Gift Guides•December 11, 2023•By mysistermademebuyit
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Maybe pain relief gifts are not on everyone’s wishlist, but they are something that can be used every day! And shopping math tells me that means items are basically free when used all the time.
While I am not a medical professional, all of these pain relief gift recommendations come from my personal experience. I am overweight, which is hard on my joints. My jobs have always been desk jobs where I am sitting for 8+ hours a day. I get migraines. I took care of my dad, someone with limited mobility, who needed assistance transferring to and from wheelchair, toilet, bed, etc. In emergencies, I would even have that super human adrenaline strength you hear people talk about where I was able to pick him up after a fall. Something, I should never have done, but now I know better. I did that for 2+ years. All that to say — my body has been through a lot and I do whatever I can to help manage the pain without always having to rely on medicine.
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We spend so much of our lives sleeping and sitting. I try to have healthy sleep and sitting environments to ensure that I am not doing anything to make my pain worse. I think the following items would make great pain relief gifts because they would be something they could use every day!
Pillow Cube – I originally paid full price for this pillow because of an Instagram ad that targeted side sleepers. I used it in addition to the coop pillow for a week, and posted it was not for me. I received dozens of messages telling me to keep trying and only use this pillow. AND OH MY GOSH IT WORKED. This pillow not only helped reduce my neck pain, but also reduced the number of headaches and migraines I experience. I bought the 5″ one. I also bought the travel size version.
Cushion Lab Lumbar Support – This lumbar support cushion has helped so much with my lower back pain. I have had mine for 3 years in January and it has still like new. I have several – one downstairs for our couches, chairs and patio furniture and one for upstairs for my office. I also bring it along on road trips for the car and for the couches and chairs there!
Cushion Lab Seat Cushion Support – This cushion seat support would make a great pain relief gift. A college injury made me have a lot of scarring in my tailbone, which has been replaced with arthritis. Then pregnancy happened and my tailbone has never recovered. So I have tried A LOT of seat cushions. I have had this one for three years and it is my favorite. The fact that I use it all the time and it still has the support I need as a plus sized woman means that it is DURABLE.
Also, did it sound like my college injury was due to being athletic? That was what I was hoping. Really I just fell down stairs coming back from class because I accidentally made eye contact with a cute boy, lost my footing, fell down a bunch of stairs and then it knocked the wind out of me. Said cute boy had to check in to see if I was okay. But I could not say anything because the wind was knocked out of me.
Natumax Knee Pillow for Side Sleepers – I curse the day I ever decided to be a side sleeper. It causes so much pain for me! I started to have some hip and lower back pain and read that sleeping on your side can cause it. I did a google search and found that sleeping with a pillow between your legs can help. However, I hated how it would always fall out in the middle of the night. I started to use this one because it had a strap, and it will stay all night as long as I don’t remove it.
Chirp Stretching Wheels – I have had these for at least five years. They always showed up as a Facebook ad for me and I bought them because I was having so much pain from taking care of my dad. He needed assistance getting in and out of his wheelchair and for toileting and my back was not conditioned to help .These are amazing stretchers and really helped with my pain. The 6” wheel is my favorite because you can also use it to help with lumbar support in a chair or roll it against a wall for pressure spot therapy.
Headaches | Sinus | Dry Eyes
TheraIce Migraine Cap – A compressive cap that helps block out light that can either be cold or hot. I love this thing and have used for a couple of years and it is still holding up! I keep it in the freezer, but will also microwave it from time to time for heat therapy.
Sinus Relief Heated Electric Mask – I do not think this is a moist heat, but I do love how it is electric and I can wrap it around my head for sinus or migraine relief. Sometimes my headaches need cold, sometimes it needs warmth. This is different from the TheraIce because it does not have the compression, but it stays warmer longer. If you need a moist heat or want something where you are not tied to an electric cord…
Thermalon Sinus Moist Heat Mask – I first learned about this mask because of my dry eyes. I send it to everyone who is grieving because it helps so much with dry eyes, styes and sinus pain. Just a few 20 second intervals in the microwave, tie it around your head and you are good to go!
Heat Therapy
My mom was a nurse for 34 years before she retired, where she was still a nurse for my dad. She also had rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis – she was always in pain. One of the things we always gifted her were massages – which she loved. It also meant some time away from caregiving. I always recommend experience gifts because those are some of the best memories I have with my mom – our girls day. However, it is not realistic to get a massage everyday, so these are some of the things that we both liked or use. There are a few things I have not yet tried, but will be buying.
Electric Blanket – I love electric blankets. I have purchased a lot of them and they never seem to last. Maybe because I accidentally leave them on? I posted about this last year and a lot of people said to try the Westinghouse brand, so that’s what I bought! And I love it! It comes in different sizes, but I love the timer the most. They also have other types of blankets, but I do not like sherpa lined blankets, so I went with the regular flannel version.
Heated hand mittens – These are microwaveable hand mittens and feel SO good on. Kind of like when you are at the spa. My mom had Rheumatoid Arthritis and loved having heat on her hands and feet.
Heated foot warmer – I have not tried this because I never thought to try it. But I do love when my feet are warm so I am going to be buying it to try for everyone. Would be a great gift for those who are on their feet all day or have arthritis.
Weighted Upper Body Heating Pad – I like this heating pad because it is weighted and you can tie around your body – perfect for when you need to be upright.
