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Heat or Ice for Sore Back

Back pain is common and there is no agreement about the best way to treat this common condition. A new study in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine attempted to determine whether heat or cold is more effective. People with acute backaches who went to the emergency department were randomly assigned an ice pack or a heating pad. They were also given 400 mg of ibuprofen. After half an hour they were asked to rate their pain again. All of the patients felt better, but only by a little bit. The authors concluded that using heat or cold was not clinically significant but that just the act of doing something may help people feel better.
[Academic Emergency Medicine, May 2010]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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