As we get older, we’re all susceptible to an uptick in aches and pains. It’s simply a part of life. Injuries happen and they tend to occur more regularly as our age stretch up into the high digits. Recovery time takes longer, pain becomes a problem, and we all require ways to seek relief. The usual pills and bandages don’t always cover it like in the cartoons. We all need something a little more serious and thankfully, there are no innovations in pain relief all the time.
So, are you looking for a way to help relieve pain and swelling in your body? If so, you should consider using ice therapy machines. The helpful machines will work to reduce and relieve any pain you might be having. It’s a soothing and safe way to cope with problems that may seem otherwise insurmountable. This article will highlight more behind what this device does and showcase the top 5 best ice therapy machines that you should consider using. Our expert have done the hard work of researching, testing, and ranking all of the finest ice therapy machines on the market. All you need to do is benefit from their hard work and enjoy the sweet and soothing relief. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to dive into the exciting world of ice therapy machines and cure what ails you!
Table of Contents
What is an Ice Therapy Machine?
An ice therapy machine is a device designed to help reduce pain and swelling in the body with an extremely cold liquid. Ice therapy machines use ice water and freezing agents to help with this which in return often helps injuries and pain to heal faster. It’s essentially the most technologically advanced version of using an icepack to sooth some soreness. The same relief that you’re used to from ice in a more safe and controlled package.
How does cold therapy work?
“Cold therapy works on the basic principle of heat exchange. When a cooler object is put in direct contact with an object that has a warmer temperature the cooler object will drive the heat out of the area that it has direct contact with. Cold therapy is applied to an injury in order to reduce the temperature of the damaged tissue area.
This reduction in temperature causes a positive chain of events; first, the cells’ metabolic rate rapidly slows causing them to use less oxygen, as the local blood vessels constrict, this aids in slowing the flow of fluids to the injury site and swelling is reduced. Cold therapy is the key to reducing cell damage. By keeping more cells alive in the damaged area, bruising and fluid buildup is decreased.
Additionally, with fewer damaged cells to repair and rebuild, the injured area can recover faster. Pain is also reduced by the numbing of the nerve receptors that send pain signals to the brain.”
Source: https://coolntape.com
How to use cold therapy machine?
To use one of these machines you just need to remove its top. You can then fill the inside tank with water and ice. This will create a freezing cold liquid that will move through the ice therapy machine’s tubing up to its pad (which you place on the area of pain). It will continue to do this according to how long you set its timer or until the water runs out, creating a soothing flow of pain relief that will cascade across your problem area.
The Benefits of Using cold therapy machine
Ice therapy machines have plenty of benefits. Here are just a few of them.
They Can Be Used on Almost All Areas of the Body
You’ll often find models like an ice therapy machine for knees or an ice therapy machine for shoulders that you can use. These are specially designed to be used on those areas of the body. However, ice therapy machines can also be used on your ankles, calves, thighs, and your neck. They can be used practically anywhere which makes them a very versatile product. This isn’t a pain relief device that only targets a certain area of the body or style of injury. It will offer soothing relief anywhere that you need it, making it ideal for anyone who is injury prone or developing a wide array of problematic pain areas as they age.
They Work Better Than Ice Packs
While it might seem like ice therapy machines work just like a regular ice pack, they don’t. They are far more advanced than that. Ice therapy machines actually get much colder than ice packs, which means this coldness will move deeper into your body to help relieve it from pain and swelling. You’ll never want to go near an icepack again. It will seem profoundly disappointing after this.
They Reduce Pain Quickly
Because ice therapy machines send cold sensations deeper into the body, they help to reduce pain much faster. They will work to relieve you of any pain you might have and help your injuries and/or swelling to heal that much faster. This is an ideal way to get pain relief as quickly and efficiently as possible.
What to Consider Before Buying One
There are many things you need to consider before investing in an ice therapy machine. This is a major investment and a serious piece of equipment after all. It’s important not to make this decision lightly.
The Size of It
The size of the machine itself and its therapy pad is important to consider. This isn’t quite as compact and easy to store as a typical icepack. Ice therapy machines and pads come in various sizes. For the machine, you want to make sure it is compact. You want to be able to easily move it around without problems. If the machine is large and bulky, it can end up making it very difficult for you to move around with which will only end up making the machine a hassle to use rather than as something to help you. Don’t forget that you will be in pain when you need this machine. So you won’t want to make things worse by struggling to move it around.
The machine’s pad is also important to look at. A large pad will help to cover larger areas on your body (like your back) so they are pain-free. However, if you have a small area of pain, such as on your ankle, a smaller pad size would be best to use. This way it can concentrate on one area rather than having the freezing liquid move around as if it were on a large area of your body. It’s important to pick the pad that best suits your personal pain needs.
The Length and Make of the Tubing
The tubing of ice therapy machines is another thing you should take into consideration. The tubing of this product is what will make the cold liquids flow to the machine’s pad to give you relief. You want to check the length of the tubing to make sure it can let you move around freely. A tubing that is too short won’t let you move around which can make using the pad difficult.
It’s also good to look at what the tubing is made of. Because this is a vital part of the machine, you want to make sure the tubes are made of a heavy-duty material. This will prevent them from leaking or easily breaking. Also, check to see if the tubes are insulated. Insulation can help to prevent cold air from escaping which means the ice therapy machine can work much better at helping to relieve your pain. These tubes are what ultimately carries the liquid that will provide you pain relief after all. If they aren’t up to snuff, you won’t receive the soothing pain relief that you deserve. Take this seriously and check those tubes before committing to a machine.
Auto Shut-Off Features
Another important thing to look for in an ice therapy machine is an auto shut-off feature. These machines can get to be very cold. If they stay on too long or you end up forgetting to turn them off, they can cause some problems to occur. An auto shut-off feature will help to prevent the machine from overworking and if you end up falling asleep with it on, it will turn itself off without you having to worry about doing so. This is a great safety feature to have, which is why it’s important that you consider a machine that has it. Otherwise, the machine that’s supposed to make your life easier will create entirely new aches, pains, and problems.
Reusable Fabric Pads
Another good thing to keep in mind with ice therapy machines is to check to see if its pad is reusable. This is important as it can prevent you from having to invest in multiple fabric coverings which can end up being costly. Reusable fabric pads can also often be washed which can prevent bacteria from growing on it. Because of this, it’s vital to check to see if the ice therapy machine you’re interested in has this feature. Otherwise your ice therapy machine will become quite expensive to use overtime.
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Top 5 Best Cold/Ice Therapy Machines Reviews
1. Ossur Cold Rush
This model is a large shoulder pad, making it ideal for specific types of injuries. It’s made with a white and gray design and is intended to help relieve pain in your shoulders, but can be used on other places on your body as well. It comes with a motor that will help this machine to constantly pump cold water into the pad so you get rapid relief. This motor also runs quietly so you won’t need to worry about it making any loud noises. This ice therapy machine is lightweight so it won’t be heavy to wear and carry around (which is particularly important for anyone suffering from a shoulder injury). It can run for up to 6 hours on a full tank, allowing for long, satisfying, and soothing sessions.
2. Polar Products Active Ice Therapy System 2.0
This ice therapy machine is made with a blue and white design. It uses an Active Ice System which works to help relieve any pain you might have. This system also allows you to move freely around while wearing it. You can put water and ice into this machine (which holds up to 9 quarts) through its cooler lid. Once you’re done filling it up, you can simply just snap and seal the lid in place and start using it.
The pump of this machine will start to provide cooling relief to the area you place this product’s 11 x 12 inch pad on. The pumps use 5 ft. water lines to help send the cold pressure to the affe cted area. These pumps are insulated which helps to ensure that any cold liquid doesn’t escape. This model also comes with a 44-inch elastic belt you can wear. This ice therapy machine will run for 30 minutes and then shut itself off unless you activate it to keep running. This auto shut-off is a safety feature to help ensure that the machine doesn’t stay on for too long.
3. DonJoy Cold Therapy Shoulder Wrap
This ice machine shoulder wrap features a bold black and blue design. It uses a Dura Kold ice mat to help with relieving pain and reducing swelling. This mat is filled with water and special freezing particles to help give you comfort in a painful area on your body. The fabric of this mat is specially designed to help prevent bacteria and build-up from growing, which is important for anyone planning on using this machine for a number of sessions over an extended period of time.
It is also reusable so you don’t need to worry about having to invest in a new mat each time you use it. This mat is a one-stop shop for pain relief. The mat measures 12 x 13 inches. This shoulder wrap can be used on both shoulders and will run for up to 2 hours before shutting itself off.
4. ARS Aqua Relief System Hot or Cold Water Therapy Device
This hot and cold water therapy machine works to help reduce pain and swelling in your body. It’s designed with a black exterior and blue trim and can be opened so you can fill it with water and ice. The interior of it features fill lines which you can use to help tell how much ice and water you need to put in it. The 4 ft. tubes of this model will transport the cold or hot water to the pad included. This pad is a therapy pad which you can place on any affected body parts.
There are Power and Heater switches on the side of this model. In addition to these, there are also a timer and temperature dials you can use. The timer dial gives you the choice between 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or a continuous mode. This model will automatically turn itself off once it has been running for an hour. The temperature dial gives you the choice to choose between cold or hot.
5. Cryotherapy Arctic Ice
This ice therapy machine comes with a universal therapy pad which will help to relieve any pain you might be having. This pad has a 360-degree cooling feature which helps it to move the cold liquids around in the places that you put the pad on. The 6 ft. hose this machine comes with will pump the cold water into the therapy pad to ensure you receive constant relief.
This pump is a low-voltage one so you won’t need to worry about it running loudly or using a lot of energy. The Cryotherapy Arctic Ice also comes with a temperature controller so you can adjust how intense you’d like the coldness to be. To give extra security to this machine, the top has a locking feature. This will help to secure the liquid inside and prevent it from spilling. This ice machine can run for up to 6-8 hours with just one water fill.
Conclusion
Ice therapy machines are wonderful at helping to relieve pain and reduce swelling. They work much better than regular ice packs because they will send cooling liquids deeper into your skin. The machines mentioned above are some of the top ice therapy machines that you should definitely consider using. They are easy to use and will work to help make you feel much better during any painful moments you might have.
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are they good for years or just a one surgery unit?
Depends on how and where stored between uses. I had one several years ago used once for torn minescus post surgery. Few years later tried to use it for rotator cuff post surgery but hose had split. Probably due to heat in storage unit. Have another that I got for second surgery and also used it for knee surgery. (Knee replacement) I am a believer in ice to help with pain along w meds!
Please share with me about your best cold therapy Michine
I’m in a lot of pain. 74 yo. Thanks ??
I’ve only had the Cyrotherapy ice machine. They used to b good for 12 hrs. I see they are smaller now, 6-8 hrs.