Comparing Infrared To Electric Heating Pads

An infrared heating pad as well as an electric heating pad both may state they do exactly the same thing. But do they?. What are the differences between a infrared and a regular electric heat pad. Both are items that are often used to control muscle spasms, while simultaneously relaxing tight muscles and easing pain.
There are several people that also employ these units to further improve the blood circulation to an affected area or even to simply provide comforting warmth in a winter day. Both infrared and regular heat pads can help with arthritis, period pain, joint swelling and much more. But there is one major difference, and that is penetration.

If you place either of the heating pads onto the skin it will stimulate thermal receptors. A thermal receptor is actually a responder to your body's temperature in addition, their primary task is to eliminate pain transmitters from reaching your brain. There are a multitude of heating pads on the market and you can purchase these pain relief solutions at most retail outlets, pharmacies, or by going online. However, many people may wonder which heating pad is better to utilize?

Infrared Heating Pads Are The Best

The infrared heating pads will be the more recent entry in the heating pad market. Using this type of heating pad you can expect to receive an infrared energy produces the warmth. The warmth will not be from the pad. By using an infrared heating pad it is just like receiving infrared rays through the sun. The infrared rays in the pad have the ability to penetrate deeply below your skin. These kind of heat rays can provide beneficial healing for your overall body, both returning to front. A traditional electric heating pad was designed to heat from the outer side and thus it will barely penetrate the facial skin.

Infrared light can penetrate about 2 inches into the body, whereas a regular heat source will only heat the skin and just under the skin. So being able to penetrate deeper into the body, you free up more blood cells. These blood cells can circulate better through the blood vessels to the sore muscles. When more blood arrives, more oxygen and nutrients will start the healing process. Once the area has been flooded with more blood cells, the nerves will respond less signalling to the brain that all is good. So then you feel less pain as the heat is increasing blood circulation and healing the muscles and or joints.

Regular Heat Pad Vs Infrared

A power heating pad is primarily accustomed to relieve any aches or pains which you feel in different parts of the body. The pad has several elements that warm up if you turn the heating pad on. An advantage of your electric heating pad is that you may adjust the heat temperature with a thermostat. When used properly, these kind of heating pads are extremely safe as a result of insulating material the heating coils are covered with.

The main advantages of using an infrared heating pad a wide range of. Most infrared heating pads are designed for providing a reliable and tender pulse of heating energy. Additionally, there are many studies which have shown that an infrared heating pad will strengthen the body's filtration and cleansing system. This particular cleansing and filtration will in fact assist to eliminate toxins from the body. An infrared heating pad could also boost the lungs, heart, defense mechanisms, thymus, and kidneys. Also, it is good for clearing cellulite, burning calories, reducing stress, reducing high blood pressure, and promoting a good night's sleep.

Which One Should You Buy?

Both electric heating pads and infrared heating pads are popular and several people will buy many of each over the years. The electric heating pad is constructed of a strong insulating material that completely covers every one of the inner coils in the pad. The insulated cover can be removed for washing. The important thing benefit of an electrical pad is it will produce an identical quantity of heat throughout the pad. The electric heating pads are available in many different shapes and sizes to help you find whatever size suits your preferences.

As with anything that you want to purchase for the advantage of your overall health it is advisable to spend some time and perform some investigation and research into the product. One of the most important aspects to consider when buying a heating pad is to make sure that you end up picking only safety approved heating pads. Otherwise,you may end up with a lemon and it may not perform as described, or even worse, may cause health risks to yourself. So don't always think cheap is best in cases like this.

Different Types Of Heating Pads

When it comes to choosing a heat pad or wrap for muscle tissue recovery or to relieve pain there can be quite a few options. Knowing the different types of heating pads that are available will better educate you on which one you should buy. Below you will get a summary of what each are and there benefits to better help you make a decision.

The types of Heating Pads Available Summary

• Infrared
• Regular Electric
• Moist Heat
• Microwaveable
• Battery Operated

Infrared Heat Pad - The Best Type On The Market

Infrared heat pads are the best on the market in terms of effective deep tissue heating and joint pain inflammation. Being the best, they are also the most expensive of the types available. 

What makes infrared so good is the fact it uses infrared energy to heat your pain areas. Infrared energy is invisible to the human eye, but is the hottest of the Suns color spectrum. On the opposite end is Ultra Violet which as we knows causes skin cancers and sun burn. Infrared on the other hand is safe to use and doesn't cause you to burn. It's a bit sciency to explain how Infrared works, but there are many sources online where you can better educate yourself. 

Benefits Of Infrared

Infrared heat that is used in heating pads penetrates the deepest out of any kind of pad. Infrared can start healing your troublesome areas as deep as 2 inches beneath the skin. When compared to a regular electric heat pad is about 10 times deeper. 

This is because it is the hottest of the color spectrum (red being the second) and was only discovered in the 1900's by accident. So we are fortunate to have found such a good safe source of heat therapy directly form the sun. Unlike regular electric pads, infrared doesn't heat the skin as much. It focuses on the inside of your body where the real damage is. If you just want to feel 'warm' from a heat pad, then buy a regular heat pad. 

Regular Electric Heat Pads

Regular heat pads that are powered by electricity don't work as effectively as Infrared. This is because they utilize the infrared energy waves. So they heat the skin and just under the skins tissues. So they are not the best for treating painful arthritic joints or deep tissue strains for example.

But regular electric heat pads still serve a purpose. They are cheaper and still work. Just not as well. However, in Winter they are often used for warming the body. Also during pregnancy, regular heat is preferred over infrared as it is safe for the baby. 

When using an electric heat pad, it's important to use them safely to prevent injury and even death. Yes people have died from using heat pads in the past. 

Moist Heat

Moist heat pads are your regular electric or microwaveable heat pads. The difference is that the quality moist head pads will absorb the moisture from the air and use it into the heat treatment. 

What this does compared to regular dry heat is penetrates slightly deeper into the muscles/joints. As it is using moisture in the heat, it reduces the chances of burning your skin as well. 

If I had to choose between dry heat or moist heat, I would always look for a moisture version if possible. Not all heat pads targeted to a specific body part have the moist option. If you can find a decent size heat pad or wrap that has both dry heat and the possibility of moist heat, this would be your best option. Especially if you have skin conditions or irritations as the moist heat would reduce the chances of irritating them and causing skin burn. 

Microwavable Heat Bags

I'm sure everybody has seen a microwaveable heat pad. These pads come in a variety of fillings such as grains, rice, gel and scented infusions. These work by heating the pad in the microwave for a minute or two. Some pads offer moist heat as an option. 

Microwaveable heat pads also come in a variety of sizes and shapes to target different parts of the body. Especially when it comes to dealing with stomach cramps and or period pain. Microwaveable heat pads are often the first choice. The size and shape of many pads are designed to specifically help relieve stomach pain and period pain. 

The downsides to using a microwaveable heat pad is that they don't retain heat for very well. Being microwaveable with no consistent heat source, they will eventually cool down to an ineffective pad. Also, un-even heating is more possible with this kind of heat pad.

Battery Operated Heat Pads

These heat pads are best for people on the go. They can be taken to the gym, sports even, on walks etc. Because they are battery operated, they become extremely portable. The best kind are the ones that use an external battery bank. These battery banks are relatively new on the scene, so as time goes by. More and more heating pads will be using these pads. 

Battery operated pads come in a greater variety of shapes to target specific body parts such as the wrists, knees, elbows etc. They can also be infrared or regular heat. 

Different Heating Pads For Body Parts

As mentioned above, many of the types of heating pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes to target specific parts of your body. Infrared heat pads even come in a full body size to give a full body treatment. But if you are looking for heat to be applied to just about any part of your body, there will be a heat pad suitable for it. 

Are Electric Heating Pads Safe To Use Or Hazards In The Making

Millions of people use electric heating pads to alleviate their back pain, aching joints in addition to their sore muscles and arthritis. Their results are obvious, hence the big variety of users. The question is whether or not these pads are actually safe to use or are they a hazard waiting to happen.

 You can search the web for such information, nevertheless, you always have to take whatever you read with caution, as not every person is a scientist or an expert in the field. Also along with the results of heat effects on the various organs. Always trust advice published by medical doctors or information published in reputable medical journals and magazines. Should you read something in WebMD, you can be sure this content is backed up by research studies and evidence. However, in the event you read something with a semi-anonymous health blog, you should check and double-check everything before trusting it.

Studies have shown, should you be in perfect health, you can safely use electric heating pads, provided that you don't apply them for over 15-twenty or 20 minutes at the same time. This is why most quality heat pads have a auto shut off time set to 20 minutes. If you want to heat a location of your body throughout the entire length of per day, you must look for alternative methods such as all-day heat wraps obtainable in pharmacies.

Fears Of Using A Heat Pad

A lot of people are afraid to utilize electric heating pads, mainly because they believe electromagnetic field radiations may give them cancer. As a matter of fact, there are several household appliances plus it gadgets that emit EMF radiations, so that you should question your other practices too. If you utilize a mobile phone plus a microwave, you might be open to a similar risks.

Nonetheless, you can continue with your favorite appliances, as not one of the existing studies was able to prove that EMF radiations increase the chance of cancer in humans. This implies electric heating pads may also be safe regarding this threat. However, it's also worth mentioning that the potential of a hyperlink involving the prolonged utilization of electric appliances and also the increased chance of DNA transformations hasn't been ruled out for now.

Scientific Proof They Are Safe?

Scientists consider conducting more studies to prove this link. For the time being, if you fear your normal cells will become malignant ones as results of having an electric heating pad, you must probably obtain a non-electric blanket you could heat inside your microwave before use. Your reassurance is far more important than whatever else on the planet, as it might influence your overall health and well-being.

Should You Consider Heat Therapy?

In summary, there's no straight response to the question whether electric heating pads are safe or otherwise. While they seem to be harmless, it's also correct that there isn't enough evidence to support some of the two sides of this matter yet. All you can do is to help keep on while using pads, but be sure to limit time to fifteen minutes simultaneously. If you fear possibly damaging unwanted effects, you'd be much better off with a number of the classic heating methods, so consider quitting electric pads in support of warm blankets and very hot water bottles.