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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 6 No. 1 January-April 2008 ÚÛ

Abstract
Development of Herbal Hot Pack for Patients with Musculoskeletal System Disorders
Jukkapun Kittamanorote, Sirinark Thamkom
Muang Parn Hospital, Amphur Muang Parn, Lampang Province
The purpose of this study was to develop a new herbal hot pack to replace the currently used costly
hydrocollator pack or hot pack for patients receiving physiotherapy at Muang Pan Hospital, Lampang
Province. It was aimed at enabling both patients and caretakers, under proper instruction of physiotherapy
staff, to use the newly developed herbal hot pack for primary health care at home in order to reduce the
workload and the expense of providing certain health service facilities and caretakers. The development
process was based on the traditional knowledge of the preparation of luk prakob or hot herbal ball and the
properties of hot packs. Based on the principle of physiotherapy, the hot pack should retain and transfer the
heat to raise and maintain dermal temperature at the therapeutic level of 40-45˚C for at least 20 minutes. In
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this pilot study, a herbal hot pack of standard size (30 cm ) was developed and its effects on the changes of the
dermal temperature over time were recorded. It was found that the steamed herbal hot pack was able to keep
the dermal temperature of the affected areas of the body at the therapeutic level for 20-30 minutes and the
patients were very satisfied with the treatment. The herbal hot pack thus developed can therefore be used
effectively to replace the pricey standard hydrocollator pack or hot pack.
Key words: herbal hot pack, musculoskeletal system disorders, Muang Parn Hospital, Lampang Province