Do you put ice or heat on a pulled muscle in your back?

After an acute injury, ice should be used to minimize swelling for the first two to three days. After this period, heat can be used to increase blood flow and assist the natural healing process. Applying heat too early may cause additional swelling by increasing blood flow to the injury.

Does heat help a pulled back muscle?

Heat packs increase circulation, which improves healing and relieves tension in strained muscles. As a general rule, heat therapy is usually recommended starting about 48 hours after the injury occurs. A layer should be kept between the heat pack and skin to avoid a burn.

Is heat or cold better for muscle strain?

Ice wins to shut down swelling, inflammation and pain early on where heat may actually make an injury worse.” If you’re dealing with lingering injuries (older than 6 weeks) then it’s okay to use heat. The increased blood flow relaxes tight muscles and relieves aching joints.

Can heat make back pain worse?

If you have truly pulled or strained your lower back muscles, applying heat will cause inflammation. Heating inflamed tissues will make your pain worse and certainly won’t help things get better any time soon.

How should I lay with a pulled back muscle?

1. Sleep on your side to relieve pain from a pulled back muscle

1. Avoid a tight curled-up fetal position (knees pulled in toward the body), and instead sleep with your body slightly elongated.
2. Slip a slim pillow between your knees to support the natural curvature of your spine.

How do I treat a pulled muscle in my back?

Treating a Pulled Back Muscle in 8 Steps

1. Apply cold. Cold helps reduce inflammation, which is the primary source of pain in the first few days.
2. Use compression.
3. Rest.
4. Stretch.
5. Pain medication.
6. Perform strength exercises.
7. Get a massage.
8. Apply heat.

Do pulled muscles hurt immediately?

With a pulled muscle, however, the pain is usually immediate. “The pain from a pulled muscle is intense, sharp, and localized to where the injury occurred and can also be associated with swelling, bruising, and difficulty moving the joints nearby,” said Gregory.

Is it better to rest or exercise a pulled muscle?

“The most important treatment for acute muscle strain is rest,” he explains. “Continuing to stress a pulled muscle could result in further damage to muscle and a much longer healing time.

How often should put ice on a pulled muscle?

Protect the strained muscle from further injury.

Should I apply heat or cold to a pulled muscle?

You can also ease the pain and inflammation of a pulled muscle by applying a cold or hot compress. Cold compresses should be used during the first 48 hours of the injury, after this time, it’s best to switch to a hot compress.

Is it better to ice or heat a pulled ligament?

Muscle strains and sprains usually benefit from a combo of both ice and heat when they occur. Whether you’ve pulled a muscle in your calf or back doing yardwork or sprained your ankle playing basketball, it’s best to start either off with ice to ease inflammation (including swelling, redness or tenderness of the injury) and numb the pain.

When to use heat vs. when to use ice for lower back pain?

If you are suffering from lower back pain, read on to discover whether you should be using heat or ice. In most instances, you should use ice on your back for the first 24 to 72 hours following an injury. Cold therapy helps minimize swelling and inflammation. This, in turn, eases your pain.