Statistics indicate that over 80% of people will experience back injury in their lives. While many will experience a complete recovery, the healing process is often long and quite painful. Some people find that they will end up living with back pain for the rest of their lives. One of the most effective treatments for back pain is heat therapy using a microwave wheat bag. Heat has been used for centuries to treat back pain, stiffness and inflammation.

Common Causes of Back Pain

There really is no short list of causes for back pain. The back is a very complex structure, with 33 vertebrae, 77 muscles, multiple joints, ligaments and vertebral discs. It just takes an injury to one portion to leave you in pain.

The most common cause of back pain is due to muscular strains, which are small tears in the muscle. This injury occurs when an unexpected force, pull or twist is applied to one or more of the muscles in the back.

A ligament sprain is also quite common and occurs whenever the ligaments of the back are stretched beyond their limits. This injury is almost always caused when a muscular strain happens.

A herniated disc is often caused by repetitive motion or improper lifting and is a compression of the spinal nerves right where they exit the spinal column. Sciatica, which is pain felt at the site of the back injury and along the affected nerve, is often the result of a herniated disc.

Osteoporosis and spinal stenosis are two other causes of back pain that often affect people over the age of fifty. Osteoporosis is a progressive disease which causes a loss of bone density. The bones of the spinal column are often affected, which results in painful vertebral compression fractures. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal. The pain from this condition often worsens with extended periods of walking.

Fibromyalgia is another common cause of chronic back pain. This is a condition characterized by intense muscle pain, making it difficult to do every day activities. These are just a few of the causes of back pain.

Why Heat Therapy Provides Relief for Back Pain Sufferers

Using a microwave heat pad or wheat bag is beneficial as heat dilates the blood vessels, which causes an increase in blood flow. Because back pain is often the result of excess tension or tears in the muscle, an increase in blood flow to these muscles help in healing. The blood helps bring oxygen, protein, and nutrients to these damaged muscles, speeding healing. Heat also helps decrease the transmission of pain signals to the brain, relieving discomfort. It also helps improve flexibility and decrease stiffness. In doing so, using a wheat bag for heat therapy reduces the chances of further injury.

 Using Heat Therapy Effectively

Heat therapy can be used for up to forty five minutes at a single setting, but most doctors believe that the first 15 minutes are the most effective. Because of the how inaccessible the back muscles can be, some methods of heat therapy are more effective than others are. A microwavable wheat bag or heat pad allows for a lot of flexibility in its use and can easily mold to any area of the back, making it very effective when used to treat any type of back pain.