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Working in the office and spending long hours sitting at your desk each day with poor posture is the perfect recipe for back pain. Here are some common examples of poor postures that may lead to back pain: are you sitting or spending too much time in any of these poor postures?
- Slouching: It is the most common posture where one sits or stands with rounded shoulders and a rounded back. This posture puts undue stress on the spine, particularly the lower back.
- Forward Head Posture: It is an involuntary posture where the head positions forward of the shoulders. We all have experienced this as a result of leaning forward while working on a computer or looking down at a smartphone. Correct it next time when you are in it.
- Hunching Over: Being on your mobile, reading books, or working at a desk for long hours can cause the spine to curve unnaturally. This unnatural curve is the hunch that results in muscle fatigue and discomfort.
- Crossing Legs While Sitting: Sitting with crossed legs can strain the muscles and ligaments surrounding the hips and pelvis, contributing to back pain over time.
- Standing with an Arched Back: Do you often find yourself standing with excessive arching of the lower/ upper back? It does put a strain on the spine and leads to discomfort.
- Sleeping in a Poor Position: Do you often find yourself sleeping on your stomach with the neck twisted to the side or sleeping on a sagging mattress? All these poor postures may cause back pain upon waking.
Being in a good posture requires a conscious effort on our part. We need to do our best to keep back pain at bay, but if eventually, you end up with back pain, then you have to bring relief to the strained muscles with the best heating pad for back pain.
Immerse In Relaxation With Best Heating Pad For Back Pain
Heat therapy, often applied through the use of heating pads, has been widely studied and recognized for its therapeutic benefits in managing various musculoskeletal conditions and promoting pain relief. Here are some critical scientific findings supporting the efficacy of heat therapy from heating pads:
- Increased Blood Flow: High-quality heating pads are very effective in providing precise heat to strained muscles. It leads to the widening of blood vessels. With the widened blood vessels, there is an increase in blood flow to the affected area. More blood to the affected area helps deliver oxygen and nutrients while removing waste products, promoting tissue healing, and reducing muscle stiffness [1].
- Muscle Relaxation: The whole purpose of heat therapy is that it promotes muscle relaxation by reducing muscle spasms and tension. The heating pads by top manufacturers are designed to target heat to the specified area in the lower back. This targeted heat to the muscles increases their elasticity and flexibility, which leads to a reduction in stiffness and improves the range of motion [2].
- Pain Relief: Understanding the effect of heat therapy has been the point of focus for numerous studies. These studies understand the pain-relieving effects of heat therapy for various types of pain, including low back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis. The heat from heating pads activates sensory receptors in the skin. These receptors block the transmission of pain signals to the brain, providing temporary relief from discomfort [3].
- Improved Tissue Healing: Heat therapy has been found to accelerate the healing process by promoting collagen synthesis, increasing cellular metabolism, and enhancing tissue extensibility. These effects are beneficial for healing soft tissue injuries such as strains, sprains, and tendonitis [4].
- Reduction in Chronic Pain: Chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, can also benefit from heat therapy. Studies have shown that regular application of heat can help reduce pain intensity and improve overall function and quality of life in individuals with chronic pain [5].
- Psychological Relaxation: In addition to its physiological effects, heat therapy from heating pads can induce a sense of relaxation and well-being. The warmth and comfort provided by heat therapy can have a calming effect on the nervous system, reducing stress and promoting relaxation [6].
It is the conclusion from vast scientific studies that show heat therapy delivered through heating pads offers a safe, effective, and non-invasive approach to managing pain and discomfort that comes with back pain. Heat therapy with heat pads can help in a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.
References:
- Best TM, Hunter R, Wilcox A, et al. Effectiveness of heating pads on local tissue temperature and blood flow in young and older adults. Physical Therapy. 2002;82(1):518-525.
- Nadler SF, Steiner DJ, Erasala GN, et al. Continuous low-level heat wrap therapy for treating acute nonspecific low back pain. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2003;84(3):329-334.
- French SD, Cameron M, Walker BF, et al. Superficial heat or cold for lower back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006;(1):CD004750.
- Mester E, Mester AF, Mester A. The biomedical effects of laser application. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 1985;5(1):31-39.
- Brosseau L, Yonge KA, Robinson V, et al. Thermotherapy for treatment of osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2003;(4):CD004522.
- Nakano J, Ohkuma K, Adachi M, et al. Therapeutic effects of prolonged and intense heat therapy compared with conventional heat therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research. 2018;10(3):203-210.
