heat. However, has anyone ever heard of a way to relieve back muscle pains by curling in bed with surprisingly, a cold iced pack.
The simplest way to use the cold therapy while at home is by taking a pack of peas which have been frozen (still wrapped) covering it using a tea towel which is also damp and then placing it on the paining area for a maximum of twenty minutes and monitoring the condition of the skin all through. Note: It is of great importance that you should not lie on the pack of ice since the pressure may cause the ice to burn you.
Why is Ice used for relieving back muscle pain?
Just as it is with heat, cold is also a counter irritant and therefore you tend to experience the cold rather than the pain. What is more, if it is applied for a long time all sensation will be numbed by the cold.
Cold reduces bruising and swelling and slows down that conduction of the nerves and this in turn is able to slow down the signals of pain that are passing throughout your body.
Cold has the ability to relax the muscle spasm by shocking it.
Cold reduces the inflammation that comes about because of the strain on the muscle, which in turn is able to relieve back muscle pains and put a stop to the cycle of pain spasm.
Using Ice to Relieve Back Muscle Pain
As is typical with patients of a chiropractor, a five minutes-on, five minutes-off, five minutes-on technique is used. This brings a total of a ten minute application which afterwards was repeated after each two hours had elapsed.
The patients being taken care of by a physiotherapist or a medical doctor in most cases applied ice for about ten to twenty minutes at a time in a day for three or two times.
What you need to do
If you are using ice for the purpose of decreasing inflammation or swelling of a back muscle pain that has been recently incurred, you should apply ice cubes placed in a plastic bag for not more than ten to fifteen minute every time, each two hours in the first thirty six hours
* If you are using ice for treating the muscle spasm which is also chronic you should apply the ice bag for about ten to fifteen minutes in a day for three or two times.
* You should try and substitute the ice massage for a pack of ice to relieve back muscle pain. To have this done you require a friend and a cup made of paper. Have the paper cup filled with water and then frozen. The top should then be torn to about one inch and then the friend should massage you using this in the areas affected in circular motions for a period of fifteen minutes while moving to the heart.
*Note: You stand a risk of frostbite or even ice burn. As such you should never directly apply ice on the skin unless there is someone else who is moving the ice from one place to the other continuously.
* If you are using cubes of ice you should place them in a plastic bag or ice bag and then use a thin towel between the skin and the bag. In case the skin changes its color it should act as a warning to you. If it turns white or becomes numb you should discontinue its use.
If you are suffering from arthritis or have some other medical condition at the same time as the pain on the back muscle you should not use ice to relieve back muscle pains unless a specialist has recommended it.
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