I got this neck and shoulder heating pad on impulse a couple months ago when I was going through a severe bout of neck and shoulder pain, which I suffer frequently as a desk worker. My chief complaints are neck and shoulder tension, with an RSI centered in my right front shoulder. I find it's actually helpful. The heat is concentrated more on the neck than the shoulders, so it is better for neck pain than shoulder pain. There is still enough heat on the shoulders that it can be soothing there as well. That said, on Whiny Shoulder Days, I find myself wishing I had a heating pad that was able to give more focus and heat to the shoulders. There is a good amount of heating reaching the upper back, right around that part of the spine that's like the hinge point between neck and back. It doesn't reach much further down than that. If you get a lot of tension between your shoulder blades, this isn't going to touch most of it, only the very upper parts. I find that trying to shift the pad back to reach those spots doesn't really work, it seems like more heat is needed to reach those deep muscles. There is a bendable wire running through the pad that allows you to mold the pad around your neck as closely or as loosely as you need, and magnets in the front flaps that let you close the pad like a cape. The pad is thick, reasonably soft, and suitably weighty, with beads sewn into the outer edges all around that help with weight and stability and probably also keep heat from radiating out through the edges. The auto shut off works consistently, so I'm not overly paranoid about leaving the thing unattended. It has 4 heat settings and I always use either level 3 or 4, the two highest settings. Level 4 is hot enough most of the time, and occasionally too hot, so I'm overall happy with the heat output - I just wouldn't exactly turn down a level 4.5. The power cable is detachable right at the pad so if you need to get up and don't want to shed your cloak, you can detach the cord instead and survive on residual heat. The detachment mechanism isn't the easiest to use, it's a squeeze type that always reminds me too emphatically about the tension in my arms and hands, but that difficulty keeps it secure all the rest of the time so what are ya gonna do. While the heating pad doesn't eliminate all tension and pain, I find that it keeps me more relaxed and it can help unlock a lot of the tightest spots on bad days. It seems to also improve my neck and shoulder mobility. I really enjoy when I've used it for a bit and I roll my head and shoulders for a quick stretch and get a bunch of pops and crackles, and suddenly my neck feels more right - like something that was in the wrong spot has finally shifted into the right spot. I have been surprised at how useful it is and it's now part of my routine for releasing pent up neck tension. It's not a cure all, but it is a good tool. My husband steals it to wrap around his arm for his wrist tension. He says it's flawless for that purpose. Bottom line, if you have neck tension, this heating pad is a solid choice. If your concerns are anywhere else, then there's a chance this won't suit you best. It's tailored for neck use and it does that well.
