Top 10 Best Ice Therapy Machines of 2018 – We Choose best
Muscle pain and cramps caused due to stiffness is a very common yet troublesome problem. It is mostly common in adults but muscle sprains can happen with anyone. The reason for this can be many such as Gym training, extensive workout, improper movement of muscles, posture problems and many more. Though muscle sprains can recover on their own but the time period can be varying according to the nature of the damage.
Sometimes the muscles relax on their own after the stiffness but sometimes it may take a lot longer than expected. Muscle cramps can cause lots of trouble in daily life if not cured as early as possible. Even the smallest of tasks such as climbing stairs or say, going for a walk can be very painful.
The best way to cure muscle stiffness or cramps at the earliest is by using Ice Therapy Machines. Ice therapy, also known as Cryotherapy is a scientifically proven method of relaxing the muscles fibers and reducing the pain by loosening up the muscles. Ice helps to reduce inflammation and swelling of muscles and fasten the healing capabilities of muscle tissue to overcome minor ligament breakage and fracture.
Best Ice Therapy Machines:
Table of Contents
Such properties of ice makes it a very good ingredient for curing muscle cramps and stiffness. Ice therapy machines are the best way to use these beneficial properties of ice to their fullest extent and provide Cryotherapy easily.
Ossur cold rush cold therapy system comes with a large shoulder pad and can be solely used for shoulder muscle pains.
Along with shoulders, the same pad possess a uniques design that makes it applicable to other body parts too such as knee caps, elbows, arms and thighs. Multiple other types of pads can also be attached to the device for more efficient use.
Ossur cold rush has a very durable motor that provides a strong flow rate and the advance brushless design of the motor makes it almost noise free thus helping the user rest freely without any disturbance. The device weighs around 2.1 kilograms and has an inorganic design and includes a carrying handle which makes it highly portable.
It features a lid locking mechanism which helps to prevent spillage of liquid and the insulted internal walls add to the cooling effect. The large pad of the device provides uninterrupted liquid flow with great compression even to elevated heights.
The high ice to water ratio is one of the best in this device and it ensures that you get continued pain relief for up to 7 hours. Ossur Cold Rush is recommended by many physicians and it is mostly used for post-traumatic treatment. It reduces and eliminates the signs of swelling and inflammation. This is achieved through numbing the blood vessels which results in decreased fluid flow allowing them to heal much efficiently.
Pros –
- Easy to use and portable.
- Large shoulder pad.
- Light weight.
- Efficient and low power consumption.
- Can be used on multiple body parts.
Cons –
- Low container storage capacity, Needs to refill after use every 6 hours.
- The lid is a bit hard to open.
Cryotherapy Arctic ice cold water therapy unit helps in reducing pain and swelling in muscle tissues and facilitates rehabilitation. It is most suitable for post-traumatic treatment patients, athletes and old people who face muscle stiffness on a regular basis.
Arctic Cryotherapy unit features a low voltage pump that allows noise less operation over a continuous period of 7 hours on a single fill up. The locking latch-top ensures that the device is spill proof and you accidentally don’t trip over it and spill the contents. Temperature control and 6 fully insulated hoses adds to the functionality making the device more efficient and compact.
This device is compatible with a variety of different pads making it easy to use. Cryotherapy Arctic cold therapy device uses a semi-closed loop system which helps to maintain a constant and accurate temperature over the operating period. It provides a continuous flow of ice cold water over the affected tissues and compresses the affected areas to reduce the tissue damage.
The cold water is circulated from and through an insulated container having a pressurized tubing into a large cooling pad helps to cover the damaged area or body part providing compression. Slowly as the water gets warmed up due to the body heat, cold water is again circulated through the pipes keeping the temperature constant.
It also contains a timer mode where you can set the timer for the automatic switching off of the device. This is a very important feature if you don’t want to use the device for the whole night. Its small size is very comfortable to carry around and use.
Cryotherapy, just like other such machines numbs the nerves to prevent them from receiving pain signals thus reducing the pain in the swollen areas and making the healing process faster and more efficient.
Pros –
- Small and portable
- Compatible with multiple pads
- Variety of inbuilt features.
Cons –
- Needs refilling every 8 hours of usage.
Polar Active Ice therapy system 2.0 is the newer and quieter version of its predecessor. It is a perfect choice for those who are looking for a effective muscle pain relief equipment that is easy to use and portable.
The high efficiency pump provides steady and continuous effective cooling for long hours. This device is specially designed for people who are looking for post-surgery muscle stiffness treatment. The polar active ice therapy system has a high flow rate and dry and quick disconnect couplings which allows the ability to move freely if the need arises.
This device comes with a hinged lid which can be removed as pleased and it just snaps back to its place without any extra pressure. This feature ensures that the machine is spill proof. It also features an internal timer which allows multiple 30-minute sessions, after which the timer needs to be reset.
The Polar ACtive system comes with a 9 Quart cooler system and includes a U shaped bladder and an elastic belt for easy use. The device weighs around 5.5 lbs and has an inbuilt carrying handle which makes it portable, though the high storage capacity of this device can make it bulky but still it is of manageable size and easy to use.
The Active polar ice therapy machine can be used on various regions such as shoulders, neck, knee cap, elbows, calves, ankles, and arms too. The bladder provided with the device is flexible and can be used on any of the body parts as needed.
To use the devices you just need to fill the water storage cabinet of the device with desired amount of water and turn it on. The ability to control rate of flow and temperature on this device comes in handy when using for longer hours. Overall it is a very good option for people with post-surgery muscles stiffness.
Pros –
- Huge water cooler capacity allows minimizing the refilling hassle.
- Times needs to be reset every thirty minutes thus protecting the skin from damage by cold temperature.
- Easy to use.
Cons –
- Timer needs to be reset every thirty minutes and can become annoying sometimes.
- More expensive than other products.
- The motor gives a humming sound when switched ON.
Aircast Cryo Therapy kit is the best choice for those who want a non-motorised alternative for Cryotherapy machines. Aircast cold therapy machines is a gravity-fed system which provides an integrated approach to cold therapy.
It is suitable for providing cold and facial compression using its non-motorised design. It’s anatomically designed structure helps to deliver chilled water directly into a cuff which then can be used to provide maximum cryotherapy and also eliminates the risk of tissue damage due to cold. As it is a gravity-based system on some areas such as the kneecap, you may have to apply a bit more pressure on your own for the device to work more effectively.
Aircast Cryo Cold Therapy system comes with a cooler jug that can store ice and water needed to provide cooling up to 6-8 hours. Placing the cooler jug higher than the pad helps to deliver cold water to the cryo while placing it in a lower position will recirculated the water back to the jug to be cooled again. You can also use frozen water bottles instead of ice to increase and improve the cooling effect of this device.
The Cryo / Cuff can be worn on either the left side or right side of the leg due to its universal fit design and is very easy to use. Its small size makes it extremely portable. IT is ideal for minimizing muscles swelling, hemarthrosis, reducing pain, for post-operative and post-trauma recovery treatment and sports injuries.
Pros –
- Inexpensive and value for money
- Lightweight and portable
Cons –
- Cuffs need to pressed manually for better and efficient cooling.
If you are a sports person you might be well acquainted with a shoulder sprain and muscle swelling due to injuries. Elbow and shoulders are two main parts of the body which can get spasm $swelling very easily.
Pro ice cold therapy shoulder/ elbow wrap is the best option for you if you find yourself in a tough situation like muscle pain or stiffness.
Pro ice cold therapy is an excellent device for sports injuries. It treats shoulder and elbow injuries such as rotator cuff injuries, golfers elbow, tennis elbow, bursitis etc.
This product is useful not only for athletes and sportspersons but also for normal people. The pro ice adult shoulder/elbow wraps come with a patented windowpane design. The pads wrap around the shoulder or elbow tightly providing cryotherapy as well as cold compression.
Unlike ice packs, which are only suitable for single use, Pro ice cold therapy continues to provide maximum cold therapy benefits to your aching shoulder, cervical collar, neck, knee, elbow, hamstring, ankle, hip or lower back. This device is suitable for all kinds of muscle aches, swelling, spasms, and cramps.
The Adult Shoulder/Elbow Cold Therapy Ice wrap is very easy to use. Just Slip your arm into the sleeve and attach the compression strap and buckle the belt attached to it. The device tightly holds onto your arm and provides long-lasting cryotherapy. It makes the healing process faster and much more efficient.
The special design of the wrap makes is usable on both the right and left hand. Cleaning the wrap is also a very easy process. You just have to hand wash the strap and air dry it and you are good to use it again whenever needed.
Pros –
- Fits tightly and comfortably
- Best suited for sports injuries
- Very easy to clean.
- Special design allows placement in both hands.
Cons –
- Is mostly applicable to shoulder and elbow injuries only.
The ColePak Comfort Ice pack is an Ice therapy device which serves multiple purposes. It can be used on any part of your body such as knee, back, leg, shoulder, arm, ankle, hips, forearm etc. It is suitable for arthritis, muscle injury, swelling, spasm, cramps and bruises.
The ColePak wrap comes with a pouch size of 5.25’’ x 10’’ and it also has an elastic strap which has a length around 20.5’’. The small size makes it portable and the good quality materials used in this product makes it much more durable as compared to its counterparts.
Using ColePak ice packs is a very easy task, all you have to do is insert the cold ice gel pack inside the wrap. Then wrap the pad around your affected body part as tightly as you want. You can keep it loose or tight as per your choice but having it tightly wound makes the cold compression much more effective.
Once the elastic is secured you no longer need to hold the ice pack in its place with your hands as the strap will do that for you. Meanwhile you can do anything you like, read a magazine or take a nap, it’s all up to you. The special design of the ice pack makes it viable to be used on different body parts.
The fleece pouch holding the ice gel is long enough to fit almost all body parts. It is also useful for people with a migraine. The fleece pack makes sure that it remains in tight contact with your injured body part and keep providing cryotherapy.
Pros –
- Easy to use
- Portable
- Light weight
- Can be used on almost all body parts
Cons –
- Limits treatment to 20 minutes at a time.
Kit Cold Rush Knee pad is manufactured by Ossur. It is specially designed for knee aches and injuries. People who are athletes, sports persons and mostly old people who have problem of bad knees or arthritis are the best nominee for this device.
This device comes with a knee pad which helps in curing knee aches and providing cryotherapy to the knee join and the calves. It is a motorised device and comes with a flow control option. The motor ensures that you get a continuous flow of cold liquid to reduce swelling and aches.
The Kit Cold Rush is a compact and lightweight device and can be carried around very easily. It comes with an ergonomic design and large pads which helps to cover your knees completely and provide best cryotherapy. It has a lid locking mechanism on top of the cold storage compartment which ensures that the device remains spill proof. The inner compartment in the cold storage area is insulated which improves the quality of cooling provided.
The unique continuous loop system allows the coolant liquid to flow continuously through the pads providing a regular and constant supply of therapeutic cold and compression that helps you to receive cryotherapy for a longer time, up to 7 hours. To start using the machine just attach the knee strap over your injured knee and plugin the machine and sit back and relax.
Pros –
- Compact and portable
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Very effective
Cons –
- Need refilling after 6 hours of usage.
The Arctic Flex Neck ice pack is a cold compress wrap that offers relief from pain and muscle spasms in the neck area. It is a generously sized neck wrap that provides instant pain relief in less than 30 minutes of cryotherapy when used in targeted areas such as the neck and the shoulder.
Arctic Flex ice pack helps to soothe sore muscles, shoulder pain, sports injuries and reduces pain caused in muscles due to arthritis.
The neck pack is contoured and remains flexible even when frozen. This helps to provide a better coverage over the affected areas and thus increasing the effectiveness of the cold therapy. The neck pack is made with soft latex-free vinyl, filled with non toxic silica gel that remains smooth and flexible even when the neck pack is frozen.
While using the Arctic Flex neck ice pack, it is recommended to put a cloth barrier between the skin and the neck pack to avoid damage to the skin. The neck pack is soft and lightweight but it is extremely strong and durable due to its tear and split resistant vinyl composition. Due to its lightweight and durable composition, Arctic Flex neck ice pack is portable and can be carried around with you anywhere.
Pros –
- Lightweight and flexible
- Smooth and durable
- Contains Non-toxic silica gel for better relief.
Cons –
- Requires freezing the ice pack again after using.
TheraPAQ Foot & Ankle pain relief ice wrap treats injuries and relieve muscle pains, swelling, Achilles Tendonitis, foot arch and plantar fasciitis, caused by sports or intense exercising.
The Ice wrap is made of neoprene, which provides excellent comfort throughout cryotherapy by compressing the area gently and relieves swelling and muscle spasms. The ankle wrap features two pockets which have compartments to hold the gel packets in their places. These gel packets comes in different sizes and are freezable and non-toxic in nature. You can use different sizes of gel packets according to the size of your foot.
Using TheraPAQ Foot & Ankle Ice Wrap is very easy, just slide your foot into the wrap and tighten the adjustable velcro strap. The straps are made of breathable neoprene which allows the skin to breathe throughout the treatment.
The Gel packs can be used up to 15-20 minutes at a time and can be reused again and again. All you need to do is refreeze them and place them into the compartments in the pockets of the Ice Wrap. The Ice pad can easily be cleaned by hand wash and if it gets too dirty just soak it in mild detergent overnight and air dry it.
Pros –
- Small and portable
- Non-toxic gel packs
- Adjustable velcro straps
- Reusable gel packs.
Cons –
- A single gel pack can be used only for a maximum of 20 minutes.
NatraCure Hot/Cold & Compression shoulder supports come with a universal design that allows it to be used on both right and left shoulders. It is most useful in the cursing shoulder pain and cramps due to heavy lifting, excessive workout or sports injuries.
It helps to accelerate the recovery process by providing cryotherapy to the shoulder muscles effectively. It comes with a coolant that provides, even ice therapy over the affected area.
To start using, just put your injured hand through the ice wrap and fasten the velcro straps around your shoulder, tight enough that it does not fall off. The velcro straps ensure that the ice wrap does not slip off your shoulder while using it and provides a comfortable experience.
It is made of high-quality Non-toxic material and can be easily cleaned by hand washing it. The coolant in the ice pack helps to compress and provide efficient cryotherapy to all the affected areas and speed up the recovery process by slowing down the blood flow in the damaged area.
Pros –
- Velcro straps ensure proper fitting.
- Universal design can be used on both hands.
- Washable and easy to clean.
Cons –
- The coolant becomes hard on freezing.
Precautions –
Though Ice therapy machines are meant to reduce and cure your muscle pain and injuries, they do have a slight risk of damaging your skin.
- Make sure to always read and understand the instruction manual before using any ice therapy machine.
- To avoid damage to your skin always try to check for damage on the skin after using any ice therapy machine for some time. If you find any type of skin tissue damage such as skin burning, itching or rashes immediately stop using the device.
- Always keep a layer of insulation between the skin and the cooling pad. Keeping a piece of thick cloth or a face towel would also prove to be beneficial.
- On motorized machines never use the coldest setting available, using lowest setting for a higher period of times increases the risk of skin tissue damage and freezer burn.
- When using electric ice therapy machine make sure that the machine is completely dry and had no coolant leakage from anywhere.
- Ice therapy machines alter the temperature of particular parts of the body which results in altered blood flow. Usually, it is within normal limits, but always keep an eye on the blood pressure level when using an Ice Therapy machine.
- Old people have weaker body structure and heart. Cryotherapy usually numbs the blood vessels to escalate the healing process, but in old people, regular numbing of blood vessels can cause permanent damage to the blood vessels.
- Always take a prescription from a certified doctor before using an Ice therapy machine.
Conclusion –
Ice therapy has been proven to be a quick, easy and effective way to get rid of muscle spasms, injuries, and stiffness. The reasons for muscle problems can be various such as intensive workouts, heavy lifting, sports or due to surgery or trauma.
Using Ice therapy machines can surely be a great and efficient way to cure muscle ailments as early as possible. Ice therapy machines are much more efficient than their traditional ice pack counterparts and an easy way to get cryotherapy at home.
What is cold therapy and how does it work?
Whenever a muscle or tissue in the body gets damaged, during the recovery process it generates heat. Cold therapy works on the principle of transfer of heat or exchange of heat. Objects in our surrounding try to keep their temperature equally distributed among all the nearby objects meaning a colder object absorbs heat from surrounding to maintain an equilibrium between itself and the surroundings.
Similarly, cold therapy helps to absorb the excessive heat from an injury and reduce the temperature of the damaged tissue. Reduction in the temperature of damaged area helps to slow down the metabolism of the blood cells and surrounding vessels. Slowed metabolism makes the blood cells consume less oxygen and due to this the blood vessels slowly reduce the blood flow to the damaged area.
This helps in reducing the inflammation and swelling present in the damaged area. Cold therapy makes it easier to repair the muscle damage by reducing cell damage.
Cold temperature helps to keep more cells alive in the affected area thus making the recovery process faster as there are less damaged cells to repair and rebuild. Cryotherapy also helps to minimise the pain caused by muscles sprains. It numbs the nerve receptors which sense pain and sends signals to the brain.
Ice Therapy Machine:
Ice therapy machines, also called as Cold Therapy Machines are devices which make the use of ice or cold liquids to decrease the swelling and pain in muscles and body. It lowers the temperature of the particular area where the machine is used. Lower temperatures help to heal and recover the damaged area much faster.
These are medically proven to reduce pain and muscle swelling. It also increases the healing rate and is easy to use. People who are old and observe muscle fatigue regularly or are athletes and need to soothe their muscles every now and then should surely use Cold therapy machines.
Why should we choose Ice Therapy Machines?
Ice therapy machines are designed to provide better results with minimum hassle. Though many people still prefer using ice cubes or ice packs for muscle cramps, it has its own issues like freezing and water leakage.
Ice therapy machines are specially made to be more effective. They spread the cold effect of ice evenly all over the affected tissues. Areas such as elbows, kneecaps are hard to treat with a ice pack, this is where ice therapy machines come in. These machines help to penetrate deeper in the tissues and give a better and more effective treatment.
You can also adjust the temperature of ice machine pads to suit your skin as cold temperatures can also harm or damage your skin tissues. Ice machine speeds up the recovery process and is more reliable than their traditional counterparts. But now you might be thinking how these ice therapy machines actually work?
How do Ice therapy machines work?
Similar to ice packs, but more efficiently, ice therapy machines deliver a wave of therapeutic cold to the affected areas which temporarily numbs the nerve endings. This results in the nerve endings becoming unable to process and send signals regarding pain and sense. This helps to get rid of the pain caused by the affected muscle tissue.
Ice therapy machines, along with numbing the nerve cells also speed up the recovery process by stopping more cells from dying out by reducing their metabolism. Lymphatics drainage is also one more effect of therapeutic cold which helps to reduce swelling and inflammation of muscles and tissues.
This is most useful for body areas like knees, shoulder or arm joints where swelling can be a lot more painful. Ice packs attach to your body parts tightly enough to provide cold compression which aids in the elevated recovery of the muscles.
Are Ice Therapy Machines easy to use?
Ice therapy machines have a very small learning curve. They are easy to operate and do not require any extra hassle. Most of the Ice therapy machines consists of three components – a reservoir for the ice packs, a wall plug – to power the machine and a pad that is applied to the affected area.
The reservoir holds the cold water or ice, and before using the machine you just need to plug in the device. The cold pad is to be attached on to the machine prior to using the machine. Now you can use the pad to provide therapeutic cold to the desired areas very easily by wrapping up the pad around the affected area.
That’s it. The machine will do the rest of the work and you just need to sit back and relax. In general cases, the Ice therapy machine should be used for three to four hours but the usage period may vary depending upon the severity of the pain and damage.
Though all ice machines are not to be operated as given above as different companies have different ways of making their machines work but overall the basic method should be the same for all the Ice therapy machines with minor changes.
Since now we know that Ice therapy machines are way better than their traditional counterparts the ice packs, we can say that it is much more effective to use ice therapy machines as they not only provide better and faster recovery but also require less input as compared to ices packs. But when you try to buy an Ice therapy machine online you will find a plethora of options out there. Choosing which one is the best for you can be a hectic task. So here we have compiled a list of top 10 Ice Therapy machines that you can easily buy online –
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