I thought I’d offer a pictorial comparison of two Thermacare Products.  The top one is the HeatWrap for Neck, Wrist & Shoulder.  The bottom one is the Heatwrap for Menstrual Cramp Relief.  As you can see, they are similar in size.  The main difference is that the Menstrual one is sticky on the entire back surface, while the neck/wrist/shoulder is only sticky on the left and right blank areas.

For those not familiar with these pain relieving wraps, the dark oval looking sections contain a material that produces heat when exposed to air.  So these pads are sort of like ultra portable heating pads.  I find them to be very effective but kind of expensive, so I’m always looking for deals. Knowing that both products are so similarly shaped means that I can buy whichever one is on sale.

They advertise “8 hours of heat” and they aren’t exaggerating.  In fact, I sometimes find them to be still warm after 12 hours!   For menstrual cramps, I use them when ibuprofen alone doesn’t relieve the pain enough.  I stick them to the front side of my underwear. Brief style underwear works best for this.  You can stick them to your skin, but I prefer to stick them to clothing.  The adhesive is strong enough that you can remove it and stick it a second time if you don’t like the positioning.

I recently tried them for shoulder pain.  I think I have a minor rotator cuff injury.  They really do provide relief.  They bring moderate pain down to just a mild, distracting level.  I tried Salanpas pads too because they are cheaper but they didn’t work for me… They actually stung and didn’t help.

So, way to go, Thermacare!  As I said, they’re kind of pricey, but no more than buying an Espresso.  I’ll continue to keep some in my medical cabinet for really bad days.