Confused about when to use ice or heat on a muscle injury? Here's what you need to know.
ICE
When? Within 48 hours of a sudden injury or the repeat injury of a chronic problem spot.
How? Ice cubes in a sealable bag, a bag of frozen peas or corn or a freezer pack designed for injuries. Wrap it in a small towel to avoid damaging the skin.
How long? Up to 10 minutes at a time, but stop sooner if your skin turns pick. Typically, you can reapply it about 10 minutes after the end of the previous icing session.
Key effects Curtails swelling and reduces pain.
Warning Don't use if you have circulation problems or easily damaged skin.
HEAT
When? More than 48 hours after a sudden injury or before starting an activity that may hurt a weak, frequently injured area. (Heat loosens a tight, injury-prone muscles.) Also good for arthritic joints.
How? Use a heating pad set on low, a fiannel dipped in warm water, a single-use heat pack available from pharmacies and designed for specific areas, such as your neck or lower back, or a reusable microwaveable hot pack.
How long? 20 minutes at a time.
Key effects Draws blood to the area for nourishment, healing and muscle relaxation.
Warning if the heat causes pain, remove it immediately from your skin t prevent damage. The heat should feel comfortable and pleasant not scalding.
Confused about when to use ice or bread on a muscle injury?
corset' of muscles that steadies your spine. (Go easy on back exercsies, though. One study found that walking provided more relief.) Aim to exercise for roughly half an hour, five days a week-it doesn't matter whether you walk, swim, do aerobics or participate in some other activity you enjoy.
Find time for relaxing stretches such as yoga Many of us unconsciously hold years of tension in our upper and lower backs. There's some evidence that mental stress can cause physical stress that could push back muscles past the tipping point, leading to pain. If chronic stress is tensing you up, you need regular doses of healing stretches. Yoga is the perfect form, but regular, slow stretching will work fine, too. Better yet, don't let anger, frustration and other strong emotions affect your physical well-being.
Walk while you talk on the phone If one study of 681 people with lower-back pain, those who walked briskly for 3 hours a week felt better physically and mentally, while those who performed regular back exercises had more pain. Movement of any kind improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients to muscles and redistributes the gel inside the shock-absorbing discs that cushion your vertebrae. In contrast, sitting allows the gel to squash to one side or the other, leaving you with uneven cushioning between the joints of your spine.
When you do sit, relax Forget everything you've been taught about the desirability of sitting up straight. In fact, that ramrod position places an necessary strain on your back, according to studies at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen. Researchers used a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that allows people to move around during the test instead of having to lie flat. The 22 volunteers tested three different sitting positions: slouching hunched forward, upright with the body at 90 degrees to the thighs and leaning back with a 135 degerees angle. Scans revealed that spinal disc movement, a measure of the amount of strain on the spine, was worst with the bolt-upright posture. The least wear and tear on the spine occurred when people adopted the relaxed position, leaning back at 135 degrees, with their feet flat on the floor. The researchers suggest that this is the sitting position that places the least strain on the spinal discs and associated muscles and tendons, so is the best sitting position for your back.
If you're sitting, take a break to stretch every 20 minutes Sitting still for hours deprives your back muscles of oxygen and nutrients, allowing the discs between vertebrae to bulge if you're not using perfect posture. Over time, the muscles grow tight, and a bulging disc can press on the nerves, causing pain.
Lift smarter Instead of using your back as a crane, bend your knees, pick up the object, then stand up. And get help moving heavy objects - another person or two, or something like a wheelbarrow will all work.
Reconsider the myth of the firm mattress Spanish back-pain sufferers who slept on medium-firm mattresses for 90 nights cut their morning aches more than those who snoozed on firm beds. Beds with a bit of 'give' seem to support and cushion stiffer muscles and joints better than harder, less yielding mattresses - especially for people with lower-back pain.
Women, lighten your handbags Oversized handbags, often made with heavy quilted leather and decorated with equally weighty chain handle, are great for carrying everything under the sun - but experts find that they can weigh 3-4.5 kg (7-10lb). At that weight, these over-the-shoulder suitcases throw off your back's finely balanced architecture. You force up one shoulder, putting stress on your neck, upper back and shoulders, which leads not only to upper-back pain but also to a stiff neck.
A better fashion move: invest in a small, lightweight handbag jut large enough for a small wallet, mobile phone, lipstick, tissues and car keys (and while you're at it, pure down your key ring to the essentials). A backpack or over-the-body messenger-style bag distributes the weight better than a traditional shoulder bag.
Men, lighten your wallets In fact, consider swapping an overstuffed wallet for a money clip - and carry it in a front pocket. Sitting on a big wallet in your back pocket can irritate the sciatic nerve that runs from your lower back through your buttocks and down your leg. The result: a burning sensation that just won't go away. To remedy this, put your wallet on a diet -get rid of bank receipts, out-of-date credit cards and shop discount cards you don't need.
Switch from a thick leather wallet to one made from the new breed of thin, flexible fabric, or use a money clip.
Sometimes, the remedy for back pain is as easy as adjusting how we sit, what we carry or where we sleep
Cheapskate trick: use a thick rubber brand or a building clip to hold your bills, driver's licence and credit cards together.
Switch from old-fashioned high heels to stylish flats Walking in heels is like walking downhill all day - you have to lean back to avoid the feeling that you're falling forward, a move that compresses the discs in your lower back. When engineers compared muscle tightness in five women wearing flat heels, medium-height heels or stilettos, they discovered that the higher teh heel, the more the women's lower-back muscles tightened up. Save your back by switching to shoes with heels that are less than an inch high. Look for a snug, firm heel counter - the part of the shoe that supports the sides and back of your heel. This gives you better foot control while walking and actually helps to support your arch.
ICE
When? Within 48 hours of a sudden injury or the repeat injury of a chronic problem spot.
How? Ice cubes in a sealable bag, a bag of frozen peas or corn or a freezer pack designed for injuries. Wrap it in a small towel to avoid damaging the skin.
How long? Up to 10 minutes at a time, but stop sooner if your skin turns pick. Typically, you can reapply it about 10 minutes after the end of the previous icing session.
Key effects Curtails swelling and reduces pain.
Warning Don't use if you have circulation problems or easily damaged skin.
HEAT
When? More than 48 hours after a sudden injury or before starting an activity that may hurt a weak, frequently injured area. (Heat loosens a tight, injury-prone muscles.) Also good for arthritic joints.
How? Use a heating pad set on low, a fiannel dipped in warm water, a single-use heat pack available from pharmacies and designed for specific areas, such as your neck or lower back, or a reusable microwaveable hot pack.
How long? 20 minutes at a time.
Key effects Draws blood to the area for nourishment, healing and muscle relaxation.
Warning if the heat causes pain, remove it immediately from your skin t prevent damage. The heat should feel comfortable and pleasant not scalding.
Confused about when to use ice or bread on a muscle injury?
corset' of muscles that steadies your spine. (Go easy on back exercsies, though. One study found that walking provided more relief.) Aim to exercise for roughly half an hour, five days a week-it doesn't matter whether you walk, swim, do aerobics or participate in some other activity you enjoy.
Find time for relaxing stretches such as yoga Many of us unconsciously hold years of tension in our upper and lower backs. There's some evidence that mental stress can cause physical stress that could push back muscles past the tipping point, leading to pain. If chronic stress is tensing you up, you need regular doses of healing stretches. Yoga is the perfect form, but regular, slow stretching will work fine, too. Better yet, don't let anger, frustration and other strong emotions affect your physical well-being.
Walk while you talk on the phone If one study of 681 people with lower-back pain, those who walked briskly for 3 hours a week felt better physically and mentally, while those who performed regular back exercises had more pain. Movement of any kind improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients to muscles and redistributes the gel inside the shock-absorbing discs that cushion your vertebrae. In contrast, sitting allows the gel to squash to one side or the other, leaving you with uneven cushioning between the joints of your spine.
When you do sit, relax Forget everything you've been taught about the desirability of sitting up straight. In fact, that ramrod position places an necessary strain on your back, according to studies at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen. Researchers used a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that allows people to move around during the test instead of having to lie flat. The 22 volunteers tested three different sitting positions: slouching hunched forward, upright with the body at 90 degrees to the thighs and leaning back with a 135 degerees angle. Scans revealed that spinal disc movement, a measure of the amount of strain on the spine, was worst with the bolt-upright posture. The least wear and tear on the spine occurred when people adopted the relaxed position, leaning back at 135 degrees, with their feet flat on the floor. The researchers suggest that this is the sitting position that places the least strain on the spinal discs and associated muscles and tendons, so is the best sitting position for your back.
If you're sitting, take a break to stretch every 20 minutes Sitting still for hours deprives your back muscles of oxygen and nutrients, allowing the discs between vertebrae to bulge if you're not using perfect posture. Over time, the muscles grow tight, and a bulging disc can press on the nerves, causing pain.
Lift smarter Instead of using your back as a crane, bend your knees, pick up the object, then stand up. And get help moving heavy objects - another person or two, or something like a wheelbarrow will all work.
Reconsider the myth of the firm mattress Spanish back-pain sufferers who slept on medium-firm mattresses for 90 nights cut their morning aches more than those who snoozed on firm beds. Beds with a bit of 'give' seem to support and cushion stiffer muscles and joints better than harder, less yielding mattresses - especially for people with lower-back pain.
Women, lighten your handbags Oversized handbags, often made with heavy quilted leather and decorated with equally weighty chain handle, are great for carrying everything under the sun - but experts find that they can weigh 3-4.5 kg (7-10lb). At that weight, these over-the-shoulder suitcases throw off your back's finely balanced architecture. You force up one shoulder, putting stress on your neck, upper back and shoulders, which leads not only to upper-back pain but also to a stiff neck.
A better fashion move: invest in a small, lightweight handbag jut large enough for a small wallet, mobile phone, lipstick, tissues and car keys (and while you're at it, pure down your key ring to the essentials). A backpack or over-the-body messenger-style bag distributes the weight better than a traditional shoulder bag.
Men, lighten your wallets In fact, consider swapping an overstuffed wallet for a money clip - and carry it in a front pocket. Sitting on a big wallet in your back pocket can irritate the sciatic nerve that runs from your lower back through your buttocks and down your leg. The result: a burning sensation that just won't go away. To remedy this, put your wallet on a diet -get rid of bank receipts, out-of-date credit cards and shop discount cards you don't need.
Switch from a thick leather wallet to one made from the new breed of thin, flexible fabric, or use a money clip.
Sometimes, the remedy for back pain is as easy as adjusting how we sit, what we carry or where we sleep
Cheapskate trick: use a thick rubber brand or a building clip to hold your bills, driver's licence and credit cards together.
Switch from old-fashioned high heels to stylish flats Walking in heels is like walking downhill all day - you have to lean back to avoid the feeling that you're falling forward, a move that compresses the discs in your lower back. When engineers compared muscle tightness in five women wearing flat heels, medium-height heels or stilettos, they discovered that the higher teh heel, the more the women's lower-back muscles tightened up. Save your back by switching to shoes with heels that are less than an inch high. Look for a snug, firm heel counter - the part of the shoe that supports the sides and back of your heel. This gives you better foot control while walking and actually helps to support your arch.
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