Heat versus Paracetamol for Lower Back Pain

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

 

Taken from: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/uknews/news20040803.shtml#7

 

Heat can be twice as effective as paracetamol for lower back pain

according to research from several centres including Sheffield

University. Around 60 per cent of patients benefited from heat

therapy, compared with just 26 per cent of those who took

painkillers such as paracetamol. Heat is thought to soothe pain by

increasing blood flow and relaxing the muscles. The therapy would

cost the NHS & #8356;27.77 per heat wrap compared to & #8356;34.20 for

paracetamol.

 

 

Good news for moxa. Actually, i recently purchased a electric moxa

machine. Yes, electric. No smoke, moxa lasts from one week to a

month. It's widely used in the hospitals in China. The only problem

is that it can heat up and damage the skin, as i've seen, but it

does go after about a week. Also another problem is to try and keep

the moxa plugs in place. The usual method was surgical tape.

 

Attilio

[Guest guest]

I have to say here that i think heat is very easily overdone. Heat is, of

course, relaxing, but it can also aggravate or engender inflammation, a

pesky complicating(or initiating) problem in back pain. So although it may

relax muscles and increase circulation initially, it is really hard to tell

subjectively when the line is crossed and inflammation is promoted, with the

resultant diminishing return. Yet the patient will often persist, thinking

that just a little longer is needed for better effect. I can't tell you the

number of ppl i have suggested discontinuing the heat pad who then began to

experience relief...usually with other modalities applied, of course.

Naturally moxa is quite another thing and is an ideal way to apply heat

therapeutically.

 

And also, btw, what do folks here think about electric blankets???

 

Ann

 

p.s. I did not track down the original study to see how the heat was

applied, if there were timed guidelines, etc. But the way these abstracts

are stated encourage a kind of willy-nilly application of a seemingly benign

common practice.

Try a hot tub.

 

 

> Hi all,

>

> Taken from: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/uknews/news20040803.shtml#7

>

> Heat can be twice as effective as paracetamol for lower back pain

> according to research from several centres including Sheffield

> University. Around 60 per cent of patients benefited from heat

> therapy, compared with just 26 per cent of those who took

> painkillers such as paracetamol. Heat is thought to soothe pain by

> increasing blood flow and relaxing the muscles. The therapy would

> cost the NHS & #8356;27.77 per heat wrap compared to & #8356;34.20 for

> paracetamol.

>

>

> Good news for moxa. Actually, i recently purchased a electric moxa

> machine. Yes, electric. No smoke, moxa lasts from one week to a

> month. It's widely used in the hospitals in China. The only problem

> is that it can heat up and damage the skin, as i've seen, but it

> does go after about a week. Also another problem is to try and keep

> the moxa plugs in place. The usual method was surgical tape.

>

> Attilio

>

[Guest guest]

There's a couple of ways of looking at this. Often, in acute situations, you

have both muscle spasm as well as inflammation in the low back, both of

which need to be alleviated in order to achieve some measure of relief. In

those cases, I advise my patients to do 20 minutes moist heat, 20 minutes

ice, and 20 minutes of nothing, repeat as needed.

 

In cases where there is little muscle spasm, but significant pain, I use ice

only. Conversely, if there is a tremendous amount of muscle spasm, I will

use heat only, regardless of whether it is an acute injury.

 

Also, remember that inflammation isn't necessarily a bad thing; it is a

required part of the repair process. Thus, you want to manage the

inflammation, but not necessarily quash it.

 

 

Avery L. Jenkins, DC, DACBN, FIAMA

Chiropractic Physician

Diplomate, American Clinical Board of Nutrition

Fellow, International Academy of Medical Acupuncture

Kent, CT

 

-

<snakeoil.works

<Chinese Medicine >

Wednesday, August 04, 2004 1:03 AM

Re: Heat versus Paracetamol for Lower Back Pain

 

 

> I have to say here that i think heat is very easily overdone. Heat is, of

> course, relaxing, but it can also aggravate or engender inflammation, a

> pesky complicating(or initiating) problem in back pain. So although it may

> relax muscles and increase circulation initially, it is really hard to

tell

> subjectively when the line is crossed and inflammation is promoted, with

the

> resultant diminishing return. Yet the patient will often persist, thinking

> that just a little longer is needed for better effect. I can't tell you

the

> number of ppl i have suggested discontinuing the heat pad who then began

to

> experience relief...usually with other modalities applied, of course.

> Naturally moxa is quite another thing and is an ideal way to apply heat

> therapeutically.

>

> And also, btw, what do folks here think about electric blankets???

>

> Ann

>

> p.s. I did not track down the original study to see how the heat was

> applied, if there were timed guidelines, etc. But the way these abstracts

> are stated encourage a kind of willy-nilly application of a seemingly

benign

> common practice.

> Try a hot tub.

>

>

> > Hi all,

> >

> > Taken from: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/uknews/news20040803.shtml#7

> >

> > Heat can be twice as effective as paracetamol for lower back pain

> > according to research from several centres including Sheffield

> > University. Around 60 per cent of patients benefited from heat

> > therapy, compared with just 26 per cent of those who took

> > painkillers such as paracetamol. Heat is thought to soothe pain by

> > increasing blood flow and relaxing the muscles. The therapy would

> > cost the NHS & #8356;27.77 per heat wrap compared to & #8356;34.20 for

> > paracetamol.

> >

> >

> > Good news for moxa. Actually, i recently purchased a electric moxa

> > machine. Yes, electric. No smoke, moxa lasts from one week to a

> > month. It's widely used in the hospitals in China. The only problem

> > is that it can heat up and damage the skin, as i've seen, but it

> > does go after about a week. Also another problem is to try and keep

> > the moxa plugs in place. The usual method was surgical tape.

> >

> > Attilio

[Guest guest]

I think that this topic can be greatly enhanced by doing a basic TCM

dx. I.e. if there is Damp-Heat (OR cold-Damp) then would (IMO) not

use moist heat, if cold use heat, if heat use cooling (but moving)

methods - ( I am anti ice except in acute acute problems, but that is

a seperate issue)...

 

-Jason

 

 

Chinese Medicine , " Dr. Avery L.

Jenkins " <ajenkins@c...> wrote:

> There's a couple of ways of looking at this. Often, in acute

situations, you

> have both muscle spasm as well as inflammation in the low back, both of

> which need to be alleviated in order to achieve some measure of

relief. In

> those cases, I advise my patients to do 20 minutes moist heat, 20

minutes

> ice, and 20 minutes of nothing, repeat as needed.

>

> In cases where there is little muscle spasm, but significant pain, I

use ice

> only. Conversely, if there is a tremendous amount of muscle spasm, I

will

> use heat only, regardless of whether it is an acute injury.

>

> Also, remember that inflammation isn't necessarily a bad thing; it is a

> required part of the repair process. Thus, you want to manage the

> inflammation, but not necessarily quash it.

>

>

> Avery L. Jenkins, DC, DACBN, FIAMA

> Chiropractic Physician

> Diplomate, American Clinical Board of Nutrition

> Fellow, International Academy of Medical Acupuncture

> Kent, CT

>

> -

> <snakeoil.works@m...>

> <Chinese Medicine >

> Wednesday, August 04, 2004 1:03 AM

> Re: Heat versus Paracetamol for Lower Back Pain

>

>

> > I have to say here that i think heat is very easily overdone. Heat

is, of

> > course, relaxing, but it can also aggravate or engender

inflammation, a

> > pesky complicating(or initiating) problem in back pain. So

although it may

> > relax muscles and increase circulation initially, it is really hard to

> tell

> > subjectively when the line is crossed and inflammation is

promoted, with

> the

> > resultant diminishing return. Yet the patient will often persist,

thinking

> > that just a little longer is needed for better effect. I can't

tell you

> the

> > number of ppl i have suggested discontinuing the heat pad who then

began

> to

> > experience relief...usually with other modalities applied, of course.

> > Naturally moxa is quite another thing and is an ideal way to apply

heat

> > therapeutically.

> >

> > And also, btw, what do folks here think about electric blankets???

> >

> > Ann

> >

> > p.s. I did not track down the original study to see how the heat was

> > applied, if there were timed guidelines, etc. But the way these

abstracts

> > are stated encourage a kind of willy-nilly application of a seemingly

> benign

> > common practice.

> > Try a hot tub.

> >

> >

> > > Hi all,

> > >

> > > Taken from: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/uknews/news20040803.shtml#7

> > >

> > > Heat can be twice as effective as paracetamol for lower back pain

> > > according to research from several centres including Sheffield

> > > University. Around 60 per cent of patients benefited from heat

> > > therapy, compared with just 26 per cent of those who took

> > > painkillers such as paracetamol. Heat is thought to soothe pain by

> > > increasing blood flow and relaxing the muscles. The therapy would

> > > cost the NHS & #8356;27.77 per heat wrap compared to & #8356;34.20 for

> > > paracetamol.

> > >

> > >

> > > Good news for moxa. Actually, i recently purchased a electric moxa

> > > machine. Yes, electric. No smoke, moxa lasts from one week to a

> > > month. It's widely used in the hospitals in China. The only problem

> > > is that it can heat up and damage the skin, as i've seen, but it

> > > does go after about a week. Also another problem is to try and keep

> > > the moxa plugs in place. The usual method was surgical tape.

> > >

> > > Attilio

[Guest guest]

Well, alternating hot/cold - maybe. I've even been known to resort to it for

myself -- with limited results, at best temporary. But as for using heat

only - one question: How does the patient know when enough is enough? Or too

much? If there's a tremendous amount of spasm, there are many herbal

alternatives. But heat packs? For how long?

 

Ann

 

 

> There's a couple of ways of looking at this. Often, in acute situations,

you

> have both muscle spasm as well as inflammation in the low back, both of

> which need to be alleviated in order to achieve some measure of relief. In

> those cases, I advise my patients to do 20 minutes moist heat, 20 minutes

> ice, and 20 minutes of nothing, repeat as needed.

>

> In cases where there is little muscle spasm, but significant pain, I use

ice

> only. Conversely, if there is a tremendous amount of muscle spasm, I will

> use heat only, regardless of whether it is an acute injury.

>

> Also, remember that inflammation isn't necessarily a bad thing; it is a

> required part of the repair process. Thus, you want to manage the

> inflammation, but not necessarily quash it.

>

>

> Avery L. Jenkins, DC, DACBN, FIAMA

> Chiropractic Physician

> Diplomate, American Clinical Board of Nutrition

> Fellow, International Academy of Medical Acupuncture

> Kent, CT

>

> -

> <snakeoil.works

> <Chinese Medicine >

> Wednesday, August 04, 2004 1:03 AM

> Re: Heat versus Paracetamol for Lower Back Pain

>

>

> > I have to say here that i think heat is very easily overdone. Heat is,

of

> > course, relaxing, but it can also aggravate or engender inflammation, a

> > pesky complicating(or initiating) problem in back pain. So although it

may

> > relax muscles and increase circulation initially, it is really hard to

> tell

> > subjectively when the line is crossed and inflammation is promoted, with

> the

> > resultant diminishing return. Yet the patient will often persist,

thinking

> > that just a little longer is needed for better effect. I can't tell you

> the

> > number of ppl i have suggested discontinuing the heat pad who then began

> to

> > experience relief...usually with other modalities applied, of course.

> > Naturally moxa is quite another thing and is an ideal way to apply heat

> > therapeutically.

> >

> > And also, btw, what do folks here think about electric blankets???

> >

> > Ann

> >

> > p.s. I did not track down the original study to see how the heat was

> > applied, if there were timed guidelines, etc. But the way these

abstracts

> > are stated encourage a kind of willy-nilly application of a seemingly

> benign

> > common practice.

> > Try a hot tub.

> >

> >

> > > Hi all,

> > >

> > > Taken from: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/uknews/news20040803.shtml#7

> > >

> > > Heat can be twice as effective as paracetamol for lower back pain

> > > according to research from several centres including Sheffield

> > > University. Around 60 per cent of patients benefited from heat

> > > therapy, compared with just 26 per cent of those who took

> > > painkillers such as paracetamol. Heat is thought to soothe pain by

> > > increasing blood flow and relaxing the muscles. The therapy would

> > > cost the NHS & #8356;27.77 per heat wrap compared to & #8356;34.20 for

> > > paracetamol.

> > >

> > >

> > > Good news for moxa. Actually, i recently purchased a electric moxa

> > > machine. Yes, electric. No smoke, moxa lasts from one week to a

> > > month. It's widely used in the hospitals in China. The only problem

> > > is that it can heat up and damage the skin, as i've seen, but it

> > > does go after about a week. Also another problem is to try and keep

> > > the moxa plugs in place. The usual method was surgical tape.

> > >

> > > Attilio