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Heated Pad - Back, Shoulder, Knee, Neck

Heat therapy has been used for centuries to treat aches, strains, sprains, and everyday pain from overuse of muscles and joints. As a non-pharmacological treatment approach, heat therapy applies low-level superficial heat to activate nerve endings (thermoreceptors); in turn, these thermoreceptors initiate signals to block pain signal (nociception) processing, producing an analgesic effect. Additionally, heat works by expanding the blood vessels around the muscles, joints, or affected area, allowing more blood to flow to the site, which aids in recovery.1 Heat therapy is often used in conjunction with cold therapy for maximum efficacy.

To make a heating pad easier to use, these devices come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and types, including one-time-use heating patches and reusable, plug-in electric heating pads. A calming heat pad provides heat through electricity, chemical reactions, or mechanically storing and radiating heat.

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The Different Types of Heating Pads

There are different types of heating pads, including electric heating pads, adhesive, one-time-use patches, moist heating pads, and others.

Electric Heat Pads

Electric heating pads plug into an electrical source and work by applying heat directly to a specific site. These types of heating pads are designed to be used by a person at rest. Depending on the model, electric heating pads often come with features like automatic timed "off" switches for safety, varying levels of heat, and multiple sizes to accommodate different parts of the body. An electric dry heat pad, such as the Bilt-Rite 500 Economy Dry Heat Pad, is great for sore or tense shoulder muscles caused by sitting at a desk for long hours. Electric heating pads, however, can cause burns and electrical hazards if they aren’t used per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Always use safety best practices when using electric heating pads for back, neck, and shoulder pain.

Adhesive, One-Time-Use Heat Patches

Adhesive, one-time-use heating pads are activated by air contact that chemically creates heat. They work by relaxing blood vessels and increasing the flow of nutrients, oxygen, and blood flow to affected areas. Most heating devices are odorless and are worn either over or under clothes, depending on the type of patch. Unlike other disposable hot pack options like McKesson’s Instant Hot Pack Compresses, these adhesive patches stay in place for all-day pain relief while the user continues their daily activities.

Many single-use adhesive patch heating products provide up to 12 hours of heat and are safe to dispose of in regular trash receptacles. Options are available to target different kinds of pain, such as shoulder heating pads and menstrual cramp heat wraps. Heat patches create actual heat and shouldn't be confused with other adhesive patches that provide the sensation of heat through compounds such as camphor, menthol, or capsaicin, such as Chattern’s Icy Hot Back Pain Relief Patches.

Other Types of Heat Therapy

Reusable Moist Heating Pad

Moist heating pads and wet heating packs are types of heat therapy that use water as a conduit. Water helps the heat penetrate deeper and more efficiently to the affected area. Moist heat can also be delivered through electric heating pads that are designed specifically for moist heat. These types of heating pads come in both digital and analog varieties.

In addition to a plug-in electric heating pad, other types of reusable moist heating devices include those that are filled with a medium such as gels, water, hard grains, or microbeads. Depending on the filler, the pad is often heated in the microwave. This type of heating pad has the advantage of being reusable and easily contoured to various areas of the body. Some options are designed specifically for certain areas of the body, such as a heating pad for back pain relief or a heated neck pad.

Infrared Heat Therapy

Infrared heat therapy is a type of therapy that uses energy from infrared light band spectrums. The advantage of infrared heat therapy is that it penetrates soft tissue deeper than a conventional heating pad. Infrared is generally broken down into three types: red-light therapy, near-infrared, and far-infrared.

Hot and Cold Therapy

Vitality Medical also carries versatile, multipurpose products that can be used for both heat and cold therapies. Shop this comprehensive collection of heated pads for back, shoulder, knee, and neck pain to find the product that works best for the patient’s specific needs. For questions about heat therapy heating pads or about specific features of a certain product, please reach out to a product specialist at Vitality Medical.

 

 

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