Foot warmers for cold feet?

[anonomous]

Now that the weather is getting cooler, I notice when I am working on fellow students their feet are so cold. Is there a tool/warmer out there that any of you can suggest? Maybe just wrapping them in a dry warm towel? I am going to get a heating pad but since the heel is the only part of the foot really touching the pad I don't know if that will help.

I also use memory foam so I am unsure if it would be safe to lay a heating pad on the memory foam. Which layer do you typically lay your heating pad on if you use one?

I thought about warming booties but I don't know of an easy way to wash them between clients and would like something more sanitary which the client will feel comfortable with me using on them.

Any guidance would be appreciated!!

 

[Pompal 09.]

you could use plastic wrap or plastic bags (like food storage type without the zipper) under the booties and then they can be thrown away. i have an electric blanket on the top layer that i keep on low when it's cool. that way if someone is hot it doesn't take too long to cool them off or if they're colder it doesn't take long to warm them up.

good luck!
amanda

 

[Mariska]

Amanda, what fantastic ideas!!! Thanks so much! I am going to put your suggestions to use!

 

[Sophieeeeeee]

I use the Thermophore standard size heating pad (14x27). This isn't a table warmer. It's a heating pad that you lay on top of your client. (On top of the sheet, so the sheet keeps it sanitary.) It's also an intense heat (which is what makes it feel so good) so I also put two handtowels between the heating pad and the client, to disperse the heat slightly. (This is the same technique PT's use in medical clinics with the moist hydrocollater heating pads).

In the winter, I use it throughout the massage session. It's large enough to lay across the feet both prone or supine and cover both feet entirely. It's also large enough to cover the entire back (even on tall men). For petite women, it covers the entire back & hips at the same time. (You can put it on the feet during back massage, on the back/hips during leg massage prone, on the abdomen during leg massage supine, and on the feet again, during arm & neck massage supine.) My clients love this heating pad!

I don't know if you've ever seen a Thermophore. They were originally designed for home use, and they have a handheld on/off switch. The idea was for a person to press the switch and keep it on until it felt too hot, then release the switch, allow it to cool a little, then press the switch to heat up again. This provided cyclical therapeutic heat applications. In the massage setting, you obviously don't want your client to have to mess around with pressing a switch. So, my colleagues & I override this function by putting a strap over the switch to hold it down (and keep the heating pad on) throughout a massage. Then, we use towels to disperse the heat, so it doesn't get too hot.

Why go to all this trouble, you might ask? The high heat ability of this heating pad makes it exceptional. It's a much higher heat than electric blankets, table warmers or other heating pads I've seen. That high heat simply feels better (and it relaxes muscles better - making our work easier).

If you choose to buy one, I recommend buying the original. (They now sell one with a digital thermostat that you can set for a certain level of heat. But like all products I've seen with thermostats attached, the thermostat's not accurate. It turns itself off long before it reaches a therapeutically high heat.)

Here's the website, if you're interested:
http://www.anyotc.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6617

P.S. Personally, I don't like the feeling of my feet heated up inside plastic. It makes my feet feel sweaty and sticky.

 

[Question Man]

P.S. Personally, I don't like the feeling of my feet heated up inside plastic. It makes my feet feel sweaty and sticky.

i respect that.
if you use these gloves or booties with plastic, it might be best to use aromatherapy oil, or your favorite cream, on the body part first, as to have a therapuetic benefit with the warmth. when removing the plastic, the part whould be wiped clean with a warm wet or dry towel before the massage so your client doesn't get that sweaty feeling.

i love herbal ease products for their booties, gloves, and body packs.

 

[pippy:D]

Here is what I do, it is cheap and easy.

Everyone has pillows in their treatment room, right?? Well, between my two pillows, I have a heating pad and under that heating pad I keep socks. Mens socks, two different types, the kind that cover your ankle and then a tube style mens sock for guys with really big feet.

After you are finished working a clients feet, slip on a pair of warmed socks. My clients LOVE it!! Even in the summer time.

I just put however many socks I will be using for the day under the heating pad at the begining of the day. I set the heating pad on high and let it stay on all day long. The more expencive heating pads have the stay on setting and run about $25. A pack of socks cost about $6 to $8. I get socks that are thicker than average, they tend to hold the heat better.

 

[sonicfan]

The sock idea is fun, and I can see why clients would like it. However, it doesn't warm their feet up before you massage them. As someone who has very cold feet (even with socks on), I can tell you that my feet tend to cramp if someone tries to massage them cold. If you like the sock idea, maybe you can put them on their feet before you massage them? For example, put the socks on both feet. Massage the rest of their legs. Then remove one sock -- massage that foot. Remove the other sock & massage the other foot. By then the socks will no longer be hot anyway, as heat dissipates quickly, but they will have done their job of warming up the feet. (One of the reasons I like my Thermophore heating pad is that it can keep the clients feet warm for the entire massage - even a 2 hour massage).

P.S. I don't sell Thermophores, so this isn't a marketing spam. I just think they're the best.

 

[betteryawn]

i use either a heating pad on top of the feet (and on top of the sheet/blanket layer) or i also use flax seed "pillows" that i made. they are kind of oval shaped and filled with flax seed. i throw them into the micro and then toss them onto the feet before i start the session. they work great and clients appreciate their toes/feet being nice and warm.

i can't stand my foot being in plastic either. i want them to be warm but i also want them to be able to "breathe".