Thermacare
What helps relieve back pain?
Contents:
There are many ways to fight back pain. Here We present the most common and give tips on how to relieve back pain.
Almost 80 percent of the EU population has suffered, suffers, or will suffer from back pain at least once in their life.
Since the causes of back pain can be very different, the treatment should be personalized to the patient. What is certain is that back pain must be treated immediately before a pain memory is formed and there is therefore a risk that the pain will become chronic.
Back pain – what helps quickly?
Patients affected by low back pain want fast help to relieve it. You can choose between external (topical) and internal treatment (e.g. painkillers to be taken orally in the form of tablets). External applications are also differentiated accordingly to the degree of effectiveness of the treatment: between a more superficial effect (e.g. through ointments that promote blood circulation) and a long-lasting deep effect (e.g. deep heat by means of ThermaCare® heat therapy).
In general, the effectiveness, but above all the personal tolerance of a type of treatment should be taken into account. Which form of treatment is the best should therefore be answered by yourself according to your needs. We present the actual advantages and disadvantages of the respective method from a medical point of view below. You should also combine any type of treatment with exercise.
Does heat help relieve back pain?
Painful tension is mainly caused by an incorrect strain, whereby the musculature hardens and thereby worsens the blood circulation. The effect of heat therapy starts with these basic triggers – by directly combating these deeper causes. Completely natural and without the side effects typical of medicines. Heat should not be used for back pain caused by inflammation.
Heat works best for back pain if the following requirements are met:
· The temperature of the application is about 40 °C.
· The heat works constantly for eight hours.
· The heat penetrates deep into the tense muscles and the painful tissue.
· During the application, the person affected helps relieve tension themselves with light exercise.
The ThermaCare® HeatWraps meet these four criteria and are ideally suited for acute back pain and muscle pain relief in a natural and as pleasant way as possible. Alternative heat applications are electric heating pads, infrared lamps or common home remedies such as cherry stone-filled pads and fango packs.
You can find out more about the use of heat for back pain in our guide.
Gel and ointments for back pain
Blood circulation-promoting ointments heat the affected parts of the body and can therefore relieve tension. The “heat effect” felt during this treatment is due to the stimulation of the warmth and pain receptors in the treated skin area. The desired heating effect is therefore only superficial. However, it is often not enough to achieve the desired relaxation effect in the affected, deeper muscle layers.
It is also important that the application does not take place on injured skin areas or in the vicinity of mucous membranes. This is due to capsaicin, the main active ingredient based on cayenne pepper extract, which is used in many ointments to generate heat. If capsaicin comes into contact with these sensitive skin areas, itching, reddening of the skin and other skin irritations can occur. Instead of capsaicin, other active ingredients such as nonivamide, nicoboxil or extracts from medicinal plants such as devil’s claw are used in ointments or creams. Local skin irritations can also occur with these substances.
Massage to relieve back pain
Massages release blockages and promote blood circulation. If a part of the body hurts, people often unconsciously rub it to obtain relief.
A back or neck massage loosens the muscles, loosens existing blockages and improves blood circulation in the tissue. This creates a comfortably warm relaxation effect, which can be increased by using warm vegetable oils.
As pleasant as a massage may feel, correct action in the event of back pain requires the patient’s own physical training and activity. In the case of back pain as a result of osteoporosis, inflammation or a herniated disc, get medical advice first before trying to treat the back pain with massage.
Pills to relieve back pain
Back problems are often characterized by severe pain. Adequate exercise is important for rapid recovery. For many back patients, however, precisely this becomes an agony that they urgently want to alleviate.
The goal of any pain treatment is to reduce the limiting symptoms to such an extent that a resumption of everyday activities can be considered. The aim is to break the vicious circle of immobility and pain. Often, self-treatment with common household remedies is sufficient. Should the pain persist or worsen, however, resorting to apparently more effective drugs seems only logical. Over-the-counter pain pills such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen promise relief here. By taking them the perceived pain is alleviated.
The active pharmaceutical ingredient only silences the body’s own warning signals. In fact, those messenger substances that are intended to transmit pain signals are inhibited. As a short-term result, symptoms are alleviated, but the actual cause of the back or neck pain is ignored.
Back pain caused by inflammation can also be combated in terms of its cause with certain drugs. When taking Ibuprofen, a reduction in inflammation can be expected. So there is not only a pure suppression of the transmission of pain, but also a potential fight against the cause.
For many sufferers, it is also sufficient not to feel any pain until the body has healed itself. The quick pain relief with painkillers sounds convincing, but it also harbours a potential risk. Various side effects typical of medicinal products can occur after a single dose, but especially after regular use or in combination with other medicinal products.
A more natural alternative to this would be treatment with heat therapy. Clinical studies have shown that deep heat applied for up to eight hours is just as effective for back pain
How can back pain be prevented?
Active and regular training of the muscles is an important step in the prevention of back and neck pain. You do not even have to go to the gym to do so! With targeted exercises, you can also strengthen your back and neck muscles from home or in the office. Anyone who sits, lifts and moves supports the training effect.
- Exercises to relieve back pain
-
Exercise is good for back pain in many cases. There are some simple exercises that can help relieve the pain. If done correctly, they can relieve back pain and combat it in the long term. Our guide explains a number of exercises to relieve back pain,
Note: In the event of acute or chronic back or neck pain, please consult a doctor beforehand about which exercises are suitable for you. - Sitting
-
There is no correlation between bad posture and back pain onset. The way we seat hasn’t to be at the center of our attention. We are made for movement, so we have to move, therefore is better to change frequently posture, and also standing up and take a little walk every 30 minutes while at work.
- Sleep properly
-
A good sleep quality could positively affect back pain. The following points should be fulfilled when purchasing a mattress:
· A support of the natural shape of the spine, for optimum positioning of the spine
· Adjustment of the degree of hardness to your own body weight
· Pronounced body parts such as shoulders and buttocks should be able to sink into the mattress when lying on the side.
· Choose ergonomic pillows or neck supports so that the head is still in a straight line with the spine in a horizontal position.
Our best advice is to try to lie on your preferred side, with legs flexed and a pillow between them.
Summary: What helps relieve back pain
So what should you do with back pain? In the case of unspecific back pain caused by tension, therapeutic deep heat is usually one of the best methods. The temperature should be around 40 °C and act for a period of 8 hours. This relieves the pain and gently loosens the tension. ThermaCare® HeatWraps are particularly suitable for this.
Pain pills, hot baths or external heat applications such as hot water bottles or grain pads can help to relieve back pain for a short time, but they do not relieve tension.
To prevent back pain, change frequently posture when sitting, and move regularly by standing up and walking a few steps every 30 mins. Sport in general and back and neck exercises in particular help keep your back healthy and prevent back pain.
-
THERMACARE® THERMACARE® for back pain
for the treatment of muscular tension and pain in the lower back
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What helps relieve back pain?
-
Heat and exercise help relieve back pain. They relieve the pain and help eliminate the cause of the back pain. Pain killers also help quickly against the pain, but do not fight the cause.
- Back pain – When should you go to the doctor?
-
If you have back pain, you should consult a doctor if you have persistent severe pain that does not get better with heat and exercise. You should also seek medical advice immediately if you have sharp pain or numbness.
- How can back pain be prevented?
-
Back pain can be prevented with regular exercise and an active lifestyle. By exercising your back, neck and abdominal muscles and making sure that youstand up regularly while you are working at your desk, you can prevent back pain and problems.
- Back pain – How should you sleep?
-
If you are in pain we recommend you to sleep on your preferred side, with your legs flexed and a pillow between them. The choice of the pillow under your head should be led by your comfort, so choose the pillow you feel more comfort with.
