Pain treatment method and apparatus using heating wrap and analgesic cream

Abstract

The present invention comprises a heating wrap for placement against an injured/painful area of a person's body and an analgesic cream being placed between the heating wrap and the injured/painful area. The invented cream is formulated specifically for use with a heating wrap to be heat-compatible. The added heat from the heating wrap enhances the permeability of the skin and the tendency of the cream to permeate into the skin. The cream preferably includes an ingredient pharmaceutically categorized as an analgesic agent and an ingredient pharmaceutically categorized as an anti-inflammatory agent. Preferably, the cream does not include ingredients at levels that irritate human skin at the elevated temperatures of the heating wrap, that is, at about 110-140 degrees F. wrap temperatures. The heat wrap may be a pad that includes a flexible sleeve for receiving and surrounding the pad, plus a set of straps for holding the pad or pad/sleeve combination on the body area that is to be treated. Also, the preferred heating wrap includes a thin sheet that will absorb water, which sheet may be dampened with water and inserted between the heating pad and surrounding flexible sleeve, for providing moist heat treatment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.