Don't heat, don't cure (Kobayashi Cura-Heat)

Member Name: pink_glitter

Product:	Kobayashi Cura-Heat
Date:	23/04/09 (139 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: you can feel the heat if you lean on the pad

Disadvantages: they warn you not to lean on the pad! Apply over clothing

A long time ago I used to use heated pain relief pads by Deep Heat on my back when I used to get really bad pain, but at nearly £2 for one pad, they were expensive, and although I think they're a better solution than taking tablets, I couldn't really afford to keep using them when I could buy a pack of Ibuprofen for about 40p.

I was shopping online a while back when I noticed the Cura Heat pads were just £3.52 for a pack of three from Superdrug, which seemed a lot more reasonable, so I decided to get a pack for the next time I had aches and pains.

You can get different packs of pads for different areas of the body, and also ones especially for use with period pain, arthritis pain and even IBS. The ones I bought were the ones for back and shoulder pain, as to be honest it's my back and shoulders where I normally get pain, and it's all my own fault, a mix of bad posture and lugging a heavy handbag about.

I first needed to use one of the pads after painting my bathroom. By the time I'd finished I was absolutely aching all over, the small of my back especially, to the point I had to lie down watching TV and eating chocolate for the rest of the day! Seriously though, it was really painful, so I decided to get out one of the Cura Heat pads and give it a try.

The pads come in an orange box and each pad is sealed in a plastic packet. This is because the pads are air activated, so as soon as you take them out of their packets they begin to warm up, although it does take 30 minutes for them to reach their maximum temperature. The pads are white with one sticky side and are quite heavy.

The thing that surprised me most about these pads, was that unlike the Deep Heat pads which are applied directly to the skin, these ones have to be applied to the clothing. I didn't realise this when I ordered them and had I actually realised I'm not sure I would have bought them in the first place. The reason, apparently is that if applied directly, the patches can cause burns to the skin. There is another review on here, where the reviewer admits to having put the pads on her skin and had no problems, however I'd rather not take any chances.

For me, there are lots of problems with having to apply these over your clothes. Firstly in summer, people tend to wear less clothes, and say for example I was wearing a strappy top my shoulders and upper back would be exposed, meaning I'd have to get changed before wearing it. Secondly, it looks stupid having a big white pad stuck on your back! In the colder months when wearing layers it isn't so bad as you can put the patch on a t-shirt and cover it with a jumper or cardigan, but in summer if you're only wearing one layer, it might look a bit strange.

Another thing that concerned me about wearing the patch on the outside of my clothes, was that I wouldn't be able to feel the heat against my skin through my clothes. It seemed that my fears were realised, as despite purposely changing into the thinnest cotton t-shirt I could find, I found that the amount of heat I could feel was minimal, and it wasn't warm enough to soothe the aches and pains I had. In fact, I found that the only way I could feel the heat if I applied pressure to the pad by sitting back or lying down, both of which the box instructs you not to do.

So overall, I have not been impressed with these pads at all. They may be cheaper than the Deep Heat patches, but it seems that there is a good reason for that, as they are no-where near as good. Needless to say I would not recommend them, and I will not be buying them again.

Summary: Go for Deep Heat instead