Good heat packs... or how do i make my own?

Hi all, just wondering if you could help me out. I have the worst shoulder pain I've ever had (have had this type of pain before thanks to RA), and since I am pregnant can't take my anti-inflammatories and I don't really know what else there is at this stage.

I have been putting heat on it, which helps a lot. Just a damp teatowel microwaved for 30 seconds lol. But the heat doesn't last very long, so I am back and forward heating it up... which is a real PITA at night - when my shoulder starts hurting again it wakes me up, which means very broken sleep!

Does anyone know of a good heat pack which stays hot, one that is not too awkward to put on my shoulder (a hot water bottle is a bit hard to keep balanced on my shoulder!). I have heard of one that I think are filled with wheat? What are they like?

Or, does anyone know how to make a good heat pack?

TIA.

Awww hun :hugs: hope you find some relief soon. You might want to look into the gel packs that you can get from the chemist-they can be used hot or cold and are really helpful during labour so you can get use out of them down the track too! Most hospitals wont let you use the wheat bag types because *apparantly* they can catch on fire - pfft never heard of it myself but these gel ones are great!!

ETA- the pack is kind of longish and having gel in it, you would be able to kind of mould it over your shoulder and neck iykwim!

Oh you poor thing!
I love mine - its a lavendar scented wheat bag, DD loves it too when she gets growing pains.

I bought mine at the local chemist.

You can make a wheat bag if you have access to a sewing machine or are patient...

Get some wheat (a kilo or two) wholegrain - a natural foodstore might have it? I got mine from a farm which grows it, dunno if you have that option.

I used an old cotton pillowcase to make my bag. My wheat bag is rectangular, the length of the width of a pillowcase and about 8 inches wide, and has 16 "cells" each filled with wheat but not tightly packed, think like the amount of tea in a teabag - you can shake it into one lump or spread it out and it fills the space right?

First cut the bit of pillowcase off that you want - if it's going to be 10 inches wide then cut it about 11 inches from the end seam so you have seaming room. Then sew four straight lines in it from the bottom end to the raw edge, making 4 equal-sized channels. Put a handful of wheat into each channel and shake it down right to the bottom. Sew a line across all the channels about 2 inches up, trapping the wheat in 4 pockets. THen another handful of wheat in each and sew across again. I did this 4 times until i had a pad 4 pockets by 4 pockets, each pocket being about 2 inches by 4 inches and loosely filled with wheat. THen turn what is left of the fabric (the raw edge) into the last pocket and sew it firmly down, thus sealing the last set of pockets.

To heat you put it in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes (feel it after 2 and see how warm it is). The heat lasts a couple of hours. To avoid it "going on fire" don't micro it for more than 4 minutes, and let it go almost totally cold before re-heating it (make 2 if you need more intense heat all the time). If you want to make it smell nice add some dried lavender flowers to each handful of wheat.

Bx

Thakns Tan and catrionalee... And thanks Tan for the info on the gel packs... I always thought they were only for cooling.

Wow Bec, thanks so much. I will definately be making one, it sounds like the perfect size. Thanks so much for the instructions! :)

No worries hun, glad it made sense (mind was boggling as i wrote it ;))

Bx