When you find yourself cold inside or want some basic pain relief, there is no substitute for a good heating pad. Compared to a simple blanket, a heating pad acts more quickly and efficiently to get you nice and toasty. Best of all, you can use both for the ultimate level of warmth.
Most heating pads are electric and come in different sizes. To save some money, you can also look at non-electric options like microwavable and chemical heating pads that are common for simple pain relief. To choose what kind you want, think about your needs. Do you want a basic boost in warmth or do you need fine control over the temperature?
If you want to relieve pain or remain toasty indoors but don’t know where to begin, read on for our handy heating pad guide. It has a list of several of the top heating pads along with helpful information like important features and other considerations.
Who needs a heating pad?
The majority of people who buy heating pads do so to treat pain, whether chronic, recurring, or just occasional.
However, some people use heating pads simply to help them to relax after a long day. Others like them because they provide a great warm-up when it’s cold out.
Types of pain
As noted above, heating pads can help relieve pain, but not all kinds of pain. These are some of the types of pain that might be helped by a heating pad:
- The muscular soreness that occurs after overexertion can be quelled by a heating pad. For instance, you might rest your back or legs against a heating pad after vigorous exercise.
- Certain kinds of back pain can be relieved with a heating pad.
- A heating pad can soothe the stiff and painful joints that accompany osteoarthritis and some other conditions.
- Most kinds of cramps and spasms can be improved with a heating pad. This includes neuropathic spasms, restless leg syndrome, and menstrual cramps.
- Heating pads can help relieve many kinds of “all over” pain and sensitivity, including pain related to fibromyalgia, drug withdrawal, and vitamin D deficiency.
Some types of pain should definitely not be treated with heat. This including burns, fresh wounds, infections, and anything that involves inflammation. (Cold may help with inflammation.)
