toadbutch:

Heating pad/ Chronic pain PSA

Heating pads can burn you.

They can burn you quite badly.

I saw a post the here other day that asked how to “get rid of heating pad marks.”

Folks. If you have “heating pad marks” those are burns. And they can become much, much worse if you continue to use a heating pad on the same area of your body.

I know most folks with chronic pain scoff when we read the warnings on a heating pad. “Don’t lie on this pad.” Yeah. Sure. Lying on it is exactly the main thing you’ll be doing.

But please. Please always have a layer of protective fabric between the pad and your skin. Never, ever use a pad directly on your bare skin.

Never fall asleep on a heating pad. I know it’s easy to do, but you’re much more at risk for getting a bad burn when you’re asleep.

And never combine use of a heating pad with a topical analgesic (like Icy Hot, A535, Tiger Balm, Voltaren, Lakota creams or roll ons, essential oils or any other topical pain reliever) the oils and plant compounds in these products will accelerate burns. Do not apply anything to your skin and then use a heating pad.

And if you burn your skin, take a break from using the heating pad. I know that’s hard because many of us rely so heavily on them for pain management.

But you can permanently damage your skin by repeatedly burning it and dramatically increase your risk of cancer by doing so.

Be careful.

Please reblog this for the chronically ill folks in your life/ who follow you who use a heating pad