While some other pain relief patches and creams feel warm, they really are not delivering heat.
Many medicated patches on the market today (including Icy Hot
®1 Patch) work as counterirritants – agents that draw attention from pain by creating an alternate sensation on the skin. Some cause blood vessels to expand, creating a heating sensation. Others create a cooling sensation that may result in a heating or burning feeling. But in the end, that’s all they are: a feeling.
It’s a fact they acknowledge themselves. The Icy Hot
® marketing message plainly states that Icy Hot
® creams and patches “create … sensations that divert attention from the actual pain and help block the pain signals being sent to the brain.”
2
But ThermaCare
® is real heat. It penetrates deeply into your muscles, enabling them to relax. ThermaCare
® works to increase local circulation and provide effective pain relief. ThermaCare
® is free of odors and it comfortably stays on while conforming to your body’s natural shape.
1 Icy Hot
® is a registered trademark of Signal Investment & Management Co.
2 From Icy Hot Web site, May 2009