Feel Better with Cold Therapy

Surgery Hurts! An operation is no day at the beach. Depending on the type of surgery needed, what body part the surgery is on and skill of the doctor, there will be varying degrees of pain. Most surgeons want their patients to use some form of cold therapy after an operation. Icing after an injury or surgery will reduce the swelling and pain. R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) was introduced over thirty years ago and remains the standard for treating soft tissue injuries today. While the least expensive options available, a bag of ice or frozen peas, work, they are among the least effective methods. The other options cost more than a bag of ice, but they are also significantly more effective at reducing the pain and swelling after an injury. And that fact has to be worth a small amount of expense, right?

There are a handful of different therapy machines which have impacted, for the better, the cold therapy market. The first great option is the CryoCuff by Aircast. The CryoCuff system is immensely popular, not only for its low cost but also for its simplicity and effectiveness. All you have to do is fill the cooler with water and ice, attach the appropriate wrap to the affected body part, raise the cooler and let gravity do the rest. The wrap will fill with ice cold water and provide compression to the affected area, often staying cold for 30-60 minutes. This combination hits two of the four key components, Ice and Compression. It does a fantastic job of reducing pain and swelling. There is also an electric version available, the CryoCuff IC, that uses a motor to circulate water for longer periods of cold and give intermittent compression. The IC cooler is probably even easier to use. Add ice and water to the cooler, apply the wrap, plug in the machine and that’s it. Add all of that to wide variety of wrap options and you have an extremely functional, very affordable option. Another great mechanical cold therapy device is the DonJoy IceMan CLEAR. It has a semi-closed loop circulation system, which maintains consistent and accurate temperatures. The IceMan CLEAR is a great option for shoulder surgery as it does not have the compression found in the CryoCuff. Some patients after shoulder surgery want the compression, some do not. And just like the CryoCuff IC it is extremely simple to use. Just plug it in and it does its job.

A couple other options available are the ThermoActive system and Frozen Peaz. ThermoActive by PolyGel is a unique system that utilizes reusable gel packs, (can be used for cold or heat) and manual controlled compression. They are designed to provide treatment to all four areas around the affected joint. The best aspects of these wraps are they are mess free and 100% portable. Again, simplicity is very important here. One hour in the freezer or 30 seconds in the microwave is all that is needed to begin receiving the therapeutic benefits, benefits that can move with you so you aren’t stuck in one location. Frozen Peaz are similar to the peas in your freezer except better. The packs have glass beads floating in the unique Clear Ice Solution. They were designed to provide the flexibility of a bag of frozen vegetables while being clean and reusable. They can also provide both hot and cold therapy which I really don’t recommend you trying with an actual bag of peas. The Frozen Peaz packs are available with a variety of elastic wraps, designed to work on multiple body parts and while giving adjustable compression and portability. The wraps offer hands free hot or cold therapy, focused where you need it.

A prescription is required for the CryoCuff IC, IceMan Clear, and ThermoActive systems. It is recommended that the patient place the wraps over a thin barrier, such as clothing or a towel. This will enhance patient comfort. As with any of our devices, we request you follow your doctor’s written orders regarding the length and duration of use, as well as the manufacturer’s recommendations on proper use. We have heard countless patients tell us how much their cold therapy devices helped them deal with the worst part of their surgeries…The Pain. Let us help you recover more quickly. Call us at 877-301-4276 so we can help you get back to being yourself.