Back pain is a problem faced by people of different ages and professions. It causes discomfort, limits life activity and can occur at the most unexpected moment. In some cases, you can get out of this situation using a plaster for back pain or kinesiotape. The main thing is to choose a quality one and apply it in accordance with the instructions.
Why does back pain appear?
Before choosing medicinal patches, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of back pain. Conventionally, such reasons can be divided into 3 groups:
- The most common is muscle pain. They appear as a result of stretching, injury, overexertion, sedentary work, prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position, and so on.
- Another reason is degenerative pathologies of the spine (spondyloarthrosis, intervertebral hernias, osteochondrosis, etc. ). Back pain in this situation occurs due to pinched nerves.
- Diseases of the internal organs sometimes provoke the appearance of pain. For example, renal colic is associated with severe lower back discomfort.
The back pain patch can be used regardless of the reason for the discomfort. But it is necessary to understand that for the treatment of serious diseases, problems with internal and organs and the spine, additional measures of influence will be required.
What is the advantage of a back patch?
The main task when using a patch is to relieve symptoms. That is, this is only an auxiliary measure that will help alleviate the condition, but in no way replace drugs in severe cases. However, pain patches are popular for several reasons:
- Medicines in the composition of the anesthetic patch penetrate the skin in minimal doses, affect only the inflammatory focus. At the same time, the circulatory system and the gastrointestinal tract are not involved in any way, and the harm to the body is minimized.
- More practical to use than gels, rubbing and ointments. Therefore, it can be used in any situation without getting your hands and clothes dirty. Plus, you can always carry it with you, because the patch takes up a little space in the bag.
- There are patches on the market that use only natural ingredients, so they are harmless and can be used even without a doctor's recommendation.
How does an anesthetic patch work?
In the treatment of injuries, all auxiliary means are aimed at eliminating pain, improving blood circulation and lymph outflow, and relieving inflammation. Moreover, this effect is achieved due to different active substances. At the moment, there are several types of plaster on sale - irritating, reflective, analgesic and combined action. Each of them has the proper effect, but you need to choose the appropriate version of the patch based on the situation, the condition of the skin and the tendency to allergic reactions.
Irritant back patches
The therapeutic effect of such drugs is similar to warming ointments. An extract of hot red pepper and mustard is used as the main component, which is applied to every centimeter of the fabric base. When in contact with the skin, the main active ingredient irritates the nerve endings and receptors, causes a strong blood flow to the affected area and, due to this, the pain decreases. Thanks to the warming effect, a person feels better and lasts for several hours. Normally, after applying the patch, a pleasant warming warmth is felt, the pain decreases. But if you feel a strong burning sensation, you need to remove it, wipe off the remnants of the product from the skin with oil and rinse with water.
But such a patch should in no case be used in case of damage at the site of application, as this will only aggravate the situation. In addition, the patch should not be used at elevated body temperature, in children and pregnant women.
Reflective plaster
If your back is stretched, you can use a heat-reflecting patch. In fact, there are no medicines in it - only a reflective surface is applied to the inside. Thanks to this, in the place where it hurts, heat is retained and the warming effect is enhanced. Attach it to your underwear. The main advantage is that the patch can be used without any harm to the body.
Pain relief strips
The principle of operation of such a patch is similar to the action of gels and ointments. The drug, applied to the inner surface of the patch, is absorbed into the skin, relieves pain and helps relieve inflammation. But different active substances are used as a basis:
- Anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal patches can effectively relieve pain, as they neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation. But you can use them for no more than two weeks, and if possible, take them only in case of acute pain, as they cause side effects.
- The anesthetic patch uses a substance that blocks the skin's surface receptors so the pain subsides. This type of patch is used as a pain blocker in the acute phase of the disease.
- Herbal patches are made based on the principles of alternative Chinese medicine. The healing effect is provided by a complex of medicinal plants in certain proportions - the composition contains concentrated extracts from them. The use of such plasters is practically harmless, with the exception of the possibility of allergies, since the composition contains natural ingredients.
Nanoplastics - a novelty in the regenerative medicine market
A relatively new pain reliever is a type of patches based on dietary supplements. Bioactive substances are applied on a polymer base in several layers, obtained by grinding plant products into nanoparticles. Reviews of the patch are ambiguous, but it is believed that such minute details penetrate the skin and have a direct effect on the center of inflammation.
Combined action products
When creating plasters, two effects are combined - anesthetic and warming. The plus is that when the strip is glued, the pain is simultaneously stopped, blood circulation increases and inflammation goes away. Various combinations of active ingredients can be found on sale, therefore, the contraindications for patches depends entirely on the composition chosen.
How to use the patches correctly?
There are no fundamental requirements and complex application schemes for applying a patch. The back at the site of application should be dry and clean, without injuries, open wounds and burns. The only difficulty is that you need to accurately determine the localization of uncomfortable sensations, since the size of the plasters is not very large. If it is difficult enough to determine the localization, for example, if the back "shoots in several places, then several stickers can be applied at once - on one and the other side relative to the spine.
After that, you need to remove the protective film and attach the strip to the selected area. Keep in mind that most plasters are incompatible with the adoption of water treatments. Therefore, while wearing the patch, you should carefully take a shower.
The course of treatment depends on the disease, its phase and complex, additional measures. For example, if you periodically "shoot" the lower back, then you can have a supply of plasters for emergency care - taking a full course does not make sense. And in the case of chronic diseases, a set of measures is needed in addition to the use of thermal stickers.
Which to choose?
Before choosing patches, you need to find out the reason for the appearance of unpleasant symptoms - the doctor will select a scheme for using medications and the duration of use. There are situations when help is needed urgently - in this case, use patches, but choose the safest ones. If the discomfort intensifies and does not go away, or the pain becomes constant, then be sure to consult with a specialist.
In pharmacies or a store, you can pick up several patches at once. Contact the specialists who will help you choose only the best drugs from trusted manufacturers, constantly replenishing the assortment with new products. If you have difficulties in choosing remedies, did not find the product of interest in the catalog, or are interested in the products of a certain brand, then contact the consultants of the online store for help.