The Best and Only Time to Use Heat Therapy for Sciatic Pain
One of the common confusions people have with self-treatment is the question of when to use ice and when to use heat. There are all sorts of recommendations out there but a simple rule of thumb is to base the decision on what the symptoms are.
If you have sharp or intense pain with or without swelling, this usually indicates that there is inflammation present, and this is a time to use ice. On the other hand, if your symptoms are mostly stiffness or mild soreness, there is usually not significant inflammation present, and in this situation heat is a better choice.
As a precaution, anytime you have experienced a trauma, or think you might have injured yourself, it is best to avoid using heat for at least 48 hours to make sure that the inflammatory response has not been activated and the inflammation has simply not had enough time to set in.
When in doubt, avoid using heat! Although heat may feel good while it is on (because heat causes pain signals to be partially blocked from reaching the brain), heat also increases the inflammatory response of the body. Increased inflammation means increased pain when you stop using the heat. Although ice may not feel as comfortable as heat, it is one of the best anti-inflammatory measures you can take. The short-term discomfort of applying ice usually pays off in long-term relief.
Explanations of, and care suggestions for sciatica and sciatica-like symptoms due to other underlying causes can be found on our blog at http://treatmentforsciatica.blogspot.com
Regardless of whether you are using ice or heat, you should always separate the ice or hot pack from the skin with a layer of cloth to prevent skin damage. It is also important to avoid applying ice or heat on an area that has been recently treated with Theragesic, Icy Hot, Biofreeze, Ben Gay, or any other topical analgesic - wait until the sensation of the analgesic has completely worn off, otherwise the ice or heat could cause skin irritation or damage.
Also when using either ice or heat, you should only apply the treatment for about 15 minutes at a time, allowing the skin to return to normal temperature (to be safe, allow 1 to 2 hours) before re-applying the treatment. As it may take a few minutes for the cold or warm sensation to make it through the cloth layer between the cold/hot pack and your skin, begin timing when you start to feel the temperature change on the skin. If you have impaired circulation or decreased skin sensitivity due to nerve damage, diabetes, etc., it is best to check with your doctor first before using ice
or heat.
The vast majority of sciatica cases are due to herniation and/or degeneration of one or more of the spinal discs in the lower back. Because of this, the information and self-care instructions in this article are directed at disc-related sciatica cases.
To discover more ways to treat sciatica naturally without surgery please visit http://www.treatsciaticanow.com [http://2589egr8iw2s8zammkodup9tdg.hop.clickbank.net/] and learn how you can cure sciatica naturally within 7 days.
If you have sharp or intense pain with or without swelling, this usually indicates that there is inflammation present, and this is a time to use ice. On the other hand, if your symptoms are mostly stiffness or mild soreness, there is usually not significant inflammation present, and in this situation heat is a better choice.
As a precaution, anytime you have experienced a trauma, or think you might have injured yourself, it is best to avoid using heat for at least 48 hours to make sure that the inflammatory response has not been activated and the inflammation has simply not had enough time to set in.
When in doubt, avoid using heat! Although heat may feel good while it is on (because heat causes pain signals to be partially blocked from reaching the brain), heat also increases the inflammatory response of the body. Increased inflammation means increased pain when you stop using the heat. Although ice may not feel as comfortable as heat, it is one of the best anti-inflammatory measures you can take. The short-term discomfort of applying ice usually pays off in long-term relief.
Explanations of, and care suggestions for sciatica and sciatica-like symptoms due to other underlying causes can be found on our blog at http://treatmentforsciatica.blogspot.com
Regardless of whether you are using ice or heat, you should always separate the ice or hot pack from the skin with a layer of cloth to prevent skin damage. It is also important to avoid applying ice or heat on an area that has been recently treated with Theragesic, Icy Hot, Biofreeze, Ben Gay, or any other topical analgesic - wait until the sensation of the analgesic has completely worn off, otherwise the ice or heat could cause skin irritation or damage.
Also when using either ice or heat, you should only apply the treatment for about 15 minutes at a time, allowing the skin to return to normal temperature (to be safe, allow 1 to 2 hours) before re-applying the treatment. As it may take a few minutes for the cold or warm sensation to make it through the cloth layer between the cold/hot pack and your skin, begin timing when you start to feel the temperature change on the skin. If you have impaired circulation or decreased skin sensitivity due to nerve damage, diabetes, etc., it is best to check with your doctor first before using ice
or heat.
The vast majority of sciatica cases are due to herniation and/or degeneration of one or more of the spinal discs in the lower back. Because of this, the information and self-care instructions in this article are directed at disc-related sciatica cases.
To discover more ways to treat sciatica naturally without surgery please visit http://www.treatsciaticanow.com [http://2589egr8iw2s8zammkodup9tdg.hop.clickbank.net/] and learn how you can cure sciatica naturally within 7 days.
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