Product Review – Portable Smart Heat

Therapy Innovations

I would like to review a new product that I tried out this fall. It is the Portable Smart Heat by Therapy Innovations. I came across this in a catalog last spring and thought it was interesting. I am always looking for new products that will make my job easier. When I attended the NATA Convention this past summer I made a point of checking this product out.

Therapy Innovations makes two products, the Smart Heat System and the Portable Smart Heat. The Smart Heat System is designed for your use in a facility. I will review only the Portable Unit. The number one modality that AT’s use for heat is a Hydrocollator. They have been around for many years. Their chief drawback is you need to fill them with water and they have a long initial warm up time. This is okay in a facility where they are just kept on 24/7. When traveling it becomes a little difficult to carry a small Hydrocollator unit, fill it with water, and then wait for it to heat up. I have seen AT’s do this but it was not for me. Yes, you can use the home team facility, but with some sports this becomes unmanageable, i.e. football. You can also use this in your hotel. So when I saw this unit I thought this may be a great traveling unit for my athletes.

The unit comes in an insulated travel bag, with three pads that measure 12” x 12”. The plug goes into the wall and the other end has three connectors that plug into each pad. You can also purchase additional pads in oversize, neck or multi joint configurations. It takes about 10 minutes for the pads to heat up and each pad has a washable cover. When ready to use, unplug the pad and apply. When you are finished you just plug the pad back into the connector to reheat. It will reheat in approx. 3-5 minutes. You can place a moist towel between the pack and skin if you prefer moist heat.

I have found this modality very useful for road trips. The pads heat up quickly and provide a quick means of therapeutic heat while traveling. I also plan to also use these in the dugouts for baseball and softball games. In conclusion, I would recommend this product to athletic trainers.  It is a portable and efficient means of applying heat when the usual modalities are unavailable.