About 15 minutes.
1.Apply moist heat to the painful area for about 15 minutes. It is important that you don't use a dry heating pad! Simply take a very hot shower or hold the affected area under a stream of hot water. You can also use a moist heat pack or soak in a hot bath. A towel will not hold heat for long enough to be effective. 1 Hot water bottle-tends to stay warm for 20 to 30 minutes. 2  Electric heating pad-maintains a constant level of heat as long as it is plugged in. 3  Heated gel packs-may be microwaved, or sometimes heated in water, and tend to say warm for about Try to use moist heat or ice packs at least twice a day for the best relief from pain and stiffness. According to the American College of Rheumatology, five to 10-minute ice massages applied to a painful area within the first 48 hours of pain onset can help relieve pain. Moist heat may penetrate better. Heat can be applied by an electric or microwavable heating pad, hot water bottle, gel packs, or hot water baths. The heat should be warm, not too hot, and should be maintained at a consistent temperature, if possible. Socks can make a heat pack that is beneficial for back pain. Whether you are using cold or heat therapy, do not apply them for more than 15 minutes at a time. The best way to apply either heat or cold is to alternate 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for an hour or two. A specific type of heat therapy may feel better for one person than for another, and it may require some experimentation to figure out which one works best. There are many different manners for heat to be applied to the lower back. Some common options include: 1  Hot water bottle-tends to stay warm for 20 to 30 minutes. 2  Electric heating pad-maintains a constant level of heat as long as it is plugged in. In many instances, the longer the heat is applied, the better. The duration that one needs to apply the heat, though, is based on the type of and/or magnitude of the injury. For very minor back tension, short amounts of heat therapy may be sufficient (such as 15 to 20 minutes). Any cold treatment should be used for 24 to 48 hours after an injury. Cold therapy is good for sprains, strains, bumps, and bruises that may occur in sports or lifting. Apply cold packs or ice bags to injured areas for no more than 20 minutes at a time, removing the cold for 10 minutes and reapplying it again.
http://www.backpainrelief.net/ice-and-heat-therapy/ http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/heat-therapy-cold-therapy/how-apply-heat-therapy http://www.webmd.com/arthritis/heat-and-cold-therapy-for-arthritis-pain?page=2 http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4483 http://www.spine-health.com/blog/how-make-your-own-gel-ice-pack-or-moist-heat-pack http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/heat-therapy-cold-therapy/how-apply-heat-therapy http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/heat-therapy-cold-therapy/how-apply-heat-therapy http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4483
how long should a moist heat pack stay on for