Research - BeltLife low-back heat wrap

Research

A recent study concluded that it is now possible to avoid some of the muscle pain and muscle strain that typically follows strenuous exercise involving the lower back muscles. The study…tested the effectiveness of preventative low level heat wrap therapy for low back delayed-onset muscle soreness.

Mayer et al., Archives of Physical Medical
Rehabilitation

Continuous, low-level heat delivered for at least 8 hours directly on the skin provides more pain relief for low back pain…than short duration heat treatments and commonly used nonprescription analgesics.

McCarberg & O’Connor,
American Pain Society Bulletin

Portable heat therapy helps keep patients’ joints and muscles warm while at the same time restoring functions and movements that the patients lost temporarily because of pain. In addition to being efficient, portable heat therapy speeds up the healing process.

McCarberg & O’Connor,
American Pain Society Bulletin

Continuous low-level heat wrap therapy was superior to both acetaminophen and ibuprofen for treating low back pain.

Nadler et al., Spine

see extended bibliography

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Erasala GN, Rubin JM, Tuthill TA, Fowlkes JB, de Drue SE, Hengehold DA, Weingand KW. The effect of topical heat treatment on trapezius muscle blood flow using power doppler ultrasound. Physical Therapy, 2001; 81(5):A5.

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Harris H, Stevenson S, Baldwin A, Weingand KW, and Dudley G. Strength and soreness after eccentric exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1998; 30, 5:S102.

Lurie-Luke E, Neubauer G, Lindl C, Breitkreutz H, Fischer P and Hitzeroth S. An exploratory workplace study to investigate the perceived value of continuous low-level heatwrap therapy in manual workers. Occupational Medicine, 2003; 53:173-178.

Mayer JM, Lee R, Look M, Erasala G, Verna J, Mtaherson L and Mooney V. Treating acute low back pain with continuous low-level heat wrap therapy and/or exercise: a randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal, 2005; 5:395-403.

Mayer JM, Mooney V, Matheson LN, Erasala GN, Verna JL, Udermann BE, Leggett S. Continuous low-level heat wrap therapy for the prevention and early phase treatment of delayed-onset muscle soreness of the low back: A randomized controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medical Rehabilitation, Vol. 87, October 2006, pp. 1310-1317.

McCarberg B and O’Connor A. A new look at heat treatment for pain disorders, Part 1. American Pain Society Bulletin, 2004; 14, 6

McCarberg B and O’Connor A. A new look at heat treatment for pain disorders, Part 2. American Pain Society Bulletin, 2005; 15, 1

McGorry RW, Hsiang SM, Snook SH, Clancy EA, Young, SL. Meteorological conditions and self-report of low back pain. Spine, 1998; 23(19):2096-2102

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Miller R, Biggerstaff K, Lynn G, Abeln S, Goodale MB, Williams D, Weingand K: Continuous, Low-Level heat wrap use in professional baseball: Results of a usage study. NATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia, June 2002.

Mulkern, R.V., N. McDannold, K. Hynynen, J. Fielding, L. Panych, F.A. Jolesz, and K. Weingand. Temperature distribution changes in low back muscles during applied topical heat: a magnetic resonance thermometry study. Proceedings of the seventeenth annual meeting of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Philadelphia, PA, May 22-28, 1999, p. 1054.

Nadler S, DePrince ML, Stitik T, Reisman S, Hengehold D, and Weingand KW. Experimentally induced trapezius fatigue and the effects of topical heat on the EMG power density spectrum. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1999; 80:1123.

Nadler S, Weingand KW, and Kruse R. Therapeutic Heat and Cold Modalities: When, Why and How to use them. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2000; 32(S5), S77.

Nadler SF, Feinberg JH, Reisman S, Stitik TP, DePrince ML Hengehold D, Weingand K: The effect of topical heat on the EMG power density spectrum in subjects with myofascial pain and normal controls. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2001 Nov; 80(11):809-15.

Nadler S, Weingand KW, Stitik T, Kruse R. Pain relief runs hot and cold. Biomechanics, 2001; 8(1).

Nadler SF, Weingand KW, O'Conner A. Mini-symposium therapeutic modalities: New concepts and Directions. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2001; 33(5) supplement; S274.

Nadler SF, Steiner DJ, Erasala GN, Hengehold DA, Hinkle RT, Goodale MB, Abeln SB and Weingand KW. Continuous low-level heatwrap therapy provides more efficacy than ibuprofen and acetaminophen for acute low back pain. Spine, May 15, 2002; 27:1012-1017.

Nadler SF, Steiner DJ, Erasala GN, Hengehold DA, Abeln SB and Weingand KW. Continuous low level heatwrap therapy for treating acute, nonspecific low back pain. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, March 2003; 84(3):329-34.

Nadler SF, Steiner DJ, Petty SP, Erasala GN, Hengehold DA and Weingand KW. Overnight use of continuous low level heatwrap therapy for relief of low back pain. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, March 2003; 84(3):335-45.

Reid RW, Foley JM, Prior BM, Weingand KW, and Meyer RA. Mild topical heat increases popliteal blood flow as measured by MRI. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1999; 31(5): S208.

Simmonds MJ, Weingand KW, Lee CE, Vongsirinavarat M, and Jones S. The effect of a single treatment of heat and exercise on pain and performance in patients with low back problems. Physical Therapy, 2002; 80(5): S26.

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Weingand KW, Hengehold D, Knight E, Hinkle R, Combs L, McNutt B, Harris H, Stevenson S, and Dudley G. Topical heat provides pain relief of delayed onset muscle soreness of the distal quadriceps muscles. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 199; 31(5)

Weingand KW, Erasala G, Hengehold D, Goodale MB, Steiner D, and Nadler S. Continuous low level heat therapy is effective for treating low back pain. Proceedings, Fourth International Scientific Conference on Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 2001.

Xuguang T and Bernacki E. A randomized clinical trial of continuous low-level heat therapy for acute muscular low back pain in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2005; 47:1298-1306.