Q: Sue! Help! What can I do for a sore back? 

(Asked by J.B., Newport Coast.)

It depends on why it is sore. In general, soreness caused by working at a desk all day loves heat or ice. Soreness caused by injury, such as falling off your wakeboard, needs ice. If you are not sure what to use, use ice. There are some big secrets, however, to using ice or heat. You shouldn’t use either for more than 15 minutes. Why? Because both can boomerang when used too long – creating more soreness than relief.

Q: But I hate ice!

That’s OK. I hate ice, too. But I’ve learned to use it wisely. If I’ve had a long day, and my muscles feel sore, I’ll take a gel pad out of the freezer and wrap it in a thin towel. That towel protects my skin from getting too much cold too fast. After 15 minutes of lying on the pad or sitting back in a chair, I’m done and feeling better. If the pad is still cold, I’ll drop the pad to another spot for another 15 minutes. The wrapping pads that have a Velcro tab are easier to use on the arms. I can ice my wrist and elbow pretty quick while doing other things around the house or office. If I need to ice my shoulder, I’ll stick an ice pad on top of the shoulder in between a T-shirt and a hoodie. The hoodie holds that pack in place while I get other stuff done, although I do look like Quasimodo.

One caveat: If you have a fever and your back is sore, it’s time to see the doctor. All kinds of illnesses, such as infections, can show up as soreness. I’d rather hear that you ran up a medical bill - Good for the economy! - Than for you to discover you’ve been icing a kidney infection.

Q:  If I didn’t do anything all day, why is my back hurting?

(Asked by K.W., Huntington Beach)

 This is the paradox of all time. Doing nothing really takes an effort. We are built to move and do lots of different activities during the day. What we do is sit in a car, sit at a desk, scarf lunch at a table, work some more, drive home. By the time you take your back home it has been in a flexed, isometric contraction all day. Those muscles are tired, stuck and starved of the oxygen and blood that full contractions and relaxations of the back muscles provide. Ever been sore getting off a plane? I rest my case….