One of the most recommended treatment options for a pinched nerve is hot and cold therapy, which actually requires you alternate between heat and cold so that both the swelling and muscle tension is addressed. Cold treatment can reduce inflammation, while heat can relax your muscles.
Nerve Pain
It's best to use cold when the pain is still sharp and move on to heat once that sharpness has subsided. The heat will increase blood flow and help tissues heal faster.
Heat and Chronic Pain Conditions
Any rise in temperature means worsened symptoms, which means a hot summer day can make pain exponentially worse. This problem is so common, it has a name: Uhthoff's Syndrome. Once the heat backs down, symptoms tend to disappear.
The main medicines recommended for neuropathic pain include: amitriptyline – also used for treatment of headaches and depression. duloxetine – also used for treatment of bladder problems and depression. pregabalin and gabapentin – also used to treat epilepsy, headaches or anxiety.
Heat relieves tension and stress around the neck and shoulders. You can also put the heating pad on your chest when you feel anxious to help relieve that feeling.
For long outdoor ceremonies, in particular, standing for too long with the heat can flare your neuropathy. Avoid this by staying hydrated, dressing in cool clothes, wearing a hat or sunglasses, and research the venue's seating.
Heat dilates, or widens blood vessels, allowing more inflammation to flow to an injured or painful area.
Nerve pain is often worse at night. The touch of sheets or the pressure of lying down may be terribly uncomfortable. If you can't sleep because of your nerve pain, make sure to mention it to your doctor. Modifying lifestyle habits or taking medicine could help.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), can help relieve pain. Anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin (Neurontin) and tricyclic medications such as nortriptyline (Pamelor) and amitriptyline are often used to treat nerve-related pain.
Heating an area speeds up circulation, which can bring more nutrients to damaged tissues. More heat and added nutrients helps tissues to have more of what they need to start healing. This is because heat dilates blood vessels, increasing blood flow.
Nerve pain often feels like a shooting, stabbing or burning sensation. Sometimes it can feel as sharp and sudden as an electric shock. You may be very sensitive to touch or cold. You may also experience pain as a result of touch that would not normally be painful, such as something lightly brushing your skin.
Unfortunately, chronic nerve pain rarely goes away completely. However, a combination of multidisciplinary treatments, such as physical therapy, regular exercise, medication, and pain management treatment can hopefully provide significant relief.
Fewer Distractions
You notice your body is hurting more in the hands or feet that cause you to concentrate on the pain. The brain becomes concerned with the nerve pain rather than simply shutting off and falling asleep. You may even find your bed sheets to be a culprit when it comes to fueling the pain.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also known as tic douloureux, is sometimes described as the most excruciating pain known to humanity.
Avoid caffeine four to six hours before bed, and minimize it daily to allow your body time to become tired. Less caffeine will help with overstimulated nerves that can intensify nightly pain. Turn off electronic devices such as your smartphone and TV an hour or more before bed to help your brain wind down.
Sleeping on your side can prevent you from putting extra pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve. Try sleeping on the side that isn't painful. If you're still uncomfortable, wedge a small pillow between your waist and the mattress.
Magnesium decreases nerve pain. Clinical experience, as well as research in nerve pain conditions such as pancreatic cancer, has shown that magnesium can be an effective treatment for pain.
Green and leafy vegetables. Broccoli, spinach and asparagus all contain vitamin B, a nutrient important for nerve regeneration and nerve function. Spinach, broccoli and kale also contain a micronutrient called alpha-lipoic acid that prevents nerve damage and improves nerve function.
Vicks VapoRub also has other popular off-label uses—and these have more support than use of the product on the feet to improve a cough. Vicks is sometimes used on the feet to relieve neuropathy pain, treat toenail fungus, and soften callouses.
Or run a damp towel through the dryer and then apply it to the injured area. Unlike with ice, however, do not apply the heat source directly to your skin. Also, limit heat treatment to 15-20 minutes, and don't repeat.
The inflammation of joints or pain caused by worn-away cartilage in joints can cause pain and stiffness in places like your elbows, knees, shoulders and fingers, just to name a few. For these instances, moist heat, like a soak in a tub or shower of warm-but-not-hot water (92-100°) helps.
In most cases, 15-20 minutes of heat therapy should be enough for your sciatica. But if your pain is severe, you can apply low-level heat for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Here's what heat therapy does: Increases circulation – Heat opens up blood vessels, increasing the blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the injury.