Anyone have experience with these? I’ve seen them advertised for hunters and runners but unsure how effective they are - or how well they adhere.
I’m looking for something small and sticky that generates heat and can be applied over sore muscle(s). For use during the day at the office, so needs to be unobtrusive.
Thanks.
Yes
My daughter uses therma care heat wraps. They are actually a band that wraps around your waist and attaches with Velcro. Heat pack built in large enough to cover your lower back.
I have used the adhesive pads you are talking about myself, made by the same company. Therma care heat pads I think they are called, been a while sence I needed one. They are about 6"x8" or just a little smaller. They are very sticky and stay on very well. The pads get very hot, almost but not quite uncomfortably hot. They last a long time, all day, slowly loosing there heat. The pads are pretty thin, maybe 3/16" or 1/4".
I know people who use these when they go hunting in server cold, they place 2 right over the kidneys.
John
Another "Yes"
I keep a couple in my dry bucket this time of the year. I love “Toasti Toes” to put on the bottom of my socks at night for winter camping trips and really cold day trips.
Thanks for the input.
– Last Updated: Jan-13-16 10:20 PM EST –
Bought two Grabber brand "Peel N' Stick Body Warmers" and tested one mid-afternoon. They were $1.19 each at a local sporting goods store.
The one I opened might have been a dud as it didn't get very warm, plus there was a warning not to attach it to bare skin. I did anyway since it didn't stick well to my sweater; it was so lukewarm I could barely feel it.
When I got home, decided to improvise and try a hand warmer heat pack, using duct tape to attach it to a sore spot on my arm. No problem with applying it directly to bare skin and it worked very well. I can use two to cover a larger area if needed and they're much cheaper than the larger body warmer patch.
I might experiment with surgical tape or K tape for the adhesive part, since the duct tape gets unsticky if moved more than once.
Maybe duct tape and hand warmers would be a good addition to a medical kit.
Warmers
One caveat regarding the hand warmers…the more oxygen that is available, the hotter they will get, which is why it is recommended not to use them directly against the skin. I often use them when skiing, and they are fine when kept inside my gloves, but get much hotter when I take the gloves off for lunch and more air can reach them.
maybe try an ACE bandage wrap rather
than the tape. the ACE is reusable .
Good suggestion,
– Last Updated: Jan-14-16 6:25 PM EST –
but I need the heat in spots that aren't wrappable, such as a muscle between my neck and shoulder and a spot just beneath my shoulder and collarbone.
Picked up some sports tape but it didn't stick well. I think I'll just keep using duct tape. I have lots of it.
I'm just happy those little packs work so well.
Try
.5" Magic Tape
another suggestion
This is a lot different from other suggestions but bear with me. I used to be an industrial construction electrician and often had to work outdoors and in unheated buildings in bitter cold. I developed some very effective kit to deal with the conditions, including using the small chemical heat packs over my lower back under my insulated coveralls. I slipped them inside the cut off leg of a pair of pantihose or (better yet) Danskin type tights and tied it around around my waist. This worked OK but I found that it would tend to slip around while I worked. I was also having problems with chafing around my midsection where my tool belt pressed the seams of my coveralls and other clothing into my rather sensitive skin.
The solution I found is one that has carried over today into dressing for other activities. There is an item of women’s lingerie (that can be used by men too) that makes a useful base garment. Imagine a classic “wife beater” racer back sleeveless undershirt but made of seamless smooth thin nylon or polyester with a high stretch lycra content. I buy them small enough to be very snug fitting. These are available pretty cheap at discount outlets like TJ Maxx for well under $10. I have several and often wear them under paddling gear. They add a bit of warmth, protect the skin from chafing, provide pretty good moisture transfer and dry very quickly. Lately I have been wearing them under my street clothes as a warming layer in our badly heated office. There is something kind of comforting about the compression feeling too. They use compression garments to calm animals, so maybe it works on us humans too.
And, back when I worked outdoors when it was cold out, I found I could slide the little heat packs between the garment and my skin and they would stay pretty much in place. If you wanted really precise hold you could attach one of those peel and stick velcro patches on – it would stick to the nylon tank top and stay in place, though the velcro would fuzz up the inside of the fabric a bit when you pulled it off.
I can’t imagine most guys would find these things objectionable to wear (get your wife or girlfriend to buy a black one for you if the thought of venturing into the lingerie department gives you the heebie jeebies.) In fact I think Under Armour makes an overpriced “compression shirt” male version of this style of garment. But $5.99 (for the female version in the off price store) is a lot cheaper than the $24.99 you will pay at Dick’s for the UA version. Just don’t get the female styles with the cups punched out in the front (unless you’ve got man-boobs). The ones I have are just a flat-chested high stretch version.
Silicone tape
It sticks only to itself, so if your achy spot is on a limb, you can hold the heat pad on by wrapping tape around.
Silicone tape is reusable, stretchy, and stays flexibie in extreme heat or cold,
I had a girlfriend who would
qualify. A LONG, LONG time ago.
Unbraced
Thanks willowleaf and pikabike for the ideas. There’s a TJ Maxx in the area; even if I don’t find the type of shirt mentioned, am sure I’ll find something I like. Home Depot or Lowes should have silicone tape. Since it’s my shoulder and some ligaments and muscles that get sore in spots, reusable tape or cut-off tights make more sense than duct tape.
Today is seven weeks and one day since my rumble on the beach; had my third set of x-rays this afternoon and my orthopedist was happy with what he saw. Gave me new PT orders which include strength training starting at 10# and told me I can do whatever I want to do. He’ll see me again in four weeks. I asked him when he thought I could safely lift my 43# kayak. He said in a month. That’s sort of reasonable.
After my PT session, first thing I did was sit on my stability ball with my Cyprus in hand to see if I could do a high angle forward stroke. Works fine moving air but I don’t think I’d get very far in water at this point. Lots of new PT homework to do which won’t be fun at first. Probably should get a resupply of those hot packs as well.
Big relief to ditch the shoulder brace at night - and maybe even cut back on that healthy, but wretched, kale.
Hi, Rookie
Duh, I neglected to notice that you were the OP (had just been on another thread and was thinking I was responding to a guy.)
Sounds like you are recovering well so far.
So far, so good, Willow.
Although my PT team disagreed with that 10# weight recommendation and started me with 5#. After five minutes of pulley lifting 5# with that arm, I was glad they did.
Much appreciation for all the good advice and encouragement I’ve received here at pNet. It made it easier to stay positive.
Spring
I predict by Spring thaw you will not even notice the shoulder when you paddle.
I did a steep up and down 8 mile hike 2 weeks ago using a pair of ski poles the whole time and am going XC skiing tomorrow. As when paddling, the left arm works just as well as the right (despite having had the shoulder, elbow and wrist all broken in past accidents.)
Honestly, seeing the problems friends and family have had, I’d much prefer nearly any broken bone to ligament, muscle, nerve or other soft tissue damage. The way bones can heal is truly amazing.