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New study indicates heat wraps can manage arthritis and other chronic pain

-April 18, 2005

A new study suggests over-the-counter heat wraps may help people trying to manage arthritis and other chronic pain. The latest drug recalls and drug warnings have left millions of people wondering what to use for relief.

Last September's Vioxx recall left questions about all COX-2 drugs. Last week, a similar drug, Bextra, was also removed from the market, and the only remaining COX-2, Celebrex, must carry strong warnings indicating the potentially deadly heart attack and stroke risks. The FDA also required prescription and non-prescription NSAID makers to carry heightened warnings highlighting the potential for increased risks of cardiovascular events and gastrointestinal bleeding.

A study funded by Procter and Gamble, the makers of ThermaCare heat wraps, looked at 110 men and women with osteoarthritis of the knee. Given either acetaminophen, ibuprofen or a placebo, and wearing a wrap with no heat or a ThermaCare heat wrap for eight hours a day, researchers found that those receiving the heat treatment had significantly less pain, a better range of motion and more reduced disability than those treated with any of the other options.

Findings were presented last month at a meeting of the American Pain Society, and the president of the group, Dr. Dennis Turk, said thermal approaches have been around for hundreds of years but that the mechanisms are new. Turk said that the study is not enough to confirm the benefits of heat wraps and gels used to treat muscle and joint aches. Although some experts believe heat wraps can help with pain management, it fails to provide long-term solutions and only masks the pain.


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