Heating Pad?

[StreetWalker]

Is there any way to get a decent heating pad (for my back) from the VA? The crap one finds in stores now days doesn't last 6 months.

[StreetWalker]

Received my heating pad from the VA this week.

Leave it to the VA to take a simple device like a heating pad and totally screw it up.

The heating pad I received has a "dead-man" switch on it.

There's not on/off switch or temperature setting. All it has is one spring loaded switch. You hold down that switch till you reach the desired temperature. Then you let go. The heating pad then begins to cool down. Once it's too cool you again hold down the switch till it warms up again.

Now I can see this type of operation for a elderly bed-ridden person. It would prevent thermal damage to the body if the person falls asleep. But for my uses it's totally useless.

When I'm sitting I pretty much need a constant level of heat to keep the pain level in my lower back to a minimum. My current heating pad has a two hour limit which you can override by pressing a button.

If I don't override the timer I can tell within 5-10 minutes when the heating pad turns off due to the increase in pain in my back.

I'll be returning this pad to the VA next week when I'm up on the hill for one of my two appointments. Going to talk to them and see if they have anything else available.