Method for providing therapeutic heat treatment and kit for practice thereof

A method for applying a therapeutic heat treatment to a body part comprises the steps of placing a suitable fluid (20) in a container (10); placing wax (22) in the container; heating the combination (16) of the wax (22) and the fluid (20) until the wax (22) has melted forming a layer and the fluid (20) has reached the treatment temperature; and passing the body part (40) through the layer of wax (46) and into the fluid to form a glove around the body part. The present invention also provides for a kit (60) for providing therapeutic heat treatment, the kit comprising a microwavable container (20) a removable lid (30); and a quantity of wax (22).

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention generally relates to a method for applying heat to a 
body extremity for therapeutic purposes. More particularly, the invention 
relates to a method for providing a heated wax and water combination for 
applying heat to an extremity. Specifically, the present invention relates 
to a method for providing a layer of stabilized wax over a body of heated 
water such that an extremity is coated with wax as it is passed through 
the wax into the water where the wax-coated extremity is subjected to the 
heat from the water. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Subjecting a body part, or extremity, such as a hand or a foot to heat has 
long been known to be therapeutic for ailments such as arthritis and the 
like. One known method for subjecting an extremity to a heat treatment is 
to provide a quantity of stabilized heated wax into which the extremity is 
immersed. The extremity is then removed and allowed to cool for twenty to 
thirty seconds. The extremity is then immersed again and removed. The 
immersions are repeated until approximately one eighth of an inch of wax 
has covered the entire extremity. The extremity is then wrapped in a towel 
and the wax is allowed to cool. While the wax is cooling, the extremity is 
subjected to the heat from the wax for approximately fifteen minutes. When 
the wax on the extremity has cooled, the wax is peeled off and may be 
discarded. 
Such a wax treatment requires approximately six pounds of wax to create the 
volume necessary to adequately cover the extremity. For instance, if the 
wax treatment is going to be used on a hand, the stabilized heated wax 
must be deep enough to cover the hand up to the wrist. The large quantity 
of wax requires a significant amount of time to reach the treatment 
temperature and to stabilize. The wax is typically heated in an electric 
pot until the entire volume of wax has reached the desired treatment 
temperature of approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The process of 
heating and stabilizing the wax may take six to eight hours. 
One problem with this method of treatment is the length of time to heat and 
stabilize the wax. Patients desiring the therapeutic heat treatment, and 
more particularly their caregivers, desire to have such a treatment on 
demand instead of having to plan ahead for heating the wax. Another 
undesirable aspect of the treatment is the amount of wax that is used to 
coat the extremity. In a typical treatment on a hand, approximately 50 to 
60 grams of wax is used to coat the hand. This wax may be discarded when 
the wax has cooled after the treatment. Additionally, the 6 to 8 pounds of 
wax must be periodically discarded or cleaned. An additional problem with 
this method is that an electric heater is typically used to heat the wax. 
Although safely designed, electric heaters generally increase the risks of 
user injury and increase the possibility of fires when left on for the 
lengths of time necessary to heat and stabilize the wax. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a 
therapeutic heat treatment method requiring a relatively short amount of 
time to prepare. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for 
providing a therapeutic heat treatment requiring a relatively small 
quantity of wax. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a 
therapeutic heat treatment that may be safely prepared in a microwave 
oven. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic 
heat treatment using a relatively low volume of wax and a relatively high 
volume of heated water. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic 
heat treatment where a relatively thin layer of stabilized wax floats on a 
relatively large body of hot water, the layer of wax being used to form a 
glove over an extremity passed therethrough into the water. 
At least one or more of the foregoing objects, as well as the advantages 
thereof over existing and prior art forms, which will be apparent in view 
of the detailed specification, are accomplished by means hereinafter 
described and claimed. 
In general, the present invention provides a method for providing 
therapeutic heat treatment to a body part comprising the steps of placing 
a suitable fluid in a container; placing wax in the container; heating the 
fluid and wax combination until the wax has melted forming a layer and the 
fluid has reached the treatment temperature; and passing the body part 
through the layer of wax and into the fluid to form a glove around the 
body part. 
The present invention also provides for a kit for providing therapeutic 
heat treatment, the kit comprising a microwavable container; a removable 
lid; and a quantity of wax. 
One exemplary method embodying the concepts of the present invention is 
disclosed. The description of this embodiment is deemed sufficient to 
effect a full disclosure of the subject invention, the exemplary 
embodiment being shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and 
being described in detail without attempting to show all the various forms 
and modifications in which the invention might be embodied--the invention 
being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the 
specification.

PREFERRED MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
A method for providing a therapeutic heat treatment according to the 
concepts of the present invention generally requires a microwavable 
container such as the one depicted in the figures and indicated generally 
by the numeral 10. The container 10 may be fabricated from one of the 
numerous known materials that are microwavable. It is desirable that the 
container have walls 12 thick enough to insulate the outer surface 14 of 
the container 10 from the heated combination 16 inside the container 10. A 
container 10 that has been found to be useful for implementing the method 
of the present invention to treat a hand is approximately 10 inches long 
by 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Other sizes would, of course, be used 
as needed for different extremities. 
As will become apparent below, the container is provided to receive a 
volume of a suitable fluid and a wax or wax formulation, either of the 
latter providing a therapeutic covering or "glove" encompassing the hand 
or other body part immersed into the melted wax. While water is 
exemplified as the suitable fluid throughout this description, by 
"suitable" is meant that the fluid selected to receive the wax or wax 
formulation must meet several criteria. One of these is that the fluid 
must be microwave reactive, that is, it can be heated by exposure to 
microwave energy, and provide a fluid medium for melting the wax. Another 
is that the fluid should not be a solvent for the wax. Also, the fluid 
should be thermally stable and finally, it must not be harmful to the 
patient or user. 
Next, while wax can be employed in practice of the present invention, wax 
formulations can also be. By "formulation" is meant wax or waxes that 
contain other therapeutic agents as will aid in the treatment and/or 
benefit the user. Such agents should be thermally stable, miscible with 
the wax, immiscible with the fluid and, capable of floating on the liquid 
with the wax, so as to become part of the covering encompassing the hand 
or other body part. As used throughout the specification and claims, the 
term wax is intended to include wax and waxes as well as wax formulations. 
Returning now to the description of the container 10, it has a set of 
volume markings 18 on at least one wall 12 to inform the patient or 
caregiver how much fluid 20 is in the container 10. Strips of solid wax 22 
are included with the container for each treatment. The strips of wax 22 
are placed in the unheated fluid 20 before the water is heated. The 
quantity of wax 22 used for each treatment varies depending on the desired 
application. For instance, treating a foot may require more wax 22 than 
treating a hand. 
The container 10 may have a lid, 30 depicted in FIG. 4, that cooperatively 
engages the container 10. The lid 30 includes a plurality of wax melting 
cages 32. Each cage 32 extends downwardly from the lid 30 into the 
container 10. The cages 32 are used to immerse strips of solid wax 22 at 
least partially in the fluid, or water 20, so that more surface area of 
the wax 22 is exposed to the water 20 as it is being heated. After the wax 
22 has melted, the lid 30 is removed so that the extremity 40 may be 
placed in the container 10. The lid 30 may sealingly engage the container 
10 or may loosely engage the container 10. When the lid 30 sealingly 
engages the container 10, vents 34 are provided in the lid 30 to permit 
any steam formed to escape. 
In general, the method of the present invention is performed as follows. 
First, the patient or caregiver fills the container 10 with fluid 20 to 
the required level marker 18 as marked on the side 12 of the container 10. 
The patient then places a quantity of wax 22 into the fluid 20, preferably 
in the cages or otherwise submerged. The container 10 holding the 
combination 16 is then placed in a microwave oven (not shown). The oven is 
turned on for a length of time until the fluid 20 is heated to the 
treatment temperature, in turn, melting the wax 22. The heated combination 
16 is then permitted to stand to allow the melted wax to stabilize. When 
the melted wax stabilizes, a layer of stabilized wax 42 is formed on top 
of the heated fluid 44. Once stabilized, the patient passes an extremity 
40 to be treated through the layer of wax 42 and into the hot water 44. As 
the extremity passes through the wax layer 42, the wax coats the extremity 
40 forming a wax glove 46 around the extremity. 
The hand is then removed, allowing the wax to solidify. The hand is then 
reinserted through the layer of molten wax, causing more wax to be 
deposited on the hand, increasing the thickness of the wax glove and 
consequently depleting the "reservoir" of molten wax. The warm water is 
synonymous to the large volume of molten wax in the prior art. The water 
can be used to provide adjunct therapy, but the purpose is to warm the wax 
glove further. The "gloved" hand is, at some point, removed from the 
microwave wax bath, wrapped in a plastic sheet covered with a towel, as an 
insulation, and the heat therapy continued outside the bath, the 
therapeutic heat being provided by the wax glove "heat reservoir". 
More specifically, for the treatment of a hand or a foot, the user or 
caregiver first places approximately 2000 grams of water 20, or other 
suitable fluid, in the container 10. Next, approximately 120 grams of wax 
22 is placed in the water 20, as noted hereinabove. The container 10 is 
then placed in a microwave. The amount of time required to heat water and 
melt the wax 22 varies depending on the strength of the microwave, but it 
has been found that a 900 watt microwave will heat such a combination 16 
in approximately 71/2 minutes. Once the combination 16 is heated, the 
heated combination 16 is allowed to stand for approximately 21/2 minutes 
to allow the wax to stabilize. The total time for preparing the treatment 
is thus approximately 10 minutes, significantly shorter than the time 
period to melt and stabilize the wax in the prior art. The main purpose of 
the fluid is that it allows the "non-microwavable" wax to be melted in the 
microwave. 
Ideally the layer of stabilized wax 42 on top of the heated water 44 should 
have a depth of approximately 2 millimeters. It has been found that adding 
approximately 120 grams of wax to approximately 2000 grams of water in a 6 
inch by 10 inch by 4 inch container 10 produces a layer of stabilized wax 
42 having a depth of approximately 2 millimeters. When containers are used 
having different dimensions, the volume of wax must be altered 
accordingly. 
It has also been found that when the combination 16 of the wax 22 and water 
20 is heated in a microwave other than a 900 watt microwave, the amount of 
time for melting the wax 22 and heating the water 20 increases but the 
time to stabilize the wax decreases. Thus, the total time remains 
approximately 10 minutes. For instance, an 800 watt microwave takes 
approximately 81/2 minutes to heat the water 20 and melt the wax 22, but 
only 11/2 minutes to stabilize the melted wax. A 750 watt microwave 
requires approximately 9 minutes to heat the water 20 and melt the wax 22, 
but only 1 minute is require to stabilize the melted wax. A 700 watt 
microwave requires 91/2 minutes to heat the water 20 and melt the wax 22 
but only 1/2 minute to acquire wax stabilization. When higher or lower 
power microwaves are used, the overall time may vary accordingly. 
Similarly, the power and overall time may range within other parameters 
where the suitable fluid is other than water. 
A thermometer 50 is provided to allow the patient to determine the 
temperature of the heated water 44. The patient continues to heat the 
combination 16 until the water 20 is approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit. 
To do so, the patient heats the combination 16 for approximately 7 
minutes, measures the temperature, and reheats for approximately 1 minute. 
The patient then measures the temperature of the water 20 again and 
repeats the 1 minute heatings until the water 44 is approximately 130 
degrees Fahrenheit. 
When the wax stabilizes, it cools and forms an insulating barrier over the 
heated water 44. The stabilized wax 42 also helps keep the water 44 hot 
enough to provide the beneficial treatment. As the extremity 40 is passed 
through the layer of stabilized wax 42, the wax 42 sticks to the skin 
forming a wax glove 46 around the extremity. The layer of wax 46 is thin 
enough to allow the extremity to feel the heat of the water 44 but thick 
enough to protect the skin from the 130 degree water. The extremity 40 can 
be passed into the water 44 to provide additional heat, if desired. The 
beneficial effects of the heat last approximately ten to thirty minutes. 
As will be understood from the foregoing description of the operation of 
the invention, a kit, referred to generally by the numeral 60, can be 
provided for convenient and ready practice of the method of therapeutic 
heat treatment, according to the present invention. The kit, depicted in 
FIG. 5, comprises the container 10, with its lid 30 and the requisite 
amount of wax for one treatment. The thermometer 50 may also be included, 
inside the container. The kit can be suitably sealed subsequent to 
manufacture to assure the safety and quality of its contents. Appropriate 
instructions can also be provided in sheet form or on a disposable 
packaging (not shown). The user will open the kit, remove the lid, and add 
the required volume of water to the container and then proceed as 
described hereinabove. After use, the entire unit can be discarded, 
re-used or cleaned and stored for subsequent usage. Additional quantities 
of wax in strip form or otherwise can be packaged with the kit for 
multiple uses or, these can be separately purchased as refills, depending 
upon the marketing strategy desired. 
Based upon the foregoing description, it should be apparent that a method 
for applying a therapeutic heat treatment according to the concepts of the 
present invention effectively and quickly applies heat to an extremity 
using a small quantity of wax. It is to be appreciated that the preferred 
method of placing the wax within cages, carried by the removable lid, for 
partial immersion in the water prior to heating is by no means to be 
construed as limiting. Thus, it is within the scope of the present 
invention to practice the method without the lid, in which instance the 
wax can merely be floated upon the surface of the water during the heating 
and melting step. However, due to the decreased area acted upon by the 
heating water, the time for melting will be increased. 
It is also within the scope of the present invention to provide lower 
melting waxes or formulations. The lowered temperature of the combination 
wax water may be desirable in some therapies such as burn patients who 
require therapeutic effects of wax therapy, but must not be exposed to 
"high" temperatures. Also persons with higher sensitivity to heat may 
require lower temperature systems. Finally, it is within the scope of the 
present invention to employ a suitable fluid other than water as the 
medium for melting the wax or wax formulation, as discussed hereinabove. 
It is thus evident that all variations fall within the scope of the claimed 
invention; therefore, the selection of specific material components as 
well as method steps can be determined without departing from the spirit 
of the present invention. Moreover, the scope of the present invention 
shall include all modifications and variations that may fall within the 
scope of the attached claims.