Heating pad

A Heating pad is used to convert electricity into heat. It can be used in cold weather to provide the human body with pleasant warmth. Primarily, however, the soothing heat treatment for muscle tension with a heating pad is implemented.

What is a heating pad?

A Heating pad is operated electrically and connected to a 220V socket. Its outer shell made of a soft cover material gives a pleasant feeling when it is placed on the body. The regulation of the heating pad enables a constant heat supply.

There are heating pads in different designs. Depending on the industry, they belong to the electrical household appliances, although their field of application has long since shifted towards medical applications.

As an electrical device, a heating pad is subject to special electrical engineering safety regulations. It must not be opened and repaired by laypeople and a heating pad must not come into contact with sharp objects.

Shapes, types & types

Heating pad come in different shapes and designs. Its simplest form is the rectangular heating pad, which is roughly the same width as a recumbent person and whose height is around 30 centimeters. Such a heating pad is used to heat individual areas of the body. Its moisture-proof design can be used for incontinence.

The mattress heating pad comes from the time of poorly regulated heating systems. Its dimensions are similar to the usual bed sizes and it was used almost exclusively for heating purposes in poorly heated bedrooms. Its use is not very widespread today.

The medical application of selective heat supply to body regions has led to the development of back heating pads and neck heating pads. The contours of these heating pads are modeled on the relevant body region and are based on the course of the muscle cords. They enable an optimal and particularly targeted heat supply.

Structure, function & mode of operation

Each Heating pad consists in its basic structure of a textile carrier material. On this load-bearing layer there are several fine-wire heating coils that are connected to one another in a system.

The coils are covered with an electrically insulating layer that protects against electric shock during use. This entire system of carrier layer, heating coils and insulating layer is sewn into another textile protective cover, which must not be opened. The most diverse variants of covers are drawn over this entire structure. They are almost always removable and washable.

Power is supplied via a cable with a plug. The cable leads to a switch that switches the heating pad on in one to five stages, depending on the design and quality. From this switch, the heating pad is supplied with power via a second cable.

When switching on, the first of the heating coils is supplied with electricity, which initially generates little heat. With every further switch position, further heating coils are switched on and the heating pad heats up more. Safe heating pads have an automatic switch-off after 90 minutes.

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Medical & health benefits

Muscle tension is one of the most widespread diseases. Heat therapy is used to alleviate these symptoms. However, it is no substitute for clarifying the causes of these complaints.

Heating pad serve to enable this selective heat therapy aimed at the affected body regions. It can be used to treat both chronic and non-chronic diseases. Under the influence of heat, the affected muscle regions relax and the blood circulation improves in the affected body areas. At the same time, the warmth creates a psychological effect of relaxation, which additionally supports the warming effect.

Muscle tension is often associated with joint diseases. When applying heat with a heating pad, the patient must therefore also observe the after-effects. They are different for every person and therefore exposure to heat and cold can be more favorable. If the heat is favored, this can be supported by a slightly damp linen cloth.

Under no circumstances should the heating pad be used on open wounds or acute foci of inflammation. In the case of the usual muscle tension or strains, selective heat treatment with a heating pad often saves going to the doctor or physiotherapy. However, if the symptoms do not subside after three days, the heating pad is no longer sufficient as the sole therapy.