The age old question, ice or heat?
Each of these therapeutic modalities has good benefits, but here are my rules for each:
Ice:
Ice is really good for acute injuries or inflammation. Ice serves to constrict blood vessels, therefore cut off inflammation. For example, if you just sprained an ankle, or twisted a knee, and it is in the initial stages of inflammation. In terms of using ice for your lower back, the only time I have seen it work well is for strains. So, for example if you lift too much and you feel like your back is starting to tighten up, and gets an achy, burning type of sensation, not really pain, but just tightness.
Heat:
Heat is my favorite choice for chronic pain. Once you are out of the inflammatory phase, most back pain is caused by a lack of blood flow, generally referred to as “ischemia”. Application of heat pads, or packs, causes dilation of blood vessels. This is an ideal therapeutic intervention for aching lower back pain It is also an excellent modality to use just prior to corrective stretching or exercises. muscles.