Heating pads are a passive form of back pain treatment that can help to provide some mild pain relief for patients suffering from certain ailments. For the right patient, a heating pad can be a perfect compliment to a comprehensive treatment routine, but they aren’t a great stand alone option. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why heating pads can be helpful for certain back issues and why you shouldn’t make them your only form of treatment.
The Benefits Of Heating Pads
Heating pads or a warm bath can do wonders for a number of different issues in your spine. For starters, a heating pad will help to open up nearby blood vessels, which in turn boosts circulation to the area. The more healthy, oxygenated blood that can reach the injured area, the better it is for healing and tissue repair. Boosting circulation is also helpful for treating muscle cramps and spasms. A muscle tends to spasms when it is overworked and not getting enough oxygenated blood, so applying a heat pad can work to bring more blood to an area and calm a stressed muscle.
Heat can also work to alleviate spinal discomfort caused by joint and muscle stiffness. Heat will make it easier for structures to move freely, effectively expanding your range of motion. If stiffness is to blame for your back discomfort, a few minutes with a heating pad can help to prepare tissues for movement. It can also be a perfect compliment before exercise or a physical therapy routine. If your muscles are more relaxed and capable of responding to different movements, you will have more success during your exercise or PT program.
Because of its effects on spinal muscles and how it can help to bring healthy blood to areas that need it most, heating pads can be a perfect addition to your care routine, but they shouldn’t be your only form of treatment. That’s because heating pads are a passive form of treatment. You are not actively doing anything that will treat the underlying issue in the long-term. You can boost your circulation or improve your flexibility in the long-term by pursuing treatments like exercise, weight loss, physical therapy or a specific stretching program. Heat therapy can assist before and after these active treatments, but heat alone will not give you the same benefits as these more involved techniques.
You can absolutely curl up on the couch with a heating pad or soak in a warm bath at the end of a long day, as this may help aid in tissue repair, but you’ll see the most benefit from these passive techniques if your body is recovering from the stress of active treatment techniques. We want all of our patients to pursue some type of active treatment alongside passive compliments like rest, medication or hot/cold therapy.
There is no magic pill you can take to make your back stronger or healthier, although there certainly are passive options that can mask symptoms and make it easier for you to pursue those active options, so don’t think that these passive techniques are useless. If heat therapy makes it easier for you to pursue an exercise routine or relax and eventually fall asleep so that you can get restorative sleep at the end of the day, it certainly is worth pursuing. You just need to make sure that you are also pairing these passive techniques with active treatment to yield the biggest benefit for your back and your overall health.
If you’d like to learn more about the best ways to treat your back issue, or you simply want to connect with a provider who can answer some questions that you have, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
