Heat Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions: Actionable Suggestions for Pharmacists from a Panel of Experts

Musculoskeletal disorders represent one of the most pervasive health concerns that drive frequent medical consultations and pharmacy encounters. Community pharmacies are well placed to help address this demand as they are accessible settings for healthcare advice and support for patients with musculoskeletal disorders complaining of pain. Heat therapy stands as a valuable component of a multimodal approach to the management of musculoskeletal pain by virtue of multiple effects: pain relief, reduction of muscle spasms and stiffness, and enhanced muscle flexibility and range of motion. However, there is limited guidance on heat therapy use in routine practice, particularly on indications and contraindications, mode of application, and precautions. Such an educational gap has been documented among pharmacists. Therefore, it is paramount that pharmacists gain knowledge about when and how to effectively integrate superficial heat therapy with both pharmacological and physical therapy, to provide patients with a comprehensive, multimodal approach to alleviating musculoskeletal pain. A multidisciplinary panel of experts gathered to develop practical guidance on heat therapy-appropriate application in patients with musculoskeletal pain. In this work, we provide actionable suggestions to build pharmacists' competency in managing musculoskeletal pain and empower them in effectively using heat therapy as a single therapeutic option or in combination with over-the-counter analgesics.