Back pain can be a frustrating condition for people because the pain can stem from so many different places. Plus, the cause and the severity all affect how easy it is to soothe or eliminate the pain. But even if you have chronic pain that just won't stop, there are ways to soothe the pain without resorting to surgery or medications. That doesn't mean that you won't have to go those routes in the future. But for now, some simple heat can be very effective for muscular pain.

Use a Separating Layer

If you haven't used a heating pad in a long time, here's one safety tip: put an insulating layer between your skin and the heating pad. This can be your shirt or a case for the pad -- not the basic outer layer, but a separate case supplied with the pad (not all pads come with this, so be prepared to use a towel or shirt layer). If you place the pad directly on your skin, you risk burning your skin even if the heating pad feels good and not too hot at first. Reddened, sensitive skin can be just as annoying as back muscle pain.

Remember the Healing Is in Progress

Sometimes heat works really well -- your back feels so much better, and moving feels so much more comfortable. If you get to this stage, keep in mind that the healing is in progress. The relief you feel could be temporary, and if you overdo it with movement during that window when you feel good, you could make your back pain worse. It would be lovely if the heat application made the pain go away permanently, but chances are, even if heat is the key to healing, you'll have to go a few rounds with that heating pad. Don't strain your back more in the meantime.

Have Patience

You're going to have to be patient when using heat as a treatment to soothe back pain. It's understandable that you want your back pain to be gone, and you want to get the treatments over with quickly. However, your back needs time to rest up, and if the pain is chronic, chances are you have to undergo other treatments as well. Be patient and just let the heat work.

Of course, if the pain gets worse, you need to see your back doctor to re-evaluate back pain treatments. Don't try any remedy for your back unless you've gotten your doctor's approval.