Millions of people go through the painful process of knee surgery every year. From athletes to those who suffer from arthritis or other knee conditions, knee surgery is one of the most common types of operations performed. Following surgery, your knee and the surrounding area will begin to swell requiring. In order to reduce the swelling and speed up your recovery time your orthopedic surgeon will recommend you use a cold therapy unit. There are many different types of cold therapy units available but what unit is best for you. Well we reviewed some of the best cold therapy units on the market today and came up with a list of the 4 very best units. To see which cold therapy unit is right for you continue reading below.
Polar Iceman3 Digital Cold Therapy Unit
Donjoy Polar Iceman3 Digital Cold Therapy Unit Review
The Polar Iceman3 is the perfect aid in your post-operative knee surgery rehabilitation process because of its ability to deliver a controlled amount of cold therapy to the knee in a way that aids in reducing swelling and pain following surgery in order to reduce recovery time.
For those who have ever had to under go knee surgery, your doctor will usually order a cold therapy unit for you to reduce swelling and speed up the healing process and help decrease the level of discomfort caused by surgery.
The Iceman3 can be used the sitting up or lying down, or laying back in your recliner. The knee wrap comfortably wraps around your knee with Velcro straps. Keeping constant cold therapy on your knee longer then Ice packs or other traditional means of cold therapy.
Features:
- Clear, leak proof cooler that keeps your ice water cold for up to 7- hours
- Designed with a safety feature to keep water either at or above 40 degrees F
- Designed for easy to portability and storage
- Strong Velcro straps on the pad for easy application and stay-on fit
Pros:
The Polar Iceaman3 is designed to be used on many different areas of the body for cold therapy treatments but is an excellent for post-operative knee surgery care. The unit uses a patented semi-closed loop circulation system. This means the pad maintains the same accurate temperature to keep the therapy consistent throughout your entire cold therapy session. The treatment helps reduce swelling which helps aid in pain relief and faster heal times.
The unit is compact and lightweight weighing just 9 pounds. It is easy to carry and set-up and the container is clear so that you always know where the water fill line is.
Cons:
The unit does not come with an on/off switch so you have to plug-in and unplug the plugs to turn it on and off. For those with mobility issues, the cord may be of concern as a trip factor. Some people may not like the noise of the machine as it is running, although most customers say that it isn’t too noisy.
Conclusion:
The Polar Iceman3 is a highly recommended product for post knee-surgery. It is effective and many people enjoy the fact that they can use it in multiple areas of their home, from their bed, to their couch or even while lounging in their recliner. If you don’t like having to refill ice packs and wait for them to freeze, the Polar Iceman3 cold therapy system is for you.
Ossur Cold Rush Device
Ossur Cold Rush Device Unit Review
After having surgery on your knee, you want to get mobile again as soon as possible which means rehabbing the knee with different healing methods. One treatment your doctor will probably recommend for speeding up healing time is the use of cold therapy. Cold therapy reduces swelling and inflammation, which helps increase circulation and reduces pain. When ice packs aren’t enough, your doctor may order a cold therapy unit. One unit, known as the Ossur Cold Rush Device is a great way to get continual cold therapy to your knee.
Features:
- The product is compact and measures 18 x 10 x 12 and weighs only 9 pounds
- Easy and light weight to carry from room-to-room and stores in small places
- Equipped with durable motor that is quiet and unobtrusive
- Offers the highest ice-to-water ratio of any other product
- Keeps water cool for up to 6 hours
Pros:
The Ossur Cold Rush cold has several pros that will help you with a speedier recovery than ordinary ice packs. Using the device will help reduce swelling in your knee with the use of the cold pad, which is sold separately, and wraps around the knee for a sure-stay-fit to ensure that therapeutic cold therapy gets to your knee following surgery. With the reduction of swelling, comes the reduction of pain and quicker healing, better joint function.
It’s easy to use, carry and store. You can use it on multiple areas of the body, including the knee when you get the Velcro pad for the knee. It keeps the therapy pad at a continuous chill point to get continuous cold therapy to the surgery site.
Cons:
Although a cold therapy device is easier to use than continually swapping out ice packs in the freezer, some customers may not prefer to hear a machine running while icing their knee. With this device, the pad is not included and must be purchased separately. And although well liked, there have been some customers that say the tubing of the device can sweat and drip and may require towels to be laid under them while in use.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Ossur Cold Rush Device is very popular for pain and swelling relief to increase the joint function and increase your mobility. You’ll enjoy the ease of caring it from room-to-room and ease of setting it up with the no-mess tank.
When it comes to full coverage ice therapy on your knee, the icing pad fits comfortably over the knee and Velcros securely so that you get the most out of your cold therapy session. If you have any questions regarding your device, there are agents you can call and talk with in order to help you in setting up and operating your system properly.
Active Ice Therapy System
Active Ice Therapy System Review
You want fast and thorough results when it comes to pain relief after knee surgery. The sooner you can get the swelling to go down, the quicker you will feel better and can get up and ambulate easier and more comfortably. Ice therapy is one of the most common treatments after knee surgery and to make it easier to ice your knee, the Active Ice Therapy System has developed this system to make it easier for you to get the cool comfort and therapy you need without the hassles of ice packs and the mess that comes with them.
Features:
- Light weight and compact to carry, fill, set up and use. Weighs just 5.5 pounds
- The cooler lid keeps ice and water tightly sealed inside
- The cooling bladder can be used on any body part but is specifically designed for post-knee surgeries
- Water bladder is comfortable and delivers continuous cool water therapy to the knee for longer lengths of time without having to refill
- Designed with an adjustable flow rate
Pros:
When you need fast, serious pain relief after surgery, the Active Ice Therapy System is designed to deliver the ultimate cooling therapy fast to get directly to the swollen tissue and reduce the inflammation and bring you relief. It is designed with a quick disconnect system that allows you to disconnect the couplings when you no longer need cold therapy.
The lid securely snaps into place on the unit to prevent leaks and spills as well as it is equipped with a temperature control device and AC adapter for use in many different areas of your home. To make sure your treatments are consistent and safe, the device automatically shuts off after 30 mins.
Cons:
Although the 30 minute timer is for safety, some people may not want to have to reset their therapy sessions every thirty minutes. This may be a negative for those who want longer icing sessions. Because the system includes tubing to get the icy water to the water bladder, leaks may develop for any number of reasons, but the product is warranted and you should contact the company if you experience any issues.
The system features an electrical pump and although it is described as whisper quiet, the sound of the machine humming may bother some people while they rest. Having a cord to plug-in and step over may also be difficult for.
Conclusion:
The Active Ice Therapy System was developed specifically for post-surgery treatment and its 9 quart cooler allows you to get hours of cold therapy just by simply resetting your timer when it goes off after 30 minutes. Don’t overdo it with multiple trips to the kitchen refreezing ice packs for icing when you can enjoy the luxury of having cold water pumped directly to to your knee.
Ossur Cold Rush Compact System
Ossur Cold Rush Compact System Review
The Ossur Cold Rush Compact System is as it sounds, it rushes cold therapy where you need it following surgery. You will get the relief you need without the hassles of struggling with ice packs that drip or won’t stay in place. Keep reading to see why the Ossur Cold Rush Compact System is one of the best cold therapy units on the market today.
Features:
- Lightweight and compact, only weighing 4.6 pounds
- Smaller than the original version makes it even easier to carry and store
- Smaller but just as effective in rushing cold therapy to your knee
- Reduces swelling and pain for better joint function, quicker mobility and faster healing
- Can be used in or out of a medical setting
Pros:
Surgery takes a lot of time to get over with the swelling and pain that follows. When surgery involves the knee, your mobility can be severely limited due to pain and swelling so the goal is to reduce these obstacles to help you get back to moving and walking again as soon as possible. The Ossur Cold Rush Compact System gets you fast relief from pain and swelling by sending therapeutic cold water to your injured knee. It’s easy to use and the design is simple cold water is pumped directly from the tank onto the knee pad.
Cons:
One thing to understand about this system is that the pad should not touch the skin directly. You should us a shirt or towel under the pad so let it does not touch your skin directly. You will need to make sure all the tubing is correctly attached to the unit and the pad to avoid water from leaking out. To use the device, it will require an outlet so if you don’t have easy access to an outlet where you’ll be using it, this could pose an issue.
Conclusion:
This is a good unit to have if you just need a small, compact unit that you can easily carry or don’t have a lot of space to use a bigger unit. It will deliver an adequate amount of therapeutic cold treatment to your knee to help reduce swelling in a timely manner as well as helping with pain control. With the easy-to-fill tank, you’ll find it very convenient to use in your own home.
