Heat Or Ice For Sciatic Nerve Pain

Given these two different types of sciatica entrapment and compression it s essential that you first determine the origin of the pain.

You might want to try alternating between heat and ice on the lower back if your main sciatica symptom is back pain. Should i use heat or ice for sciatica. For ongoing sciatica pain conditions heat and ice can be used in combination for maximum effectiveness. Ice should be used first and left applied for 15 to 20 minutes.

It is best to wait for 30 to 60 minutes then apply heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Causes your blood vessels to dilate and supply more blood oxygen and nutrients promoting healing decreases tension and spasm in your muscles which contributes to pain by relaxing your muscle fibers. If you applied ice alone to your lower back you might get some effective pain relief but i found that my clients complained of worsening stiffness when they treat their back with just ice.