How to use a heating pad for cramps at work

Why cramps feel worse at work

The cramp hits halfway through a meeting and grips your belly and lower back together. At home you would curl up with a hot water bottle. At work you sit upright for hours, you can't lie down, and your hands are busy. A pad you have to hold in place is no help when you need both hands on a keyboard.

Cramps also rarely stay in one spot. Many women feel them low in the belly and in the lower back at the same time, and a small pad warms only one of those.

So heat for work has to stay put without your hands and reach more than one spot.

If you sit at a desk most of the day, the Riley wearable heating pad straps on and heats your lower belly, lower back and hips at once.

Your options at work

• Stick on heat patch. Hands free, lasts several hours, then goes in the trash. Best for meetings, the commute and standing jobs.
• Hot water bottle or wheat bag. You have to hold it, and it cools down within an hour or so. Fine for a quick break if your office has a kettle or microwave.
• Battery wearable pad. Hands free until the battery runs down. Handy if you move between rooms.
• Corded wearable pad. Hands free, and the heat lasts as long as it stays plugged in. Best for long stretches at a desk.
• Classic plug in pad. Steady heat, but you have to hold it in place. Better for lying down at home than for work.

Most people who get bad cramps end up using two of these: a wearable pad at the desk and a patch in their bag for everything else. For more on how they differ, see our wearable pad, belt and patch comparison.

The Riley by REB Relief

I built the Riley after years of being tied to a wall outlet with a pad that kept slipping. We make it, so weigh our view with that in mind and read the reviews. It is a corded wearable heating pad that straps on and warms your lower belly, lower back and hips at once, so you can sit and work with your hands free. It plugs into a US wall outlet, warms up in 3 seconds, has 10 heat settings and runs sessions of up to 2 hours.

• $119, and FSA and HSA eligible
• Rated 4.7 from 227 reviews
• 90 day guarantee, so you can try it through three full cycles
• Ships from our US warehouse

See the Riley

How to set up a heating pad at your desk

1. Find the outlet first. A spot under or beside your desk keeps the cord out of the walkway. A short extension cord helps if the nearest outlet is across the room.
2. Run the cord down the chair leg. Tuck it behind you so it doesn't catch when you stand up or roll your chair back.
3. Wear it over a thin layer. A tank top or thin tee between the pad and your skin is more comfortable over a long day.
4. Start low. Turn it up only if you need more. You will feel the heat build as you sit.
5. Unplug when you leave your desk. Switch it off before lunch, before meetings and at the end of the day.

One customer wrote, "This amazing design allows her to sit at her desk and continue working while receiving heated relief." Laura R.

Keeping it discreet

A wearable pad sits flat against your belly and back, so a loose top, a cardigan or a blazer covers it. High waisted pants or a dress with a little room at the waist also help. If you are worried about the cord, a jacket on the back of your chair hides most of it.

You don't owe anyone an explanation. If a colleague asks, "it's a heat pad" is a full answer.

When you're away from your desk

A corded pad is made for sitting near an outlet, so it is not the right tool for a walk to a meeting or a day on your feet. For those moments:

• Put a stick on heat patch on before you leave your desk, on top of a thin layer, not on bare skin.
• Keep a spare patch in your bag for the commute home.
• If you stand or move all day, in retail, healthcare or teaching, patches are the easier choice. Save the wearable pad for your breaks and for the evening.

Talking to your manager

You don't have to share details about your period or your health. If you want to ask for something, keep it practical: a desk near an outlet, a few minutes to step away, or working from home on the worst day of the month.

If your pain is from endometriosis, adenomyosis or another condition and it regularly affects your work, a note from your doctor can help you and HR talk through what would make the job easier. Our guide on heating pads for endometriosis pain covers heat during a flare.

Using heat safely at work

• Start on the lowest setting and build up slowly.
• Follow the maker's instructions for how long to use it, and take breaks.
• Check your skin between sessions. If it looks red or feels sore, stop.
• Keep heat off broken or irritated skin, and never put a patch straight on bare skin unless the pack says it is made for that.
• Don't nap at your desk with a pad switched on. Switch it off and unplug it when you finish.
• Ask your doctor first if you are pregnant, have reduced feeling in your skin, or have an implanted medical device.

When heat is not enough

Heat can make a bad day easier. It does not treat the cause of your pain. If cramps make you miss work, wake you at night, or are getting worse, see your doctor. Period pain that stops you doing normal things is worth taking to your doctor.

Sudden severe pain, or pain with a fever, needs urgent medical care.