The first thing most of us remember to do is pop a pill when faced with any body pain. However, even excessive use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can do more harm than good. If you rely on prescription pain relievers during your post-operative recovery, then the prolonged use of these pills can cause a dependency on them. Soon patients are unable to function without these pills; with the need to even increase the dosage after the precious dose fails to work on their body effectively.

One age-old remedy that can help people deal with pain without pills is cold therapy. It is a natural remedy that can help reduce pain even post major orthopedic surgeries and injuries. However, for it to work well, it needs to be delivered using a good cold therapy unit. It is a device to administer cold therapy most efficiently and safely. It is fairly simple to use and offers patients the convenience of benefiting from cold therapy right at their home.

Using a Cold Therapy Unit for Pain Relief

Cold therapy is beneficial to use post orthopedic surgeries involving the knees, shoulders, back, and the hip joint. It is also useful for healing muscle pain post an intensive exercise session or a very tiring day. Instead of taking a pill (which can seem rather convenient at the time), it is better to deal with orthopedic pain using cold therapy.

Cold therapy is application of freezing temperatures over the injuries to provide relief from pain. The cold temperature helps to numb the site of application to reduce blood flow to the area. Without blood flow, the swelling begins to reduce and the resulting pain from it also starts to fade away.

A cold therapy unit helps to deliver freezing temperatures over the injuries safely, conveniently, and effectively. Such machines come with components such as a healing pad, a tank, and others. You can fill the tank with ice and water before wrapping the healing pad around your injury. You need to then simply switch on the machine to begin the flow of water from the tank to the healing pad. Companies like IsoComforter have invested in patented Iso tube technology to make their cold therapy units safer to use.

IsoComforter machines come equipped with healing pads that contain ridges to provide optimal temperatures over the injuries. These machines also come with self-priming pumps for greater ease of use.

Pain relief benefits –

There are many ways by which a cold therapy unit helps with better pain management and offers patients an option for pain relief without using pills. Some examples –

• Post knee or shoulder replacement surgeries, patients need to begin their physical therapy to regain proper movement in their joints. However, it is not possible to do so until the pain from the surgery has reduced considerably. One option is that patients can take medicines and wait for the pain to become bearable. The other safe option is that they can begin a regimen of cold therapy to quickly recover from their post-operative discomfort.
• Fatigue can cause pain in the joints and muscles. For instance, wall painters often complain of shoulder pain. People who work with heavy machinery also experience pain in their back and other joints. A short session of cold therapy using a machine can help them heal their tired muscles. They can use a cold therapy unit while watching television or simply resting.
• Athletes often complain of muscle, and joint pain post their training sessions. Now, popping pills after every training session is simply not desirable. Instead, athletes can indulge in safe cold therapy as and when needed as per their specific requirements. The same applies to those who perform intense exercises most days of the week. They can use a cold therapy unit at home to recover from muscle pain and get ready for their next workout session.

A cold therapy unit has none of the limitations of ice packs used for healing. You don’t need to deal with dripping water on the floor or the bed. You also don’t need to inconvenience yourself of holding the ice packs over your injuries for prolonged periods.