heat verses ice on back

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That chiropractor that I went to many years ago told me this same thing about ice. She said to never use heat. I'm copying this article to show my son who also has back problems but won't use ice. Thanks for sending it. Joan

Hi everyone

I found this article about ice is better than heat. I have been having therapy on my elbow for tennis elbow for about a month now. they use heat with electic stimulate then put ice. they told me that the heat makes good blood flow for healing, and the ice reduces the swelling after.

This article has to do with a certain area in the spine for bulging disc. also down towards the end of the article it tells how easy bouncing on a ball can help heal a disc.... see what u think

A bulging disc - l5s1 can be one of the most frustrating conditions for a person to live with. Not only is it very painful, it can also be very disabling and lead to an inability to perform even the simplest of activities.

This article will discuss what a herniated disc l5-s1 is, the symptoms that are most commonly associated with it, as well as some helpful tips you can do from home for relief.

But before we get into all the details, let’s briefly discuss what the discs of the spine are, which is important for understanding the rest of this article. The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones that make up the spine.

Each disc is composed of two main parts – a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. The jelly center is very important, because this is where the discs of the spine store oxygen and nutrition for proper healing if there is ever an injury.

In fact, if you’ve been dealing with l5 s1 back disc pain, you’ve probably heard your doctor say that this problem is very stubborn and doesn’t heal very easily. This is because the discs of the spine do not have a very good blood supply, which normally transports oxygen and nutrients to an injured area for healing. This is why it’s important to keep the nucleus in the center of the disc healthy, because it is the main source of oxygen and nutrients for the disc.

A bulging disc is when the annulus tears, and the jelly in the center of the disc begins to shift through the weak area. This creates a bulge in the disc, which applies pressure to the nerves of the spine, leading to the pain that this problem is known for.

In fact, the symptoms a person may have from a herniated disc l5-s1 goes far beyond low back pain, because of the nerves that are affected. You may also have pain traveling down the legs, weakness in the legs, and even problems with the bowel and bladder.

Unfortunately, many of the treatments a doctor will recommend for this condition are not as effective as one might like them to be. Most physicians will prescribe medications (such as pain relievers and muscle relaxers), pain injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), physical therapy, and even surgery as a last resort.

Although these treatments may be effective for a short period of time, they often do not provide long term relief for l5 s1 back disc pain because their focus is primarily on numbing the aggravated nerve – they do nothing to correct the source of the problem, which is the bulging disc.

I’m going to give you three simple tips that you can use for relief from your l5 s1 back disc pain, which usually provides longer term results.

First, it’s very important that you use ice when you are experiencing pain. Apply the ice over the lower back (even if your pain travels to another location – you need to get to the source of the problem, which is in the spine), and leave it on for 15 minutes or until you feel numbness, whichever comes first. Repeat the ice treatment every hour.

Consistency is the key with ice – it will take 3 or 4 treatments before you feel any difference, but if you stick with it, most people can tell a big difference in their pain within 3 days.

Never use heat when you are suffering with l5 s1 back disc pain! This is so important because heat will draw more blood to the injured area, leading to excessive swelling and pressure on the aggravated nerve. Always stick with ice, and you’ll experience relief much faster.

My next tip is that you bounce on a therapy ball. This may sound silly at first, but this exercise is incredibly useful for a person dealing with a herniated disc l5-s1. Simply sit on a therapy ball (which is one of those large balls you see in health clubs or physical therapy clinics), and gently bounce up and down for 5 minutes every day.

The reason this is so useful will pump new oxygen and nutrients into the damaged disc, which results in faster healing. You may find this exercise painful at first, so if you do, discontinue this exercise until some of your pain has been relieved from the ice.

My final piece of advice for now is that you be conscious of your sleeping position. A person dealing with a herniated disc l5-s1 should always sleep in one of two positions: on your back with a couple of pillows under your knees to elevate the legs, or on your side with a pillow between the knees.

These two positions alleviate pressure from the spine while you sleep, which allows the disc to heal more quickly.

shannaJoke: The sky is falling...no, I'm tipping over backwards.

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From: Joan Wingo <joanwingo2bellsouth (DOT) net>Subject: heat wrapsSpinal Stenosis Treatment Date: Friday, November 21, 2008, 8:32 PM

The heat is too hot for me since I'm hot natured. I have used an ice pack many times. I also have a tens unit but it is more trouble than it is worth. Joan

Have you tried any of the stick on 'heat' patches that you can get in the over the counter meds at wal mart? Since I often have problems with the glue they use on stick on patches , I got the cheapest brand I could get to try. I used some of these a couple of months ago when I threw my back out really bad again. You can wear some of these for at least 8 hours. Be sure and read and follow directions as there are some things you can't do with them. But it did mellow out the pain a bit and gave me a little more flexibility for work.I work for a vending company and it was so bad for a couple of weeks that I was moving a case of pop from the back of my truck to the two wheel dolly a six pack at a time. I just couldn't lift half a case at a time. Doing the dolly was fine. I took off work the first day and did half day the second and the other three days did the bulk of my route then asked someone else to finish the last stop or reload my truck. Lucky for me is that my boss finally wound up with back problems last year , so now he is a little more understanding when it pops up for someone else. We work for a very small company and don't have enough people for anyone to be gone long. I have found ways to adapt when I need to and still do the major portion of my job when I have flair ups.Debbie and Ian McKinley (BMD since 93)no litters Kansas http://home. hit.net/~ dimck/http://www.flickr. com/photos/ dimck23/ (200 carting photo)