Heating Pad for Back Pain: Benefits, When and How to Use

Today, you don&#;t have to head outdoors for relief. Heating pads have made it easier and convenient to use heat therapy . Here&#;s a look at some benefits of heat therapy for back pain .

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This type of therapy isn&#;t anything new. In fact, its history dates to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who used the sun&#;s rays as therapy. The Chinese and Japanese would even use hot springs as therapy for pain.

Muscle spasms, joint pain, and stiffness in your back can limit mobility and interfere with physical activities. While medication can be effective at knocking out inflammation, heat therapy also works for back pain.

Heating pads may help improve the circulation in your body, which could help relieve your back pain, repair damaged muscles, reduce inflammation, and improve back stiffness.

If you don&#;t have a heating pad, taking a warm shower or relaxing in a hot tub may also relieve back pain and stiffness. One benefit of a hot tub and shower over a bath is continuous heat similar to a heating pad.

On the other hand, heating pads have adjustable levels and provide a continuous flow of heat &#; for as long as the pad is turned on.

The problem with baths, though, is that it&#;s difficult to maintain the water temperature. That water will slowly cool down.

Hot or warm baths provide moist heat, which also promotes circulation and reduces muscle pain and stiffness. A bath might work better if you have pain or stiffness in other parts of your body, too.

Any type of heat therapy can help relieve back pain. Yet, heating pads are ideal because they&#;re convenient and portable. They&#;re also electric, so you can use them anywhere in your home, such as lying in bed or sitting on the couch.

Heat therapy may help boost circulation, which allows nutrients and oxygen to travel to joints and muscles.

Electric heating pads can get hot quickly and injure the skin, so it&#;s important to use them correctly.

Always start on the lowest setting

To start, set the heating pad on the lowest setting. For minor aches and pain, a low setting might be more than enough to reduce pain and stiffness. You can gradually increase the intensity of heat, if needed.

There are no hard or fast rules regarding how long to use a heating pad on your back. It all depends on the level of pain and your tolerance to heat. Even so, if you use a heating pad on a high setting, remove after 15 to 30 minutes to avoid burns.

On a low setting, you can use the heating pad for a longer period, maybe up to one hour.

Use caution if you&#;re pregnant

If you&#;re pregnant and have back pain, it&#;s safe to use a heating pad. You should avoid prolonged exposure since overheating can be dangerous to a fetus. It can lead to neural tube defects or other complications.

This is more probable in a hot tub or sauna, but err on the side of caution. Use a heating pad on the lowest setting while pregnant, and only for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Since heating pads decrease pain signals and increase circulation, use the pad soon after developing painful flares or stiffness to speed the healing process.

Types of heating pads

Different heating pads are available for back pain. This includes a standard electric heating pad that offers multiple heat settings.

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There&#;s also the option of an infrared heating pad. This is helpful for moderate to severe pain since the heat penetrates deeper into the muscles.

When shopping for a heating pad, look for one that has an automatic shut-off feature to prevent overheating and burns, in case you fall asleep on the pad.

You can find electric heat pads at your local pharmacy or shop for one online.

Gel packs

If you don&#;t have a heating pad on hand, you can use a heat wrap or heated gel pack underneath your clothes.

Before using a gel pack, place it in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes (follow package instructions), and then apply to a sore back. You can also use certain gel packs for cold therapy.

You can find heat wraps and gel packs at your local pharmacy or shop for them online.

October 28,

Heating Pads for Muscle Pain Relief &#; 4 Questions Answered

By: Natasha Trentacosta, MD

There are times when either heat or ice can be helpful in reducing pain and encouraging healing during the body&#;s recovery process from muscle pain or soreness. When it comes to the application of heat via heating pad, there are multiple health and safety considerations to make so that one can ensure they aren&#;t making the injury worse, prolonging recovery, or introducing other bodily injury risks into the equation. Below are answers to four commonly asked questions about the use of heating pads for the treatment of muscle soreness.

1. How does a heating pad work to help with sore muscles?

When muscles spasm and tighten, especially after an injury or vigorous exercise or activity, it closes or constricts the blood vessels. With delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) brought on by strenuous activity, the lactic acid produced gets further trapped by these constricted vessels. The application of heat in these cases, whether from a heating pad or hot bath, jacuzzi, or shower, dilates the blood vessels in the area being warmed and increases blood flow, bringing cells to help heal the affected area. These blood cells get more oxygen and nutrients to the site and aid in eliminating the bad stuff (like lactic acid) from the affected area, which ultimately helps eliminate muscle pain and soreness. The application of heat can also facilitate the stretching and loosening of tight muscles, thereby helping to alleviate stiffness around joints. Think of it like this: imagine heating mozzarella sticks in the oven. They are much more pliable when warmed up.

There is also a role that heat is believed to play in the gate theory of pain. Simply put, different nerves carry different messages (hot, cold, pressure, pain) from an area of the body to the brain. The brain puts all those messages together, and we then experience the sum of those messages as a sensation. If we are experiencing terrible muscle aches from a rigorous hike or HIIT workout, those muscles have their pain receptors activated and working full time to send constant pain signals back to the brain. When we apply heat to the area that is hurt, we activate different nerves to transmit this new, non-painful message to the brain, whose message can deaden or lessen the underlying nerve pain messages.

2. If heating pads can be helpful in some cases, what type of heating pad is best?

Don&#;t get hurt! Heating pads can cause severe burns if they get too hot or stay on one body area too long. Electric heating pads use household current to produce heat. Consider a heating pad that either escalates heat settings so you can start at a lower stage and adjust as needed. Automatic shut-offs or pre-set timers are additional features to consider, especially if there is an undesirable chance of accidentally falling asleep with the heating pad on. Having a cover or some fabric between the device and your skin will also help to prevent burns. Beyond burn concerns, electric heating pads can also create a fire hazard or electrocution issue. Avoid one with multiple wires and always keep it away from water.

Moist heating pads use water to dampen the pad before placement on the skin. They can reach very high temperatures and are often used by physical therapists for heat therapy. It is best to avoid this type of heating pad for home use to not accidentally burn oneself. One of the safest heating pad types to consider is the disposable heating wrap or pad. These can be found in most drug stores and can be used for easy, convenient, and safe heat therapy, which can be applied to almost anybody region.

3. Is it ever ok to fall asleep while using a heating pad?

Falling asleep while using a heating pad should always be avoided. Whether it&#;s heat or ice, for that matter, there is no need to fall asleep with either on the skin as both can cause severe and disfiguring burns. While you are sleeping, your body is doing its job of recovering. Let the natural recovery do its job. If you are in an area of extreme cold and need added heat, make sure the heating pad is covered by cloth or a towel to create a barrier between the pad and your skin to avoid burns. Some circulating hot water pads can be used at night.

4. When applying a heating pad to any area of the body, how long is best?

Though there are no specific rules about the length of time to use a heating pad, it should stay on for about 10-30 minutes to be effective. If on for too short a time, the muscle or joint may not have an opportunity to warm up and experience pain-relieving benefits. Yet, leaving a heating pad on for too long can result in injury from burns and can potentially create a scenario of extreme inflammation in the body as the dilated blood vessels bring pro-inflammatory cells to the area warmed.

While heating pads can absolutely play a role in helping a muscle injury to heal, they must be used with extreme care and caution. Ensure you don&#;t fall asleep while using one and that you don&#;t use it for too long, or allow it to get too hot in one body area. With safety precautions considered, the use of a heating pad can be a helpful tool for muscle pain relief.

Sources:

8/5/21 containing answers by Dr. Trentacosta to questions from VeryWell Fit.

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