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health advisory Hospital Alternative Medicine 2007-11-16 3:12:01

When there is inflammation or obvious swelling, it would be necessary to use an ice or cold pack to apply to the affected area. This would bring down the swelling by contracting your blood vessels.

A heat pack is used to encourage better blood circulation or to take away immediate pain, for example, in a menstrual cramp. This is because the brain registers heat before pain.

Is your lower back pain due to a strain? If it is, I would advice a cold pack. If it is due to aching muscles, you might want to use a heat pack. What happens when you use a cold pack is this: your blood vessel contract and when you remove the pack, they expand rapidly due to the sudden increase in temperature. So the blood will rush to the affected area, bringing healing agents that would speed up recovery.

Good luck and take care! :)

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heat my husband has a very bad back he has l4 and l5 herniated disc he uses the heat he gets in tanning bed when it really acts up and it helps alot the tanning bed is a great thing for bad backs my hubbie couldent stand up strait but got in tanning bed before he went to bed that evening and got up the next morning and could stand strait up he says heat

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Heat makes the blood vessels dilate (enlarge) so more blood is engorged to the area, If you apply heat to a sore muscle, especially if it is in shoulder or upper leg, it may cause it to throb more painfully because of this extra blood flow. Ice, on the other hand, constricts blood vessels; initial reason pain is alleviated is because less blood is flowing through sore area. Secondly, if left on long enough, ice will deaden the pain receptors that are telling your brain you hurt. If there is swelling, ice is definitely the treatment of choice for the above reasons. By alternating the two treatments for 10-15 minutes each, you can trick your brain into thinking all is well. Ibuprofen should also help with pain as it actually reduces inflammation. As with any pain, if it lasts and you don't know what it is from, please consult your doctor. Good luck and God bless

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