How a Heating Pad Can Help Back Pain

The back is made up of dozens of muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments that all work in unison throughout your life. Pull or injure any one of those tissues, however, and you can have lower back pain for days, weeks or months. Consider the healthy choice of heating the pained area. Heating pads can make a difference in your pain levels with only a few minutes of application.

Reducing Nerve-Signalling Intensity

The skin is incredibly sensitive to stimuli. As the largest organ, the skin is designed to tell you numerous things about the surrounding environment. By placing a hot pad on your back, the skin perks up at the sensation. Nerve signals start to inundate the brain. As a result, any signals from middle back pain are lost in the process. It's still there, but the pain is somewhat numbed at the sensory level.

Ideally, hold a warm compress to your back for as long as possible. The stress associated with the pain will abate during this time. Cooling off the area will only allow it to send nerve signals once again.

Stimulating Blood Flow

A basic yet complex function that heat provides the body's blood-flow invigoration. When the body senses the warm pad, it sends more blood to the area. Blood vessels actually widen so that nutrients and oxygen can reach the area in greater volumes. These extra nutrients nourish the tissues, which leads to less pain. Your back ailment can be partially treated with just more blood to the area. If your back is swollen, however, don't use the heat pad. A cool compress may be better suited for the situation.

Turning to Preventive Care

Don't wait for pain to strike in order to use heat pads. Many people deal with chronic conditions, such as sciatica, every day. Their pain levels come and go. Wear or hold a warm pad to your back whenever possible. The warmth relaxes the impacted muscles, which reduces strain on the surrounding tissues. Muscles that might be pressing against some nerves could ease up with relief that's obvious on the person's face. Keep up with preventive care that can hold back a lot of pain every day.

The marketplace is full of back pain remedies that don't always work. Buy a heating pad so that you can feel the power of temperature on your skin. Stop relying on those pain pills. It's possible to live pain free with the help of a pad by your side.