Surprise Relief with ...

[Mariaa]

This I cannot believe as I've been having so much low back pain lately when standing..can walk and I'm OK but not stand. So yesterday applied a ThermaCare Back Heat Wrap that I had gotten for free w/my Prilosec at CostCo.

Wow, what relief! I was able to walk dog, continue to be on my feet and go into the evening comfortably .. took it off after about 5 hours as it felt hot on my skin tho there was no redness or signs of any skin disruption/disturbance.

I received a coupon for these w/CostCo so will go and purchase some as I want to see if it works again.. I sure hope so. My back has been killing me since I karate chopped a bamboo mat back into the back of my SUV with my right leg/foot on Sunday. Just threw myself all out of whack..

I think my DDD must be bugging me quite a bit plus whatever (everything) else.. tho thankfully no nerve pain (knock on wood).. right now..

Sorry to hear that the "Karate chop' kick has caused you such pain. Maria, are these over the counter items then? Sounds good...thx

I am trying to envision the karate chop with your foot/leg in the back of your SUV. I guess you won't be doing that again. Though it's an unusual way to point you to the heat wrap, maybe it's a good thing since you found relief.

[Alastair]

Ah So!!!

[SenecaGirl]

Thermacare wraps are usually located near the pain relief section (look for Icy Hot, Bengay type items). The heat activates when exposed to air, and they last for at least 8-10 hours. I usually got 10-12 out of mine. There are a few different forms -- I was using the back wrap that velcros around the waist, however that annoyed (especially under jeans, and close fitting clothes). So now I use the neck wrap, which has a sticky surface (vs. velcro) and it stays in place much better on my lower back than the back wrap.

Can you tell I've used these a lot? They are great for winter -- used them when I was out shoveling, on long drives, Xmas shopping, etc. Its just like their commercial says: a heating pad without the cord!

[sahuaro]

Karate chopping a bamboo mat..hmm...
As for ThermaCare, those little pads have become a fixture in my life not only for painful times but also as a preventative--on planes, long car rides, etc.

[Mariaa]

What a long Neurontin moment I was having as I meant kickboxing not karate chop... and I could just recall that now.. which is quite a while since I wrote the post.

Sorry for the contortionistic mental image I must have given intially~ anyway, it kicked my a** one way or the other!

And yes, the thermacare was just like heating pad, only better because I could wear it under my jeans and go about my daily activities~ relief was really good about 2-3 hours after wearing it!

[luvmysibe]

The Thermacare wraps are great for longer periods of time, just be sure it's OK to have heat applied for that long. Sometimes the heat feels great, but it can increase swelling. That's when I switch to Bio Freeze or analgesic patches.