Back pain due to a wrong movement: Is it better to apply cold or heat?

Hello,

Simple answer: I recommend applying heat to relieve your back pain.

Complex answer: The answer varies depending on the cause and who you ask. If there is inflammation/swelling (e.g. after a fall or if your bones are affected), it is generally better to apply cold. On the other hand, if the pain is more muscular in nature (e.g. following a major effort), heat will be preferred to relax the muscles.

In your case, I assume that the back pain is more muscular in nature (since it follows a "false movement"), so heat will be preferred... On the other hand, if you don't see any or little improvement with the heat, you can switch to cold afterwards or alternate between the two (especially if the pain started less than 48 hours ago).

Don't forget that you can also use muscle analgesic creams (e.g. Antiphlogistine) or anti-inflammatory creams (e.g. Voltaren Emulgel). Muscle relaxant tablets such as Robaxacet or Robax Platinum can also be effective in relieving back pain.

I hope this helps... Please feel free to contact me again if you need help. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

David Tan, pharmacist