Stiff Back? Put Some Heat On It!

Stiffness in the lumbar region of the spine is one of the most frequent causes of back pain and discomfort.

When it comes to back stiffness, heat treatments can be a very effective home remedy. Heat helps stretch the soft tissues and muscles in your back by promoting blood flow. Increased blood flow in the stiff area of your back encourages muscle relaxation and speeds pain relief.

The regular application of heat can also loosen tense soft tissues, muscles, and connective tissue to reduce future stiffness and pain.

Given these various benefits, heat therapy is a great short-term, home treatment option for sciatica and back pain. However, heat will not help each type of back pain. For instance acute, or severe back pain will not benefit from a treatment as simple as a heating pad. Those suffering from chronic back stiffness or lack of spine flexibility should not rely on heat treatments as a permanent solution for their condition.

If you have to treat your back stiffness regularly with heat, it may be time to look for a more effective solution to your back pain.

+ Find out how to manage back pain with the McKenzie Method.