What is Heating Pad-Hot Packs?
Category: Equipment
See also: Hot Water Bottle
The heat provided by heat pads or hot packs can relax tight muscles causing tissues to relax. This decreases pain caused by muscle tension or spasms. It also causes vasodilation of blood vessels which increases circulation to the area. Types can include electrical, chemical and water bottles/packs.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | 283 | 31 | |
| Back pain | 156 | 33 | |
| Muscle spasms | 61 | 23 | |
| Neck pain | 51 | 9 | |
| Pain in lower back | 34 | 12 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 | |
| Moderate | 3 | |
| Mild | 14 | |
| None | 105 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Heating Pad-Hot Packs
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Feeling hot/overheating | 8 | |
| Generalized weakness (asthenia) | 2 | |
| Abnormal body thermoregulation | 1 | |
| Abscess | 1 | |
| Burn | 1 | |
| Erythema ab igne | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking Heating Pad-Hot Packs
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 11 | |
| Did not seem to work | 6 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 5 | |
| Doctor's advice | 3 | |
| Personal research | 2 | |
| Expense | 1 | |
| Side effects too severe | 1 |
Duration
Stopped using Heating Pad-Hot Packs
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 4 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 3 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 4 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 5 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 6 | |
| 10 years or more | 4 |
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