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Take a Hot Bath to Relax Your Back

By Sara Butler

Back pain can be caused by many things. After all, your body is a complex machine with all sorts of different muscles and nerves coming together to work in unison. When something isn't working right, then pain can result.

Even if the root cause of your pain isn't muscular, finding ways to reduce tension in the muscles can help your back pain. That's because when you're hurting, the muscles usually contract to try to protect the thing that isn't causing your pain, such as a herniated disc. This can lead to muscle spasms that can make your pain even worse, which is why a hot bath may be just what you need.

Here are a few tips from the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic to help you use a hot bath for pain relief.

Hot Baths Do Work

As mentioned, your muscles tend to contract when you're in pain. This means that blood flow to help heal the area and deliver important nutrients may be compromised, so relaxing those muscles is key to healing as well as feeling better. Hot baths can work to reduce muscle spasms and ease the pain related to them, so they're worth a try if you're suffering from back pain.

Advice to Get the Most From a Bath

To make sure you're taking the fullest advantage of your bath for your back pain, you should:

  • Find the right temperature - You want your bath to be hot but obviously don't want it to be scalding. It should feel a bit toasty but comfortable. It's best to keep your head and face out of the water as you soak to keep from overheating, too.
  • Take your time - A good soak in a hot bath should last between 15 and 20 minutes. After that, the water is probably cooling off too much to really be effective.
  • Use Epsom salts - Epsom salts are made of a natural muscle relaxer called magnesium. Soaking in a hot Epsom salt bath can help to relax muscles and reduce inflammation when your back muscles are adding to your pain. Make sure to follow the direction on the Epsom salt packaging to understand how much should be added to the bath.
  • Stretch a bit - You may want to think about doing a few gentle stretches after your muscles have relaxed. Don't push too far and make sure to keep it relaxed.

Talk to the chiropractors at The Joint about the best way to use heat to relax your sore back.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Baltimore, Md.

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