sorry to hear that about your thoracic spine.

I have a number of different kinds of ice packs.

One that I have is the soft gel ones that PTs use. Mine are from colpac and I now buy them directly on line (1/2 the price as when i was buying them from my PT's office). My favorite is the 11 x14 rectangular one. I also like the neck one to throw over my shoulder when my neck is really bad.

I also have one called "peas" from CVS. its a bunch of the harder solid "blue ice" in a few different sizes and shapes.

If I lay on a soft gel ice pack with a harder "peas" ice pack under it. the soft one cushions the other. and the peas one stays icy for most of the night.

or i use just the soft gel ice pack and when i wake in the middle of the night, i go get a new one as it doesn't stay cold for too terribly long.

i also put a cloth in between me and the ice packs so i'm cooling the back down without making it too cold usually.

i'll sleep flat on my back with those ice packs under me when my back is really bad.

when the ribs were subluxating and i had rib and shoulder blade (with nerves in between) pressing on one another, especially when i sat or laid on my back, the only way i could sleep was to numb that pain out with ice packs. thank goodness for ice!

i can't sleep on either side because that bothers my SI joint.

and laying on my front (with neck to the side) is just awful on my neck.

on my back is usually ok, but sometimes had to do it on ice.

ice has been my steady companion for the last 15 years.

heat too some, but it doesn't do anything for the pain or inflammation and makes the inflammation worse. but its good for muscle spasms and loosening up joints.


sue

Spondyloarthropathy, HLAB27 negative
Humira (still methylprednisone for flares, just not as often. Aleve if needed, rarely.)
LDN/zanaflex/flector patches over SI/ice
vits C, D. probiotics. hyaluronic acid. CoQ, Mg, Ca, K.
chiro
walk, bike
no dairy (casein sensitivity), limited eggs, limited yeast (bread)