_ Gale, OMGagIIE Relief For aching Joints (NAPSA)—Results of a recent clinical study suggest that continuous low-level heat-wrap therapy maybe aneffective option to manage pain and improveflexibility associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. According to researchers, patients treated with a continuous low-level heat wrap for eight hours reported significant benefits in pain reduction and improved flexibility of the knee. “With the recent warnings about the potential dangers of chronic use of oral pain medications, physicians and patients have been looking for alternative Studies show that continuous low-level heat wrap therapy can treatment options without com- be a better alternative than study’s lead author Bill McCarberg, MD, FABPM, Director of Chronic Pain Management Pro- again. promising efficacy,” said the gram for Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, CA. “For the first time, we have clinical evidence that heat wrap therapy can significantly reduce osteoarthritis pain. The data also indicates improved range of motion, a measure of kneeflexibility.” Osteoarthritis (OA) affects an estimated 20.7 million Americans. The knee, which bears most of the body’s weight, is the most common site of OA. Treatments typically include behavioral modifications (weight loss and exercise), heat/cold therapy and oral and intravenous medicine to reduce pain and inflammation. Heat therapy is a promising new approach already being used by doctors nationwide. Fortunately, ThermaCare is an air-activated heat wrap designed painkillers to get you moving to deliver eight hours of continuous low-level heat directly to the site of pain. Each wrap contains small discs made of natural heatgenerating ingredients that heat up to 104 degrees when exposed to air. ThermaCare HeatWraps are available in the pain relief aisle of supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, club stores and leading golf pro shops. Heat therapy should not be used in conditions where heat may potentially damage tissue, such as in patients with diabetes, poorcirculation to the hand, wrist, low back and knee or diminished sensation to pain and temperature in the hand, wrist, low back and knee. It is recommended to ask your doctor whether ThermaCare is right for you if you have diabetes, poor circulation, rheumatoid arthritis, or if you are pregnant.
