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Best microwavable heat packs for muscle strain and sprain (UK) - Buying Guide: 2024

Muscle strains and sprains are the most common musculoskeletal injuries during physical activities. They are often very painful and cause discomfort because of the inflammation they cause. It is important to be physically prepared to avoid them, but if an injury does occur, there are treatment options to relieve the pain and inflammation.

One of these is the use of microwavable heat packs, which are suitable for relieving painful and inflammatory symptoms. We will inform you about the main causes of muscle contractures and the benefits of heat therapy.

What is the best microwavable heat packs for muscle strain?

Feel Recovery - Microwave Wheat Bag for Neck Pain Relief
  • Size: One Size Fits All
  • Colours: Oxford, Hearts and Sport
  • Material: Breathable
  • Nº of products: 1 Piece
  • Uses: Rehabilitation and sport
  • 100% Cotton
  • Various Colours
  • Flax Seeds
  • Lavender Flowers
  • Heat up in 2 min

Feel Recovery - Microwave Wheat Bag for Neck Pain Relief

Flax Seeds

Feel Recovery - Microwave Wheat Bag for Neck Pain Relief

Lavender Flowers

Feel Recovery - Microwave Wheat Bag for Neck Pain Relief

Various Colours

Qomfor - Large Microwave Heat Pack with Wheat and Lavender Filled for Pain Relief
  • Size: 48 x 15cm
  • Colours: 8 Colours
  • Material: Cloth
  • Filling: Wheat grains and lavender
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Microwave safe
  • Heat-Cool Therapy
  • Large size suitable for various body areas
  • Filled with natural seeds and flowers
  • Not machine washable
  • No weight or material specified
Choose the Qomfor natural thermal pillow, which will help you to decompress the cervical area and release muscle tension in the shoulders and neck. Thanks to its exclusive design, with high quality technology, you will be able to relieve pain faster using thermotherapy. When you use this neck brace you will stimulate the blood circulation in the tissues to eliminate the toxins accumulated in this part of the body.

It is suitable for use by both men and women, as its universal design, filled with wheat and lavender, quickly adapts to the anatomy of the neck. You can combine heat therapy with aromatherapy to reduce stress and anxiety. Please note that the washable synthetic cover may burn in the microwave or become hotter and injure the skin.

Amazing Health - Wheat bag for microwave filled wheat and lavender flowers for neck pain
  • Size: 42 x 13cm - 700gr
  • Colours: Violet
  • Material: Cloth
  • Filling: Wheat grains and lavender
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Suitable for adding essential oils
  • Hot and cold therapy
  • Microwaveable
  • Filled with natural seeds
  • Not suitable for washing machine
  • No material specified
If you are looking to relieve pain and reduce the feeling of fatigue, then you should choose an Amazing Health thermal neck pillow. It is suitable for neck pain and to reduce symptoms related to bad posture, muscle overload and stress. You can use this microwavable cushion when you are in front of the computer or place it on your bed to transmit the necessary heat and stimulate blood circulation.

Thanks to its design system it is possible to adapt the cushion to any person, so that sensitive parts of the neck will avoid neck pain and muscle strains. By keeping the temperature controlled, the lavender gives off its characteristic aroma to accompany the recovery process. It should be placed in the microwave for a few minutes, but be careful as the wheat can get too hot and damage the polyester fabric.

Amazing Health - Heat Pack Microwave with wheat filling for neck and cervical pain relief
  • Size: 46 x 13cm - 750gr
  • Colours: Purple, Turquoise
  • Material: Cotton
  • Filling: Wheat kernels
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Choice of scent
  • Filled with natural wheat
  • Does not specify if 100% cotton
The comfortable fit of the Amazing Health heat pack will help you recover faster from neck ailments. You can apply this microwavable heating pad around your shoulders to improve muscle tension easily and simply. It is ideal for use after training or to stimulate heat and oxygenation for inflamed tendons.

Don't miss out on this offer because the wheat pack offers a gentle fragrance to the band so that the aromatherapy contributes to relaxation. You can also use this pad as a refrigerated pack and get the effects of cold therapy. It comes with a practical 100% degradable gift box and includes a cotton fabric that does not irritate the skin, although in some cases this fabric can lose its temperature too quickly.

UNCN - Microwave Heat Pack for Neck and Shoulders with ergonomic design
  • Size: One Size - 771gr
  • Colours: Purple
  • Material: Cotton
  • Filling: Linseed
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Freezer and microwave safe
  • Cold-Heat Therapy
  • Quality finish
  • Good durability for therapies
  • Does not specify if it is 100% cotton
  • No size specified
Muscle strains and tendonitis can cause neck pain that affects a person's performance. That's why it's important to combat the symptoms of neck pain or arthritis with a UNCN heating pad filled with natural flaxseed. Thanks to this microwavable wheat bag you can get all the benefits of thermotherapy in a simple, fast and effective way.

Its ergonomic design offers a counterweight at the ends to prevent it from shifting when you are using it, which increases treatment time and improves comfort. Its padding can be heated in the microwave or cooled in the freezer so that the soft fabric stimulates blood circulation through cryotherapy. Be careful because its fibre material can melt in the microwave and cause injury to the user's skin.

Vagabond Bags - Large Heat packs with wheat and lavender filling for migraine, headaches and stress
  • Size: 47 x 16cm
  • Colours: Bees
  • Material: 100% Cotton
  • Filling: Wheat grains and lavender
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Filled with wheat grains and natural lavender
  • Material 100% cotton
  • Does not specify non-removable filler weight
Vagabond Bags shoulder and neck heating pads are ideal for relieving pain from sports injuries or repetitive motion overload. To eliminate toxins lodged in tendon and muscle fibres, it is necessary to apply controlled heat to stimulate oxygenation and nutrient exchange in the blood. Because of this, you cannot miss this opportunity to take care of your health in an effective way.

Its structure unfolds to a good length that can cover not only the neck, but it is also possible to apply thermotherapy to the knee and lumbar area. For this reason, this practical wheat bag with the band becomes a versatile health care tool. The 100% cotton fabric eliminates the risk of burns and irritation, although some users found that the stitching started to come apart after a short time.

WheatyBags - Large Microwave Heat Pack for Hot and Cold therapy and Pain Relief
  • Size: 47 x 12cm
  • Colours: Navy blue
  • Material: Polycotton, Organic cotton, Fleece fabric
  • Filling: Wheat kernels
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Option with or without lavender
  • 3 different fabric models
  • Proportional heat retention
  • Filled with natural wheat grains
  • Not machine washable
  • Weight not specified
If you can't take the pain in your neck muscles any longer and need to get rid of the fatigue and stress caused by these symptoms, you need to place a WheatyBags microwave heating pad on this part of your body. Its unisex, anatomical design does not deform with use and easily adapts to the strategic parts of the neck area, resulting in better support for efficient heat transfer.

It can be used by athletes or people who suffer from cervical pain or want to reduce their stress, as the heat stimulates blood circulation and reduces anxiety. This organic, wheat-filled product is heated in the microwave to achieve a soothing temperature, but you can also use it as a cold pack to stop inflammation. The polyester fabric with cotton is not suitable for people sensitive to plastic.

Vagabond Bags - Wheat and Lavender Thermal pillow with Fleece fabric for reduce pains and stiff muscles
  • Size: 47 x 13cm - 675gr
  • Colours: Dog prints
  • Material: 100% Polyester
  • Filling: Wheat and lavender kernels
  • Uses: Multi-purpose
  • Large size
  • Suitable for various body areas
  • Filled with wheat grains and natural lavender
  • Chemical free
  • Gently washable
  • Finishes to be improved
Thanks to their ergonomic design, Vagabond heating pads offer better support in areas that cause pain in the neck and back. Therefore, using a microwavable wheat bag that strategically covers the cervical area will help you to relax the muscles and reduce inflammation in tendons and nerves. You can use this heating pad on either side because its design prevents shifting during use.

By simply placing the heat wrap in the microwave for 2 minutes, you will get relief from headaches and muscle tension. This way you will have a better neck joint range, so you won't miss out on any activity you like to do, as the recovery period will be shorter. The soft fabric increases comfort, but may cause irritation, as the fabric is not made of cotton.

HP Solutions - Microwavable Neck Warmer for Pain Relief, Arthritis Therapeutic, Natural and Reusable
  • Size: One size fits all
  • Colours: Grey
  • Material: Cotton
  • Filling: Rice, Flaxseed
  • Uses: Multipurpose
  • Flexible materials
  • Quality finishes
  • Proportional heat retention
  • Durable heat therapy
  • Does not specify if 100% cotton
  • Does not specify size or weight
The high quality materials of the HP Solutions unisex heat pack improve the dilation of the capillary vessels so that the blood can better oxygenate the tissues. Thanks to this benefit, heat therapy can be applied two to four times a day to restore neck movement and relieve pain caused by cervicalgia or neck sprain. You can also use it on the elbow and knee thanks to the straps located at the ends.

The wheat-filled pads are reusable and easy to use because you only need to place them in the microwave to heat them up quickly. It doesn't lose flexibility and helps keep the heat in longer, relative to a cotton thermal wrap. Although it is important to consider that synthetic polyester materials can cause damage to the user's skin.

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Feel Recovery - Microwave Wheat Bag for Neck Pain Relief

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What causes muscle contractures?

Muscle contracture is considered one of the most common injuries, both in athletes and other people. It is manifested by an involuntary and constant shortening of the muscle fibres. Excessive tension develops in the affected muscle, which also causes severe pain when it occurs suddenly.

The main causes are the following:

  • Cold: Ambient cold generally causes vasoconstriction in the periphery, including in the muscles. If any activity is performed under these conditions, muscle contractures may occur. They also tend to occur with very sudden changes in temperature, for example when we are asleep and some extremities are involuntarily raw.
  • Muscle trauma: Any blow to the upper or lower limbs can cause a muscle twitch as a reflex reaction. This happens because the body has a defensive reaction to other adjacent structures. It can also be caused by the tearing of muscle fibres triggered by the blow, causing the muscle to contract.
  • Poor posture or sudden movements: Sudden movements or poor posture over a long period of time can cause muscle contractures. They usually occur gradually and very slowly, and the pain is much milder. These contractures occur in areas such as the neck and shoulders.
  • Due to overuse: This type of contracture is much more common in athletes when they subject their bodies to very strenuous exercise. This causes excessive tension in the muscle fibres, which keeps the muscles contracted. In some cases, the body is unable to return to a state of rest or relaxation at the end of the exercise.
  • Electrolyte and metabolic disturbances: Dehydration and loss of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chlorine and others due to physical activity lead to muscle contractures. This is because the loss of fluids causes toxic substances to accumulate in the muscles, causing involuntary contractions.
  • Emotional stress: Constant muscle tension due to emotional stress can also cause contractures.

Benefits of microwavable heat packs for muscle strain and sprain

A number of therapeutic measures can be used for muscle contractures. Thermotherapy or heat therapy is one of the most common, effective and easy to implement therapies.

Anti-inflammatory

This effect is achieved through the vasodilatory action of heat on the tissues. This promotes better blood circulation, which allows for better nutrition and faster recovery. This minimises pain and inflammation and promotes the elimination of toxins that cause greater inflammation and pain.

Relaxing effect on the muscles

The heat stretches the muscle fibres, leading to relaxation and better contraction. Thermotherapy prevents muscle spasms, relieves fatigue and significantly improves the resistance of the tissues.

Effect of tissue recovery

The vasodilatation caused by the heat allows for greater blood flow to the muscles and thus better tissue supply. This improves injuries and optimises the rehabilitation of the affected areas.

Cleansing effect

Toxins are waste products of metabolism and have a strong inflammatory and pain-relieving effect. Heat is an excellent means of cleansing toxins as it accelerates immune processes by activating the lymphatic system. Most of these waste products are excreted through the urine.

How to use heat packs to reduce muscle strain?

You can probably answer this question yourself based on your own experience. The back and lower back, trapezius, shoulders and neck are the most important areas.

  • Back: There are many different causes for this (poor sports performance, sudden movements, poor postural hygiene, joint injuries, emotional stress, etc.).
  • Lumbar spine or lower back: This is when a lumbar muscle is torn due to excessive exertion (e.g. improper lifting of a heavy object) or a fall, or when it remains in extension.
  • Trapezius: The main reasons for the stiffness of this muscle are poor posture (slouching) and stress. The pain itself encourages this inadequate and protective posture and prevents sufficient blood flow, so that the area receives less and less oxygen and its cells can therefore no longer function properly, triggering a vicious circle.
  • Neck: This occurs in response to trauma and also as a result of poor posture, especially during sleep. Treatment of this problem is particularly important because of the sensitivity of the area and the consequences of spreading stiffness.
  • Shoulders: There are two main reasons for this: Overuse due to poor posture (reaching for high or very distant objects) and stress.

The best heat packs for microwave for pain reief

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