Learning. (The Hard Way)

So I had to do a lot of sitting this week and since it was unavoidable, I tried to come up with ways to make it survivable for my back*.

One of the things I decided to try was this stick on heat pad thing. The theory being that it would stick to the area of my back that was hurting and give it some nice, soothing heat, therefore making everything all happy again.

Since it's been hot this week, I didn't want one of the kind that you have to wrap around yourself like a belt so I opted for a kind that literally sticks to you like a bandaid.

And what didn't register in my brain at the time I was buying it was that the ingredient that caused the "gentle warming sensation" was capsaicin.

Capsaicin, ladies and gentlemen, is the active ingredient of chili peppers.

Chili peppers.

Um. Yeah.

You know how you might once have accidentally gotten some chili pepper juice on your lips? And how it might have burned and burned and burned in that not "gentle warming" kind of way?

Ok.

So here's me, my back's started to feel a little grumpy so I slide this patch thing onto just the right spot.

Nothing happens.

So I wait. And I soon start to think to myself, "hmmmm, that feels a little odd. Maybe I'm allergic to the adhesive." because, you know, that's a logical thought. But I decide to wait it out.

And after I while I realize that, yes, indeed, my back feels burny. But not, like, ouch I've put my finger on the stove element (but, kids? don't try that ok? it's dumb) burny, but more like oh my goodness that's not a good feeling.

So I sit there while my brain processes where it's felt this feeling before and it finally hits me. Someone just rubbed chili peppers all over my back.

Interesting.

So I make it through the weirdness and the thing seems to help reduce the grumpiness of my back.

And then I have to drive home. With the seat of the car pressing the patch right into my back. Ow ow ow ow ow, forget this, I'm driving like an old lady up against the wheel.

And let me tell you, when I got to the gym, I ripped that sucker off pretty fast. (But not, like, too fast, gently...like you do with bandaids!)

And sure enough, I had a nice red area of irritated skin where the patch had been. So maybe there was some kind of allergic reaction in there too. No matter, it was off now and I'd made it through the day of sitting.

But, guys? Do you know what else I learned?

Do you know what really makes whatever chili pepper juice is left on your irritated skin burn?

Sweat.

Of which you can't stop making lots of when you're at the gym.

Anyone want the remaining four patches?


*The back-story (Ha, best pun ever!) for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about is that sometimes my back (see why it was a pun?) decides to have a little tantrum. Sitting makes it quite unhappy.