Heat and warmth are renowned for their qualities of relaxation and comfort. However, heat therapy is used specifically to provide pain relief in a variety of traditional home remedies and even cutting edge medical treatments. For this reason, heat therapy can be a great source of relief for those suffering from symptoms of chronic lower back pain.
Although you can receive heat therapy via physical therapy, massage therapy, and over the counter products, you can also perform heat therapy yourself in the form of a microwaveable heated back wrap. But why use heat therapy in the first place and how does it actually work to relieve discomfort from your lower back pain?
Lower back pain is often the result of muscle tension, overexertion, or muscle strain. However, chronic lower back pain is sometimes the result of pinched nerves in the spine or muscle spasms.
Heat therapy can help to alleviate the symptoms caused by lower back problems such as pain and muscle tightness. When a heating pad for back pain is applied to the area, the heat helps to dilate the blood vessels of the muscles.
The muscles surrounding the lumbar spine respond by increasing the flow of nutrients and oxygen. This increased flow helps to heal damaged tissue around the area and reduce inflammation that causes pain.
Additionally, the heat from the microwave heating pad helps stimulate the skin’s sensory receptors. Therefore, when applied to the lower back, the heat decreases the pain signal transmissions sent from your back to your brain.
Heat therapy alone can do wonders for stress, muscle aches, and pain. An aromatherapy heating pad can provide additional benefits. Aromatherapy uses essential oils, which have been around for nearly 6,000 years, for therapeutic purposes.
Essential oils are oils taken from specific plants, which contain herbal chemicals that have positive effects on your body. For instance, inhaling the essential oils of lavender, ginger, lemongrass, geranium, bergamot, and cinnamon can help to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, improve anxiety, lower heart rate, and decrease the amount of the stress-causing cortisol hormone in the body.
With an aromatherapy heating pad, you receive the benefits of both aromatherapy and heat therapy all in one place. While you should always talk to a doctor about treatments for chronic lower back pain, there are home remedies that can provide some relief from pain.
For a heating pad with essential oils or another type of microweavable hot pad to help ease your back pain, contact Sunny Bay today.