I am constantly amazed at the number of people, even doctors, who still advise and use heat! Where have they been for the last decade… Mars? I have suffered from neck pain, back pain and sciatica for 30 years, since 1970. Only in the last few months have I achieved anything close to complete and lasting pain relief! For years I struggled with operation after operation until I gave up all hope of waking up in the morning without some form of neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica.

At the end of most days?

Well, if we could have put a cherry picker, one of those machines they use to lift car engines out of the engine compartment, in the living room to get me out of the recliner and into bed, we would have had the super deluxe. model! Needless to say, I was in the worst shape possible just before sunrise, as they say. Having overcome an advanced case of osteomyelitis, with a myriad of associated health consequences, he was still in pretty bad shape a year ago, 2008. In fact, they really weren’t too sure he would make it. He was in dire straits and in more pain than any human being should have to bear. If you have ever had spine surgery? Imagine the pain when you first woke up in the recovery room and multiply it exponentially! I’m not being melodramatic, I’m trying to give you a real sense of the incredible pain I was in, 24/7. I was depressed, addicted and hopeless. In other words, I was at the end of my rope…literally and figuratively! As time goes on, I will share a bit more of that story. For now though, I want to talk about something that helped me in a way that few other back pain strategies have…

ICE!

That’s how it is! Ice! Many physicians have come to understand that ice, not heat, is the appropriate treatment strategy in 95% of all cases of neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica. You see, when you experience neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica, in fact, any type of pain, acute or chronic, is usually due to inflammation or swelling. The inflammation and/or swelling may be affecting many areas or may be limited to a specific area. Pain may have a single etiology or cause, or it may be the result of myriad factors acting in concert. For example, a herniated disc can cause nerve impingement, nerve impingement causes inflammation, inflammation causes swelling, swelling causes muscle spasms, and muscle spasms, as anyone who has had back pain can tell you, can be extremely painful. . Trace the pain back and it may be possible to interrupt the pain continuum, the back pain complex, at any point along the continuum of cascading reactions leading to the maximal expression of pain and, in this case, back pain. neck, back pain and/or sciatica. .

But they have been using heat for years!

Exactly! And it does not work! You see, when you use heat, it allows for more blood flow, which increases swelling, which leads to increased pain levels. Instead of interrupting the continuum, introducing heat actually enhances its full potential and contributes to more inflammation, swelling, muscle cramps and spasms, and ultimately pain. While the use of heat can be psychologically relaxing, allowing for a temporary sense of relief, as an efficient and effective long-term back pain management strategy, it is ineffective and may actually exacerbate the problem. Unless the pain is psychosomatic or psychogenic in origin, using heat may make the problem worse, the body’s reaction may be an intense reaction, intensifying the pain instead of allowing much-needed relief.

Ultimately, the decision to use heat or ice is a personal one. However, if you want real, lasting relief—relief that allows you to function all day and sleep at night—ice is the best treatment strategy for neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. For relief in minutes, place an ice pack, either an ice compression brace or a plastic bag wrapped in a thin towel, over the affected area and keep it in place for at least 30 minutes. Once removed, allow 30 minutes and then repeat, making sure with each application you are exposing the entire area to the ice, as well as an area on all sides wide enough to ensure adequate coverage. By making sure to cover the entire area and a significant portion of the unaffected area, you will achieve optimal results. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep with my brace still on, the relief can be that quick and complete. Therefore, as a back strategy, heat should be avoided in almost all cases. Ice is the best strategy for fast and complete relief of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica.