Ice or Heat?

[kloan]

****ed my lower back up pretty good. I feel sick from the pain, can barely walk. Don't think I'm going to get much sleep tonight.

Is it better to use an ice pack or heat pad? Also, would any stretching help or could that make it worse?

[waderow]

initially ice for an injury, then alternating heat and ice.

you might have tweaked a nerve? heat too loosen everything up
muscle strain and spasm? muscle relaxants for the spasm control


what did you do?

[Praetorian]

Always use ice in the accute stage...ie first 36-48 hours. After that you may want to alternate heat and ice to increase blood flow to the affected area.
a muscle relaxant as well as an anti-inflammatory would be benefical as well.
P

[JacktheThriller]

if u feel sick from the pain u need to goto the hospital, they will give u some primo medication

[Winnipeg Muscle]

Always use ice in the accute stage...ie first 36-48 hours. After that you may want to alternate heat and ice to increase blood flow to the affected area.
a muscle relaxant as well as an anti-inflammatory would be benefical as well.
P

x2 Ice always

[natenator]

I just sit in ice baths. No water - just ice.

Or just down a 40 of jack. Same resulting numbness :D

[AlladdinSane]

Like everyone else has said, ice.

Here is something, though: DO NOT TEST THE LIMITS OF YOUR NEW INJURY!!!

It's almost like instinct to move around and "stretch" the area affected to "see how bad it is". DO NOT DO THIS. Just ice, advil, muscle relaxants, and immobilize and like P said, for upwards of 48 hours. Then come back and tell us how it is.

[Ritch]

I just sit in ice baths. No water - just ice.

Or just down a 40 of jack. Same resulting numbness :D

An ice bath? I`m not questioning the effectiveness, buy man, you`d have to be motivated to get that done. First go buy a shit load of ice bags, then having the balls to sit in the tub full of ice cubes.

The plus side, you could put the ice cubes in somesone`s drink you don`t like (a mother in law who`s visiting) that was next to your balls or asshole... and grin everytime that person takes a sip! Then again you could just swipe the ice cube in your taint and not get in the tub full of ice cubes and experience the same satisfaction.

[kloan]

Thanks for the advice.

I slept a lot. Could sleep in 3 different positions. It is slightly better than last night.

The pain is emanating from the lower area... you know those two bones at the bottom, one on each side of the spinal column? It's coming from the right one.

I was going to take some ibuprofen, but I remembered it interferes with muscle recovery/building, and aside from the **** up, the work out was really good, so I don't want to hinder growth. So I'm just gonna suffer through it and hope the pain is finally enough to drive into my head I really need to practice strict form before I try to move bigger weight (again).

This time it was deadlifts. I guess I somehow managed to put strain on my lower back as I was lifting... I dunno how. It felt like I was using my legs and upper body for the lift... accidentally distributed the weight into my lower back.

[LondonMuscle]

ice is to bring down swelling, heat is to increase blood flow

if u tear a muscle for example, first you want to bring down the swelling, then to accelerate healing you want to increase bloodflow... applying heat is the same principal of using ultrasounds for rehab purposes

id say based on what you've said so far, ud want heat, not ice in this case