Is back pain stopping you from work or simple tasks? You are not alone. Back pain is an affliction of millions of Americans and the number one pain issue in the United States.
Keeping it under control so that the person can get through the day can be difficult because so many treatments require periods of immobility or medications that can cause nasty side effects.
One way to get back pain relief on the go is a portable heating pad. These allow the person to go about their day with the heating pad on and providing relief.
These heating pads have a component that is microwaveable and some allow you to gently wrap around the body to keep it in place. The best portable heating pads have a heated component that is made of ceramic. Ceramic is able to hold heat better than any other heating pad components available.
For example, if you were to microwave the ceramic pad for about three minutes, you will have hours of heat from the ceramic plate.
The attachment component of a portable heating pad generally resembles a weight work belt. It is wrapped around the painful area and secured with Velcro. The heating component rests directly on the painful area. Since it is secured with Velcro and the heated part does not have to be plugged in, the person wearing this can go about their day unrestricted.
How Heat Therapy Can Help Back Pain?
Heat is helpful in a number of ways to relieve back pain. These include:
Heat is able to dilate the muscles’ blood vessels. This results in more oxygen and nutrients heading to the heated area. This is necessary to encourage the healing of damaged tissues
The soft tissues are encouraged to stretch when heat is applied. Stiffness is decreased, injury is decreased and flexibility is increased due to this stretching
The sensory receptors in the skin are stimulated by heat. This means that pain signals will be lessened, which in turn, results in less pain
Heat therapy is able to decrease the pain and symptoms that a person is experiencing. For example, if a person is stiff, he or she can apply a portable heating pad to allow for better movement throughout the day. This is especially important for those that need to move a lot throughout the day.
Heat Therapy Can Help You Mobile Again
In addition to stiffness and pain, heat can also help with inability to stand straight, muscle aches and limited flexibility.
For most people, heat provides immediate relief. Within about three days, they will notice less overall pain even when heat is not currently being applied due to the heat helping the injury to heal. Heat therapy can also able to be used in combination with other alternative therapies, making it a very flexible and solid option to help keep back pain to a minimum.
Common Causes of Back Pain
The back is such a large part of the body, but it is also very vulnerable to injury. Lifting wrong, a bad twist or a fall can result in injury. Some injuries are worse than others, but all cause pain and other symptoms that can have a major negative impact on someone’s day.
Here are some of the most common back issues and injuries that can often benefit from a heating pad:
Back strain This is an injury where the muscles responsible for providing mobility to the spine are are injured. It could be one muscle or many. There is no nerve involvement, but this does not take away from how painful it can be. Symptoms include pain with movement, coughing or sneezing, stiffness, general pain and pain in the legs and buttocks.
Bulging spinal disc This is a rather common issue that is characterized by a disc in the spine bulging outside of its designated space. Pain and stiffness are common symptoms.
Arthritis
This condition is characterized by joint inflammation and this includes the spinal joints. Symptoms can include pain, stiffness and difficulty with movement.
Sciatica
This is a condition where there is pressure on the sciatic nerve. The pain is usually going down a leg.
Who Should Not Use a Heating Pad for Back Pain?
Heat therapy is very natural and relatively safe, but there are a few things that will prevent someone from being able to use heat, unless the person has express consent from his or her doctor. These include:
Swelling and bruising on the specific area where heat is to be applied
