Heating Pads for Seniors: Safe Use for Back, Neck and Hands
Health & Wellness · Safety · 3 min read
Heating Pads for Seniors: Safe Use for Back, Neck and Hands
A little warmth is one of the simplest comforts for stiff shoulders, an aching lower back or cold, stiff fingers in the morning. It relaxes tight muscles and makes joints feel easier to move. The catch is that older skin is thinner and often less sensitive, so it can burn at temperatures a younger person would barely notice.
Heat or cold?
Heat suits ongoing stiffness and muscle tension: arthritis-type stiffness, a tight neck, a back that aches after sitting. Cold suits a fresh injury, such as a twist or a knock that is swollen, hot or bruised, usually for the first day or two. If you are not sure, or the pain is new and severe, ask a doctor before using either.
Six rules for using heat safely
- Start on the lowest setting. Increase only if it feels comfortably warm, never hot.
- Limit sessions to about 15 to 20 minutes, then give the skin a break.
- Never sleep with a heating pad switched on. Choose one with an automatic shut-off, and keep it off the bed at night.
- Keep a layer of fabric between the pad and bare skin, and do not lie on top of a pad: body weight traps heat.
- Check the skin afterwards. Redness that does not fade within an hour, blotches or blisters mean it was too hot.
- Do not combine heat with rubs or creams such as menthol or capsaicin products, and never use it over broken or numb skin.
Take extra care, and ask a doctor first, if your parent has diabetes, poor circulation, reduced feeling in the hands or feet, or has trouble telling you when something feels wrong.
Choosing the right shape
A flat pad is fine for a back resting against a chair, but it slips off shoulders and wrists. A wrap that stays in place is easier and safer, because it is not being pressed into the skin.
- Shoulders and upper back: the WarmEase Heated Shoulder Wrap is an adjustable brace with warmth and gentle massage.
- Wrists: the WarmEase Heated Wrist Wrap is cordless, with five heat levels.
- Hands and fingers: the WarmEase Heated Hand Massager combines warmth with airbag compression for stiff fingers and palms.
- Lower back in a recliner: the RelaxSeat Heated Back Massage Chair Pad sits on the chair rather than on the person.
Cordless, rechargeable designs also remove the trip hazard of a cable running across the floor.
When heat is not enough
See a doctor if pain is getting worse, wakes your parent at night, follows a fall, or comes with swelling, fever, numbness or weakness. Heat is for comfort; it does not treat the cause.
More everyday comfort ideas are in Health & Wellness and on our Blog.
