By Christine Traxler MD
If you are suffering from severe back pain, you can try using the tried and true methods of treating your back pain with ice and heat plus aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), or you can make use of some of the best back pain relief technology out there. These new technique work wonders for back pain and can be better for you than some of the older methods of treatment.
Jade Mats
For example, consider the jade heating mat for use in back pain. This technology involves using a mat that can be heated to specific temperatures providing far infrared ray heat or FIR heat. These jade mats contain real jade discs that provide deep heating to the back. Those items that use far infrared ray heat, such as the jade heating mat, say that they can penetrate far deeper than a heating pad--up to three inches through the skin to reach the deep muscle layers so that you can get better relief from muscle spasms and improved pain control.

They also make specifically-tailored back and neck devices that form fit around the shoulders or mid-back. These new back pain relief technology devices also use far infrared ray heat and conform to your size much better than a regular heating pad.

You can wear these devices and use FIR heat to get deep beneath the skin so as to heal muscle tissue and prevent the muscles from going into spasm. They can work wonders to relieve back pain and often have special features, such as automatic shut off after thirty minutes so that you don't have the heat on too long. Many will also allow you to set the temperature so you get just the right amount of heat applied to your back or neck.

TENS Units
TENS unit stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and involves a modern device that used to be in the realm of hospital use only. Now you can buy a TENS unit and can apply it to your back so that back pain can be relieved. This new back pain relief technology acts by distracting the nerves that cause pain so that the pain sensation can be overridden by the electrical stimulation of the nerves of the back.

TENS units can be used just about anywhere on the back or neck in order to relieve pain. The electrodes are placed on the area of the back that hurts and a pack connected to the electrodes is adjustable to the amount necessary to relieve the pain. If you turn it up very high, you can feel a buzzing sensation in the back or neck but this generally doesn't hurt and you can have relief of the pain without having to use any sort of drugs.

The TENS unit is attached to the belt or placed in a pocket with wires that go from the unit to the electrodes on the back. You can wear the TENS unit for as long as you like without the risk of addiction or failure of the unit to work to relieve the pain.

Summary
There is new back pain relief technology that really works and that is affordable for just about anyone. They have distinct advantages over old technologies and can relieve back pain without wearing off or becoming addicting.