Therma Care Health Treatments
Offers
Reviews
Therma Care Health Treatment Reviews
 |
ThermaCare Pain Relieving Heatwraps
by dawnmarywhite I suffer with bilateral hip dysplasia and often get associated pain in my lower back. Unfortunately painkillers don't tend to do much for me so I was very open to trying these after being given a few by my gran, who had spotted them in Boots. I like the idea of them, if nothing else I hoped they would soothe and feel nice on my ... back. They come in a sealed pouch which tells us they offer "powerful pain relief" for up to 8 hours, they are "one size fits all (s-xl)" and you can only use each wrap once. The back of the pouch has pictorial directions for use, warnings and product info. The important warnings to note are that this product can cause burns, so care must be taken. You should try it first and see how you go before using it while you sleep, and if you are 55 years old and upward then you should not use it while sleeping at all, and only over a layer of clothing. The wrap itself is white, kind of like bandage material, with the middle section containing 16 oval discs; these are the bits that heat up on contact with the air. They contain iron which can cause harm if ingested or in direct contact with your skin or eyes, so you should not use if there is any damage to these areas of the wrap. Either side of the discs is a stretchy panel - the unstretched length is 44 inches, and it stretches up to approx 55 inches; the smallest it can really be is approx 26 inches, so it really is quite good in terms of 'one size fits all'. One end has a strip of velcro like material and this simply sticks to anywhere on the rest of the wrap, keeping it in place and allowing you to have it whatever size you need. They are very comfortable to wear, but do they work? Well, they are certainly soothing. The heat (and they do get really hot, but not uncomfortably so for me) feels really nice on sore bits and it is very relaxing. Though you can of course wear these to go about your normal business, they are not bulky at all and are invisible under all but the tightest clothing (although you mustn't wear a trouser belt over the wrap as this results in extra pressure on the product). While using these wraps, the pain is soothed. But in my case it's still very much there. Although my pain is quite bad and due to structural abnormalities so this may be a bit of a hard task for them! In any case, they done what I hoped they would - soothed and offered some comfort while wearing in the house. I am yet to try them sleeping, which I plan to as many mornings it's a bit of a struggle getting upright! You can buy different shaped wraps for different body parts which is good but also a bit gimmicky I think, as I'm sure they could manufacture a plain shaped one that wold fit many body parts - I actually tried to maneuver one of these on my neck yesterday to soothe a tension headache (hence I had one handy to take the measurements!) but it didn't work at all, so I just wrapped it round my back to keep me warm! Unfortunately, I found that after a short time you don't really feel the heat - it may still be helping your pain but for me the warmth they provide is half the allure - if I'm not feeling that it's not so enjoyable for me. This is something I don't think can really be helped though, as your body gets used to anything and you stop registering it so much after a while. I find shifting the position slightly helps me regain the feeling of heat but not so much. In terms of staying power, 8 hours is actually a little conservative. The one I used yesterday I opened at 11pm and it was still quite warm when I started this review at 9am, although obviously not as hot. Even so, you are recommended not to use for more than 8 hours in any 24 hour period. Packaging also states they can take up to 30 minutes to heat up, but by 11.10pm last night this was pretty toasty. So would I recommend them? I probably would as they do feel really nice on. For me, the experience was comforting rather than pain relieving though your own pain may be better treated by them. They are not cheap, I think my gran paid £7 for a box of two from Boots (and she bought me 2 boxes, bless her), but I am unsure. Looking on here, I see similar prices. I don't think this offers fantastic value since you only get two uses for the price. The product is quality though, lasts a bit longer than you need and is well made. I have to admit I would be unlikely to buy these myself normally, as we just don't spend the best part of £10 on things like this. I don't even spend £10 on my entire hair and skin care regime any more! Read the complete review |
 |
ThermaCare Pain Relieving Heatwraps
by alyson29 As a result of a car accident that I suffered almost six years ago I frequently suffer with pain and discomfort in my lower back, which subsequently causes pain and weakness in my legs. Directly after the accident I was prescribed a number of painkillers with many causing me to feel rather spaced out, so after carrying out a little ... research I purchased a TENS machine, which I find extremely effective. However, due to the nature of the product I am limited to the number of uses within a 24 hour period, so I needed to find an additional method of obtaining pain relief and it was towards the end of last year that I learned of ThermaCare HeatWraps and this review discusses my experience of using them. WHY DID I CHOOSE THERMACARE HEATWRAPS? The reason for choosing this product was quite simply because I found that heat temporarily alleviated my back pain and during my numerous physiotherapist visits, which I attended for several months following the accident, I was advised to place a hot water bottle wrapped inside a towel directly onto the affected area. Whilst this provided some relief the hot water bottle became cold very quickly, so it was a fairly short-lived method of assistance. To be totally honest, I knew very little about ThermaCare HeatWraps prior to my purchase and I normally carry out some research, but for some reason I just dived in and made my purchase. APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCT For some reason I had expected the wraps to be quite small and discreet, but I was surprised when I located the product on the shelf in Boots, as the box containing two heat wraps was fairly large measuring almost 20 cm in length, 12 cm in width and 6½ cm in depth. Whilst you may think why is she providing the size of a box as surely this is pointless? My reasoning behind giving you the dimensions is that although the box is large it took me absolutely ages to find in Boots, particularly as I was looking for something so much smaller. The box is brightly coloured orange to create the illusion of heat and there is an image of the human body where we see one of the heatwraps being worn on the lower back. THE PURPOSE OF THE HEATWRAPS AND MY EXPERIENCE OF USING THEM Firstly, I will discuss the mechanics behind this wrap, which according to the manufacturer, namely Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, is intended to provide powerful and long-lasting relief of muscular and joint pain associated with arthritis, sprains and strains, overexertion and muscle tension. We are advised that the wraps are suited for those who suffer with chronic and occasional pain, so I was of the opinion that they would assist in alleviating my problem. The heatwraps are individually contained within hygienically sealed foil pouches and are designed to provide 8 hours of heat. I'm not sure what I was expecting with the appearance of the product, which looks like a huge stretchy wide belt with the material resembling that of a white medical dressing. In the centre is a slightly wider area where the 16 oval heat cells are located with each measuring approximately 3½ cm in length. My first difficultly arose with the instructions for use, which are contained on the side of the box, as they advise that after removing from the packaging the paper should be peeled away from the heatwrap to reveal the adhesive side, which should be placed over the painful area with the darker discs positioned towards the skin. However, after carefully scrutinising the heatwrap I was unable to locate the alleged paper and for some strange reason, the instructions on the pouch itself do not even mention it. After becoming extremely confused and somewhat impatient I eventually managed to figure out how to use the wrap and placed it onto my lower back. According to the information provided on the side of the box, each of the heat cells contain approximately 2g of iron, which heat when they make contact with the skin and subsequently, provide pain relief. Whilst the wrap feels a little heavy due to the 16 heat cells the weight soon vanished as soon as I placed it around my waist and comfortably secured it using the velcro fastenings. The fabric is fairly soft so it felt gentle against my skin and did not irritate, which was something I had initially expected. Within approximately twenty minutes I could feel the cells starting to heat and I have to say that it was rather a pleasant sensation. The maximum use for the wrap is for no more than 8 hours in a 24 hour period so I chose to use it on a Sunday when I was home all day so if I encountered any problems I would be able to remove the wrap in the comfort of my home. Whilst I was able to feel the heatwrap around my waist for the whole time that I wore it, I would advise that it did not roll or slip despite me carrying on with my normal household chores. There are a few do's and don't provided to us on the box where we are advised not to place extra pressure over the product where we are informed not to lean against a hard surface or wear under a tight waistband, so I ensured that I wore comfortable clothing. Whilst the wrap offered heat to my lower back and provided a little light relief I have to say that I was really disappointed, as I was expecting miracle results. The heat was not as intense as I expected and nothing close to what you would achieve with using a hot water bottle. The only way I can describe the heat is that if I had placed a warm towel onto my skin. However, saying that the heat was constant and remained at a level temperature for the entire eight hours that I used the wrap. As I still had one wrap remaining in my box I decided to try it out a few days later before I left for work one morning, but unfortunately I received the identical results. I have to say that I am in two minds with these wraps, as it is very difficult to ascertain whether the pain would have reduced naturally or if the wraps speeded along the process, so I decided to purchase a further pack with my husband using one on his back injury and me using the other. Again, I experienced the same results and my husband simply shrugged his shoulders after using his, as he too felt the same. When I asked him for his opinion of the product his response was simply "I wouldn't buy them again, as they were a waste of money". I was really disappointed with this product, as although the manufacturer claims it will provide deep penetrating therapeutic heat, I cannot state that it achieved its' desired effect and this is something I will not be purchasing again and unfortunately, cannot give my recommendation. OTHER INFORMATION There is considerable information dotted around the sides of the box and for obvious reasons it is impossible for me to provide it all in this review. However, I have selected what I feel most important, such as your skin should be checked regularly when using these wraps as it thins with age and the heat can cause blisters and/or burns. Consequently, if you suffer any reaction you should immediately remove the wrap and discard. If you are over the age of 55 years you should wear the heatwrap over a layer of clothing and should not wear whilst sleeping. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis or are pregnant you should first seek advice from your GP. The wraps should not be used on children and should not be placed on unhealthy, broken or damaged skin. Whilst there are various warnings located on the box I can advise that I suffered no adverse reactions when using. The wraps are easily removed and should not be reheated or used again. I was unsure on how to discard this product, as there is no advise on the packaging, so I placed it inside a carrier bag and into my wheelie bin. The wraps should be kept out of reach of children or pets. If you are interested in purchasing this product I would strongly advise that you carefully read the box prior to purchase so that you can ascertain if they are suitable for your particular needs. PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Whilst there are heatwraps that will assist with various aches and pains on other areas of the body I would advise that my box of wraps are solely intended for the lower back and hips. They will easily and comfortably stretch to fit sizes from small to extra large and can be purchased in stores such as Boots and Tesco. To provide you with a current price I have checked on line and would advise that at the time of writing (February 2011) Tesco are selling them at £6.13 for a pack of two. However, due to the reasons mentioned above I cannot recommend this product, as I feel similar, if not better results can be achieved from using a hot water bottle wrapped inside a towel. Consequently, ThermaCare HeatWraps received only 2 stars from me. I hope you found my review useful and would thank you for reading. This review will appear on both Ciao and Dooyoo under the same username. Read the complete review |
 |
ThermaCare Pain Relieving Heatwraps
by k2705 A few days ago I managed to pull the muscles in my lower back, I have had problems with my lower back in the past resulting in it being a little bit on the stiff side in the mornings, so I was not too pleased with myself the other morning when I managed to hurt it through carrying out the simplest of tasks Sneezing!!!! Resulting in me ... spending most of the day hardly being able to move and continuously asking my fiancé (who was off work ill) to keep picking things up for me as I could not bend more than a millimetre!!! I spent the last few days on the Anadin Extras, that was until I visited my parents who by coincident had had a sample come of 2 Thermacare Heat Wraps. I have seen these advertised on the TV and they come across as an excellent pain relief alternative to tablets so I decided to try one and see if it could relief the pain in my lower back. The Packaging The wraps came in quite a large shiny gold box, the front of the box has the words Thermacare written in large chunky yellow letters across the whole width of the box with a orange and red wave pattern behind, below this is a bright red rectangle with "Powerful Pain Relief" written across the whole thing in white letters which really stand out against the red background. The majority of the box is taken up with the picture of a person wearing one of the wraps, partly written across the picture is written Therapeutic Heatwraps. In very small writing at the bottom of the box are the words 2 single use heat wraps, one size fits all. All of the information is repeated on the back of the box. The 2 sides of the box are totally gold in colour with a dark brown writing on them, they contain information such as a size guide, what they can be used for and various warnings which I will mention later. Inside the box are the individually wrapped wraps, each wrap comes in a foil packet which simply tears open. The foil packets are yellow in colour and contain exactly the same information as the box including warnings, how they can be used and the only difference is they tell you how to apply the heat wrap. Sizes The box and packaging states that one size wrap fits all, however there is a size guide on the side of the box which shows the smallest and largest size the wrap will fit for both men and woman Woman - Fits sizes 8 to 20 Men - Fits sizes 29 to 47 Now it does not actually say but I am assuming these sizes are similar to that of men and woman's dress sizes, but either way providing you are between these 2 sizes the wrap should fit comfortably. Appearance of the Wrap The wrap has a very medical/ surgical appearance to it, the whole thing seems to be made of a very thick bandage type style material. There is a wide area in the middle of the wrap which has 16 oval shaped discs, these are actually filled with an iron substance, this is the area of the wrap you place on the painful area. There is then a long strap either side one of which has a piece of Velcro attached to it to fasten the wrap around your body. For some reason the whole thing reminded me of a slightly odd nappy contraption, but still I was prepared to give it a go. The material was very flexible and soft so there was no fear of it rubbing against my skin or restricting my movement so I was sure I would be able to carry on with my housework, after all the advert states that you can. The material also seems to have tiny holes in it making it breathable against your skin, this prevents it making you too hot. How To Apply The Wrap I was pretty sure that applying the wrap was going to be easy but I had a quick read of the instructions anyway. They suggest that you apply the area with the discs in against the painful area, you will notice that on one side of the wrap the discs appear darker, place this darker side against your skin, then simply bring the 2 straps around either side of your body and fasten by pressing the Velcro against the fabric of the wrap on the opposite strap, to keep the wrap in place fasten the belt at a tightness that is comfortable for you. That is basically it you do have to wait for about 30 minutes before you feel the heat of the wrap and each one can be worn for up to 8 hours. After 8 hours or when you are ready to dispose of the wrap simply throw it away in your regular household waste. How The Wraps Work The wraps have 16 discs which contain a mixture of iron, charcoal, salt and water. Once you open each wrap the discs reacts with the oxygen to produce heat which can last up to 8 hours. The discs are positioned so that they can both cover a large area across your lower back and also are far enough apart to prevent your movement from being restricted. The information on the box describes the wraps as easy to use, drug free, thin comfortable, discreet and odourless, and I have to say that personally I totally agree with this. The wrap could easily be worn under your clothing without being seen, when I tried mine I wore it under a reasonably tight fitting jumper and have to admit that you could not see the wrap at all, it fitted very close to my skin comfortably and the soft fabric meant that there was no visible line of the wrap. Uses The Thermacare wraps can be used for a variety of muscular and joint pain relief associated with the following Muscle Tension Overexertion Strains Arthritis These wraps are suitable for people who suffer with chronic back pain or occasional back pain DO NOT USE IF As with all medical products there are certain instants where you should not use them. With the Thermacare wraps it is suggested that they should not be used if you have or sufer with or used any of the following Pain Rubs and ointments or other forms of heat relief Unhealthy, broken or damaged skin Areas of bruising Areas of swelling Areas of the body where you cannot feel heat People who are unable to follow the usage instructions People who cannot remove the wrap when needed Children, infants and some elderly people. Other Warnings There are also some other basic warnings which you need to be aware of when using the Thermacare Wraps the these include the warning that heat products can cause burns and the risk of this can increase with age, the packaging suggests that if you are over the age of 55 then it is advised that you wear the wrap over clothing. It also states that you should not wear the wrap when sleeping, it is not clear whether this means if you are over the age of 55 or nobody should sleep wearing the wraps, personally I would not wear one of the wraps when sleeping whatever the age just as a precaution. If at any point when wearing the wrap it begins to feel too hot you should stop using straight away, also even though you can wear the wrap under clothing you should not add pressure to it by wearing a belt over the product as this can burn the skin. The wraps do contain iron which is enclosed inside the wrap itself however should the iron come into contact with the skin then you need to wash the area immediately and seek medical advise, the fabric around the iron is reasonably thick so it is unlikely this would happen but it is something you need to be aware of when wearing the wraps. The final warning is that these wraps can be worn for up to 8 hours each, however a wrap should not be worn for more that 8 hours in a 24 hour period , so although you can wear more than one wrap (only wear one at a time) the combined time cannot exceed the recommended 8 hours. Price As I have mentioned I got my Thermacare Heat wraps as a free sample (well my parents did) but I have done a bit of investigating and you can purchase a box of 2 wraps at Tesco for £6.00, however they are currently on offer for £4.00. Personally I feel that this is a little expensive for only 2 wraps but it seems that that is the average price for this type of product. My Opinion Personally I was a little bit disappointed in the Thermacare Heat Wraps, despite the nappy style appearance it was pretty comfortable, I did have a bit of trouble getting it in position but once it started to heat up this was easier, once I had the straps at the right tightness it stayed in place perfectly despite moving around the house. The wrap did start to heat up pretty quickly and after 30 minutes was a lot hotter than I expected but not too hot that I could not have it against my skin. I have to say that the warmth from the wrap did feel quite soothing against my back, however after several hours of wearing the wrap there was no change in the amount of pain in my back, whilst the warmth was lovely it really did not do a lot for the pain in my back. I stuck with the wrap hoping for it to improve over time but unfortunately it did not change at all. So overall I was a bit disappointed with the pain relief side of things but did enjoy the soothing warmth, however at £6.00 for 2 wraps I think I would rather stick to a hot water bottle or bean bag. For me the wraps were not a success and I cannot recommend them as a pain relief alternative. Read the complete review |
Therma Care Health Treatment |
||
|---|---|---|
|
5 reviews Health Treatment / Wraps provide effective relief of muscular and joint pains due to overexertion, strains, sprains and arthritis. They provide 8 hours of long lasting warm relief. |
|
| Therma Care Health Treatment Recommendations 1 | ||
| dooyoo Results 1 - 1 of 1 | ||
