Using an Ice Machine for Shoulders
Cold therapy works by temporarily stopping communication between nerves, which in turn interrupts the blood supply to that specific area. When the blood supply stops, the body jumps in to heal the area. The reduced blood supply, thus, leads to a reduction in the swelling and pain.
Cold therapy can speed up recovery after shoulder replacement or rotator cuff surgeries. It is also helpful to heal shoulder pain or relieve soreness from shoulder muscles. With speedier recovery, patients do not require using pain medicines often.
Use of pain medicines in the long-term can cause harmful side effects.
For cold therapy to work, it needs to be delivered consistently and evenly. Both consistency and evenness are best achieved via use of ice machines.
Buying the machine –
The first step to achieving your cold therapy healing goals for the shoulders is to invest in quality machines. Brands such as IsoComforter manufacture machines using the patented Iso Tube technology. The use of advanced technology means that the machines are safe for patients. IsoComforter machines contain healing pads with ridges, which helps with even distribution of cold temperature over the affected site.
You can buy specific healing pads for the shoulders that deliver cold therapy from all sides. Portable machines are useful for those who need to travel for work but need to use an ice machine often to heal shoulder pain or ease sore muscles.
Using the machine –
It is effortless and convenient to use ice machines unlike using ice packs for cold therapy. Once you fill the tank in the device with ice and water, you need to wrap the healing pad around your shoulders. Then simply plug in the machine and enjoy the benefits of cold therapy.
With cold therapy machines, you don’t require replenishing ice in the tank very often. You also don’t need to worry about water dripping on your surgical wounds ( Isocomforter.com/Why-cold-therapy-machine ) and raising the risk of post-operative infections. Machines that come with self-priming pumps remove the hassle of any sort of mechanical work to use the devices.
You need to use the ice machine for the shoulder as recommended by your doctor. Usually, 2-3 sessions a day of 15-20 minutes each are required at the beginning of the recovery process after surgeries or injuries. The number of sessions depends on the nature of orthopedic trauma.
You can use ice machines for shoulders at home or in clinical settings. For long-term recovery programs, it is more convenient to use cold therapy at home via good quality and safe machines.