Home Remedies & Heat Packs

If you've been to the pain relief section a drug store recently, you've probably seen a chemical hot pack. These are the newest incarnation of an old home remedy: applying heat to ease pain and facilitate healing. Heat is an effective home remedy for some conditions, but it doesn't work for everything. There are also people who should not use heat packs.

Types of Heat Packs

• There are basically three kinds of heat packs: electric, non-corded, and chemical. Electric heat packs plug into the wall and are usually known as heating pads. Non-corded heat packs require an external source of heat. Examples include rice or bean packs you heat in the microwave and hot water bottles. Chemical heat packs generate their own heat through chemical reactions.

When to Use a Heat Pack

• Heat packs are effective home remedies for many disorders of the skeletal and muscular systems. The Mayo Clinic's website advises using heat to treat arthritis, while spine-health.com recommends heat packs to treat back pain. According to spine-health.com, heat packs work by increasing circulation to the affected area; this relieves pain and helps brings blood and nutrients to injured tissues, helping promote healing.

When Not to Use Heat Packs

• Though heat packs are effective home remedies for some conditions, there are times when they can do more harm than good. If you've suffered a strain or sprain, you'll most likely experience swelling. Applying heat in the first 72 hours after this kind of injury can make swelling worse. Ice should be applied immediately after an injury where swelling is involved. This helps bring down swelling.

Safety Concearns

• Some individuals should not use heat packs or other heat-generating home remedies if they are sensitive to heat and more likely to suffer burns. The FDA recommends you avoid heat packs if you have circulation issues, if you can't detect temperature changes due to paralysis or loss of feeling in a body part, or if you are not able to remove the heating pad yourself. Also, the FDA recommends not using heating pads on infants.