First we were liking. Then we were Tweeting. Now, all the cool kids are TikTokking. Or is it just Tokking? Who knows…
One thing I do know is that extra long hot water bottles are proving to be popular amongst the community of Tikkers (OK I’ll stop now). In fact, hot water bottles on social media are becoming increasingly popular in general.
Why TikTok loves hot water bottles
At first glance the humble hot water bottle doesn’t seem that special. But they are a necessity on cold winter nights, or when you have body pains.
For those who aren’t familiar with hot water bottles, it’s a bottle usually made up of rubber and is filled up with hot water which is then sealed with a stopper. They are able to preserve heat after being filled up and are used to apply heat to a certain part of your body, or just provide general warmth.
People usually place a hot water bottle on a part of their body that aches. Applying heat to the skin can help open blood vessels, and promote blood flow in the area. Good blood flow prevents lactic acid buildup and relaxes your muscles, which soothes the pains and aches your body feels.
Others heat their beds using hot water bottles by leaving them on their sheets before they go to bed so they are met with a warmed-up bed.
Hot water bottles are easy to carry around and they can keep you warm during cold days and nights. Because they are good at soothing pain, hot water bottles are used in treating the aches that come with existing health conditions such as arthritis, and period pain.
As they are useful and loved by so many people, variations of the hot water bottle soon started trending. This is when social media found out about our favourite: the extra long hot water bottle!
It started gaining attention on the social media platform Tiktok as many people shared their great experiences with extra long hot water bottles 👇
Including this punter, who bought a £14 bottle and has had her video viewed over 4 million times!
But, back to the TikTok video! Shared by user @smallex4ft11, also known as Alex, the clip celebrating a cute koala hot water bottle pouch has now been viewed over 4 million times.
Yahoo! Life
Why you need a hot water bottle
Hot water bottles are great for localized thermotherapy treatment to relieve any aches, pains, or discomforts you may have. They have been popular for centuries and continue to be today because they are effective and affordable.
The extra long hot water bottle is a phenomenal variation on the normal hot water bottle. Its tubular shape provides more heat coverage, keeping multiple parts of your body warm at the same time.
Ease menstrual cramps with a hot water bottle
Menstrual cramps are also known as dysmenorrhea. These cramping pains occur in the lower abdomen of women. Women often experience menstrual cramps before, during, and after their periods with varying pain levels.
Some women experience mild discomfort. Others, however, experience really painful cramps accompanied by lower back pain. This naturally interferes with their daily activities. Because of these monthly menstrual cramps, women are very interested in looking up effective methods to relieve the pain.
One of the most common methods women use to ease their menstrual cramps is to use some sort of heat on their lower abdomens to relieve the pain. This is where hot water bottles on social media started showing their worth.
With the extra long hot water bottle, women are able to simultaneously heat both their lower abdomen and lower back. These are usually the body parts where they feel the most pain on their periods.
Since the extra long hot water bottle is wearable, it is very convenient for women to wear it around their abdomen. This helps relieve their pain while lying in bed or even doing simple activities.
Body Aches and Pain
Body pain is very common. This is often caused by stress, dehydration or lack of sleep. Other conditions like the flu, anemia or arthritis also play a part. Another common cause is staying in one position for long periods of time. This is very common nowadays with many people working from home, staring at their computer for hours every day.
Heat can be used to treat the pain from these problems and people often use hot water bottles for this reason. Although they are effective, hot water bottles are usually difficult to use in certain areas of the body such as your back and spine, neck, and shoulders.
- The extra long hot water bottle is very useful to keep out of reach body parts warm.
- Applying heat to different areas in your body becomes much easier.
- The length of the extra long hot water bottle can reach places your normal hot water bottle can’t.
Keeping Warm
Hot water bottles are important in keeping you warm, especially on cold winter days and nights. It can be used to keep you snug on your sofa as you binge-watch your favorite series or warm up your bed before you sleep. It can also help you relax and relieve stress, allowing you to get a good night’s sleep.
The extra long hot water bottle has various uses for cold winters. It can be used to warm many parts of your body such as your hands, neck, waist and back. Sometimes people just need a good old fashioned hug! You can also leave the extra long hot water bottle on your bed before sleeping, giving you a bed full of warmth.
Extra long hot water bottles for endometriosis
Endometriosis is a painful disorder wherein tissue grows outside of a woman’s uterus. Endometriosis affects around 2-10% of American women who are aged 25-40 years old. This debilitating condition causes severe pain during menstrual periods.
Although menstrual periods are already known to be painful, it is reported that people with endometriosis experience pain that is worse than the usual period cramps.
Like menstrual cramps, one of the common ways of relieving pain from endometriosis is to apply heat on the lower abdomen. Using the extra-long hot water bottle is convenient for people with endometriosis because its flexibility allows it to be applied on specific areas of the abdomen that feel pain simultaneously.
Extra long hot water bottles are useful for arthritis and body pain
Arthritis can cause joints to swell and become tender. People with arthritis often experience stiffness and pain in their joints. This tends to get worse as they get older. There are many kinds of arthritis that need different treatments.
They may cause varying symptoms, but all types cause inflammation and pain. This makes it difficult for those afflicted to stay active and mobile.
To relieve the pain and stiffness of arthritis, many doctors recommend using a hot compress. This helps lessen the inflammation that causes the pain. One of the most common methods is to apply a hot compress to painful parts of the body. One of these methods is using a hot water bottle.
Although it is helpful, many arthritis patients are older and have a difficult time moving the hot water bottle around their body to where it is painful.
The most common parts of the body plagued by arthritis include the feet, hands, hips, knees, and the lower back. As you can tell, these parts are definitely hard to reach with a normal hot water bottle, especially for older patients.
The extra-long hot water bottle has a convenient length that can reach parts of your body that are usually difficult to do so. It is definitely more comfortable to use than a normal hot water bottle as it has way more coverage, making it more convenient for people with arthritis to use comfortably.
How do you use an extra long hot water bottle?
Filling the extra long hot water bottle is quite similar to the standard size version. You’ll need more hot water of course. It is recommended that you let the boiled water cool down slightly first. Then pour it into the hot water bottle, filling it about two-thirds to retain flexibility. Don’t forget to consult our safety guide when unsure.
Once you’ve filled up your extra long hot water bottle, insert the stopper and tie up the cover. Most of them come with ties that will allow you to wrap it around your waste and secure it in that position. You can also opt not to tie and just rest it on whichever part of your body is in pain or needs warmth.
TikTok loves extra long hot water bottles!
The extra long hot water bottle is useful for keeping warm, and soothing aches and pains. There is a reason users on TikTok are promoting their hot water bottles.
It provides low cost comfort to many people from women with periods to people with arthritis. The normal hot water bottle has retained its popularity through the years. But this new variety just takes comfort to another level. It reaches many parts that the normal hot water bottle cannot.
Its flexibility, unique length, and shape make it a game-changer for normal hot water bottle users.
The extra long hot water bottles that have been taking over social media are totally worth the hype. We recommend you get one as soon as possible! Then again, we are a little biased 😉
This blog post is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your doctor or physician for more information on any of the issues raised above.