Lower Back / Lumbar Heat Pad
Many patients find that applying local heat to their lower back makes it less painful and easier to move about.
There are many simple ways of applying heat to your back -
- Hot water bottle
- Heat rub
- Microwaveable wheat packs
- Heated back support
Apply Heat Pad to your Back Safely
The secret of applying heat to your lower back safely is not to heat up the skin TOO much. I have seen patients with the “tartan” back from applying too much heat for too long a period.
The heat should NOT “be as hot as you can stand it” but rather just comfortably hot.
Normal Skin Sensation Test
It is a sensible precaution to check whether you have normal hot and cold sensation in your skin before applying heat (or ice packs for that matter). All you need is a partner to put hot water in one glass container and iced water in another. They then touch them one of them off your skin in the area to which you are going to apply the heat. They don’t tell you or let you see which glass is touching the skin. You must be able to accurately tell them whether it is hot or cold. Test both hot and cold but make it difficult by applying the same one more than once!
Low Back/ Lumbar Heat Pads
Microwaveable Backwrap
Lumbar Support Belt – with Reflective Heat
Microwaveable Wheat-bag
ipod
Apple iPod touch 64GB 5th Generation – Black (Latest Model – Launched Sept 2012)
