Introduction
ThermaCare Air-Activated
HeatWraps, an innovative new product from Procter &
Gamble, are a unique way to relieve minor muscular, joint and menstrual
cramp pain.
Product
Overview and Description
ThermaCare
Air-Activated HeatWraps provide powerful pain relief and deep muscle
relaxation. ThermaCare HeatWraps are ultra-thin, single-use wraps, designed
to conform to your body right where it hurts. They're so discreet you can
wear them under your clothing at work, at school, during non-contact sports
and daily activities. The air-activated heat discs in each ThermaCare wrap
warm up to a therapeutic temperature of 104° F / 40° C and stay
at that temperature for at least 8 hours to penetrate tight, aching or cramping
muscles. ThermaCare's low-level, therapeutic heat relaxes tight muscles
and increases circulation to push the pain out. 8 hours of wear, day or
night, provides up to 24 hours of pain relief!
ThermaCare Menstrual
HeatPatches are proven effective for the treatment of menstrual cramp pain.
ThermaCare provides menstrual pain relief AS EFFECTIVE AS IBUPROFEN and
SUPERIOR TO ACETAMINOPHEN in studies. ThermaCare soothes tight, cramping
muscles associated with menstrual pain while improving patients' quality
of life.
Product
Use and Procedure
ThermaCare provides temporary relief of minor muscular and joint aches and
pains that result from overexertion, strains, sprains, and arthritis. This
product is also used to treat minor menstrual cramp pain and associated
backache. ThermaCare is available in three varieties that target specific
areas of pain: low back, neck to arm, and menstrual. ThermaCare heat discs
contain natural ingredients: charcoal, iron, salt and water. ThermaCare
is a safe, well-tolerated, drug-free form of pain therapy.
The ThermaCare Menstrual
HeatPatch adheres to the underwear and rests against the abdominal area
where cramping occurs.
Features
and Benefits
 |
Benefits: |
 |
Pain Relief |
|
Deep Muscle Relaxation |
|
Up to 24 hours of
relief after 8 hours of wear |
| Features: |
|
Air-Activated |
|
|
Portable |
|
Convenient Single-Use
Wrap |
|
8 Hours of Continuous,
Low-Level Therapeutic Heat (104° F / 40° C) |
Frequently
Asked Questions
| Q: |
What
Is ThermaCare Safe? |
| A: |
ThermaCare
HeatWraps were well tolerated in all of the studies, with more than
95% of patients experiencing either no skin effects or only minor
skin redness.
|
| Q: |
What
is ThermaCare? |
| A: |
ThermaCare
is an innovative topical heat therapy that provides pain relief combined
with long-lasting deep muscle relaxation. Each ThermaCare HeatWrap
has a heat pack area composed of oval heat discs (ThermaCells) that
contain iron, carbon, sodium chloride, sodium thiosulfate, and water.
When these heat cells are exposed to atmospheric air, they undergo
an exothermic oxidative reaction that produces detectable levels of
heat (40°C) for up to eight hours. ThermaCare Air-Activated HeatWraps
have been designed to provide portable, long-lasting pain relief and
deep muscle relaxation in a site-specific wrap.
|
| Q: |
What are the indications for ThermaCare? |
| A: |
ThermaCare
is indicated for the temporary relief of minor muscular and joint
aches and pain associated with overexertion, strains, sprains and
arthritis, and for the temporary relief of minor menstrual cramp pain
and associated backache. For maximum effectiveness, it is recommended
that ThermaCare be worn for the full 8 hours. For sustained and enhanced
benefits, use ThermaCare for 2 or 3 consecutive days. ThermaCare Air-Activated
HeatWraps should not be used for more than 8 hours in any 24-hour
period, or for more than 7 days in a row (4 days in a row for menstrual
pain).
|
| Q: |
What
is the Science behind heat? |
| A: |
Although
heat has been used as a therapeutic modality for hundreds of years,
most of the scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits
of heat has been developed using technology considered antiquated
by today's standards. Early in the development of the ThermaCare HeatWrap,
a series of mechanistic studies were conducted using current scientific
methods to characterize the science behind continuous, low-level heat
therapy. These results of these studies can be summarized as follows:
|
Low-level,
topical heat increases deep tissue temperature. This
observation is based on two tissue temperature studies. The
first of these was conducted Dr. Robert V. Mulkern, Ph.D. at
the Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston,
MA. Dr Mulkern used magnetic resonance thermometry to study
the low back muscles, with significant (p<0.05) temperature
increases of 2-5°C noted 19-37mm below the surface of the
skin following application of a water blanket heated to 40°C.
The second of these studies was conducted by Dr. Rachel Evans,
Ph.D., PT and Dr. David Draper, Ph.D, A.T.C, at the Brigham
Young University, Provo, UT. Drs. Evans and Draper used direct
tissue thermocouples to evaluate tissue temperature in the calf
muscles, with a statistically significant increase (p<0.01)
in temperature 2 cm below the surface of the skin within 30
minutes of application of a ThermaCare HeatWrap. This increase
was sustained over the entire 3 hours of the observation period.
|
|
Low-level,
topical heat increases deep tissue blood flow. This
observation is based on two tissue blood flow studies. The first
of these was conducted by Dr. Ronald Meyer, Ph.D. at Michigan
State University, East Lansing, MI. Dr Meyer used phase-contrast
angiographies to study blood flow through the popliteal artery
in the knee, noting a statistically significant increase in
blood flow that reached a plateau 30-40 minutes after heat application.
The second study was conducted by Dr. Jonathan M. Rubin, M.D.,
Ph.D. at The University of Michigan Department of Radiology,
Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Rubin used power doppler sonography to study
changes in vascularity in the trapezius muscles prior to heat
application and 30 minutes post-heating on 3 different occasions.
A statistically significant (p<0.04) increase in blood flow
was observed at the two highest temperatures tested (40°C
and 42°C). |
|
To view many additional
FAQ's, visit www.thermacare.com
and refer to the FAQ section.
Articles
Click
here to review several of the ThermaCare clinical trials and studies.
The studies and results are summarized and the sources are listed following
the summaries.
Customer
Testimonials and Example Uses
To review testimonials from healthcare
professionals and consumers, click
here to visit Procter and Gamble's Thermacare website.
Other
Information
| LG/XL
ThermaCare Back Wrap — 2 wraps per carton — fits
waist size 34" and larger. |
| S/M
ThermaCare Back Wrap — 2 wraps per carton — fits
waist size 33" and smaller |
| ThermaCare
Neck to Arm Wrap — 3 wraps per carton — one size |
| ThermaCare
Menstrual HeatPatch — 3
wraps per carton — one
size |
Product
Ordering Information
| SH
Catalog # |
Product
Name |
| 37151 |
ThermaCare Menstrual Patches |
| 37150
|
ThermaCare
Neck and Arm Patches |
| 37149 |
ThermaCare
Small Back Patches |
| 37148 |
ThermaCare
Large Back Patches |
|
