Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety
A common pitfall of many conventional heat therapy methods is the propensity to lose heat over time and the need for reheating and reapplication. Pain-relieving digital heating devices are now available that can be held in place on the body via adhesive or magnet and provide pulsed heat. However, th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/23/7206 |
| _version_ | 1797400002816901120 |
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| author | Nicole Natarelli Chaitra Subramanyam Nimrit Gahoonia Waqas Burney Raja K. Sivamani Jessica Maloh |
| author_facet | Nicole Natarelli Chaitra Subramanyam Nimrit Gahoonia Waqas Burney Raja K. Sivamani Jessica Maloh |
| author_sort | Nicole Natarelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A common pitfall of many conventional heat therapy methods is the propensity to lose heat over time and the need for reheating and reapplication. Pain-relieving digital heating devices are now available that can be held in place on the body via adhesive or magnet and provide pulsed heat. However, the safety of such devices among different ages and skin types must be established. We conducted a prospective, open-label study to assess the effect of three consecutive thirty-minute treatment cycles on skin parameters and pain. Effects on mood and anxiety were secondarily assessed. 22 adult participants (20 female, 2 male; mean 58 ± 17.63 years) were recruited. The participants attended one visit with heating device intervention and a follow-up visit after 7–10 days. A 97% significant increase in transepidermal water loss was observed immediately following intervention (<i>p</i> = 8.04487 × 10<sup>−7</sup>), although significance was not sustained at follow-up. There was an increase along the red/green axis at 13/14 treatment locations immediately following treatment, although only four locations remained significantly increased at follow-up. Pain non-significantly decreased immediately following treatment (<i>p</i> = 0.057). A 38.6% decrease in subjective anxiety was observed immediately after treatment (<i>p</i> = 0.0139), and scores remained non-significantly reduced at follow-up (19.3% reduction from baseline; <i>p</i> = 0.1397). The heating devices elicit temporary changes to the skin, although the lack of significance at follow-up suggests that the devices can be safely used without long-term changes in skin color or barrier status. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:49:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc14a99468484b82bc0807513a7ea244 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:49:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc14a99468484b82bc0807513a7ea2442023-12-08T15:18:33ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-11-011223720610.3390/jcm12237206Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and AnxietyNicole Natarelli0Chaitra Subramanyam1Nimrit Gahoonia2Waqas Burney3Raja K. Sivamani4Jessica Maloh5Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USACollege of Osteopathic Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, OR 97355, USAIntegrative Skin Science and Research, Sacramento, CA 95815, USAIntegrative Skin Science and Research, Sacramento, CA 95815, USAIntegrative Skin Science and Research, Sacramento, CA 95815, USAIntegrative Skin Science and Research, Sacramento, CA 95815, USAA common pitfall of many conventional heat therapy methods is the propensity to lose heat over time and the need for reheating and reapplication. Pain-relieving digital heating devices are now available that can be held in place on the body via adhesive or magnet and provide pulsed heat. However, the safety of such devices among different ages and skin types must be established. We conducted a prospective, open-label study to assess the effect of three consecutive thirty-minute treatment cycles on skin parameters and pain. Effects on mood and anxiety were secondarily assessed. 22 adult participants (20 female, 2 male; mean 58 ± 17.63 years) were recruited. The participants attended one visit with heating device intervention and a follow-up visit after 7–10 days. A 97% significant increase in transepidermal water loss was observed immediately following intervention (<i>p</i> = 8.04487 × 10<sup>−7</sup>), although significance was not sustained at follow-up. There was an increase along the red/green axis at 13/14 treatment locations immediately following treatment, although only four locations remained significantly increased at follow-up. Pain non-significantly decreased immediately following treatment (<i>p</i> = 0.057). A 38.6% decrease in subjective anxiety was observed immediately after treatment (<i>p</i> = 0.0139), and scores remained non-significantly reduced at follow-up (19.3% reduction from baseline; <i>p</i> = 0.1397). The heating devices elicit temporary changes to the skin, although the lack of significance at follow-up suggests that the devices can be safely used without long-term changes in skin color or barrier status.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/23/7206heatpainmoodanxietyTEWLheating device |
| spellingShingle | Nicole Natarelli Chaitra Subramanyam Nimrit Gahoonia Waqas Burney Raja K. Sivamani Jessica Maloh Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety Journal of Clinical Medicine heat pain mood anxiety TEWL heating device |
| title | Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety |
| title_full | Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety |
| title_short | Effect of Pulsing Digital Heating Devices on Skin Parameters, Subjective Pain, Mood, and Anxiety |
| title_sort | effect of pulsing digital heating devices on skin parameters subjective pain mood and anxiety |
| topic | heat pain mood anxiety TEWL heating device |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/23/7206 |
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