The benefits of heat therapy are undeniable. It can relieve stiffness and improve circulation by opening blood vessels- relieving pain from arthritis, tennis elbow, sinus headaches, TMJ, aching feet, shoulder and back pain, and many more conditions! But how does moist heat compare to dry? There are many advantages to using moist therapy over traditional dry heat:
Does Not Dry Out Skin
Dry heat therapy tends to dry out skin. Think about what happens to your skin when it gets too hot inside your house- your skin gets dry and can crack if you do not apply moisturizing lotion. Applying direct heat to your skin will leave your skin drier over time. Moist heat therapy, on the other hand, leaves your skin warmed without drying it out.
Deeper Muscle Penetration
Because water transfers heat better than air moist heat therapy delivers more heat directly to your skin because it loses less heat in the transfer process. The result of this greater heat transfer efficiency is that more of the heat makes its way deep into muscles, joints, ligaments and soft tissue.
Faster Relief of Pain
Due to the deeper muscle penetration, moist therapy relieves pain faster. People who use moist heat therapy report that they start feeling more relaxed faster each time they do the therapy and get better faster overall.
Longer-Term Pain Relief
While people using moist heat therapy tend to report that their pain symptoms are relived faster, they also report that on average the pain relief lasts longer- reducing the need to use this treatment as often. People with chronic conditions like arthritis who use this technique regularly, on average, tend to require moist heat therapy less often than when using dry heat therapy.
Unfortunately, anyone who has ever gone to a chiropractor, masseuse, or sports trainer for a professional treatment can tell you that the drawback of these treatments is that you have to schedule an appointment ahead of time and then pay costly visit fees. Many in-home systems have their drawbacks as well. They can be very expensive and time consuming to use (requiring lengthy microwaving or the addition of heated water).
Thermophore moist heat therapy, packs however, do not have any of the drawbacks traditionally associated with in-home moist heat therapy units. Thermophore moist heating pads plug in to a power outlet just like a regular heating pad and have a safety switch that prevents burning if you fall asleep while using them. Also, Thermophore packs do not require that any water be added before or during use- instead, they pull moisture from the surrounding air. Thermophore also makes their pads in a variety of sizes and styles to effectively relieve pain from large areas like backs and shoulders to small areas like sinuses and jaws. They even have cuffs for use on elbows, wrists, and ankles! If you are in need of moist heat therapy check out Thermophore automatic packs today!
Caution: Do not use this therapy if you have an existing skin condition, open wound, bruising, diabetes, or any heart-related disorder!
