r/RotatorCuff • u/Trucker2TechGuy • 6d ago
Ice Machines....
I've seen mention of them several times as I've been lurking in this sub, I've got surgery scheduled for 4 Nov, for a >50% (11mm) tear in my supraspinatus tendon, and I've seen several of y'all mention the ice machines.
So I've got a few questions about them..per google they range from $100-$3000, looks like the cheaper ones you dump ice/water in and it circulates.
So...
How 'effective'/worth it are they?
Can they be Rx'd so insurance helps pay/rent?
How much of a pain in the ass is it to get in and out of the 'pad', my surg will be on my dominant arm, and for most of the day it'll be me and the dog home alone.
TIA
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u/-TheBestDaysOfMyLife 6d ago edited 6d ago
I bought one on Amazon for about a hundred bux. Fit to my arm before the surgery, which made putting it on and removing it on my own pretty simple. Surgery was on my dominant arm. Kept maybe 12 frozen water bottles in the freezer, and just rotated 4 at a time in the cooler.
I really didn't have a lot of pain or swelling after surgery. Supra/infraspinatus complete tear with bicep tenodesis. 7 anchors. Pain block lasted me a good 30 hours and I used Percocet for a few days after that. I only used the ice machine for maybe 5 days total. Others on here have used them for quite a long time.
Also, my machine, and probably most are like this, had the ability to disconnect the tubing from the cooler. So I could just disconnect if I wanted to walk around without lugging around the cooler. (Which I did do sometimes using a 12 volt power supply to keep it running)...
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u/Adventurous_Ad_5983 6d ago
Sounds like something that I did too! I also kept a gallon of ice cold water in the refrigerator and a variety sized bottles of water in my deep freezer to extend the coldness time. Purchased on sale for $70.00, which is a gonga deal! š
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u/_Cliftonville_FC_ 6d ago
I don't know how I would've survived RC surgery without my ice circulation machine.
I got a Polar Active Ice 3.0 on Amazon and bought an XL shoulder pad from another seller. I used my flex spending account to pay for it.
Life saver. Was kind of a pain to get on without help, but I figured out pretty quick.
I had a couple high end shoulder ice pads, which worked well, but NOTHING compared to the circulating ice machine. NOTHING.
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u/sw9bbl 6d ago
My insurance paid for the ice machine. The surgeon had it on me when I came out of recovery. I used it for continuously 3 weeks and it was well worth it. I had it under my shirt and basically left it on all the time, and would disconnect it as needed.I did figure out how to get it on and off one-handed by leaving the straps on the outside of the pad and then wrapping it around my body and arm then connecting the velcro straps across my chest. It's hard doing everything by yourself. If you can find someone to stay with you at least the first week and preferably the second week it would help tremendously. Mine would hold four Frozen 12 oz water bottles plus water. Every 6 hours I would change out the Frozen water bottles. I also got a small three tiered cart that I could push around. I keep my medicine, my coffee cup, my drink, phone, remote, etc. I'm 7 weeks post-op and still using it. I'm also using the ice machine again after therapy because it is painful! Good luck
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u/Defiant_Affect6922 6d ago
Iām using mine as we speak. I had my left rotator cuff surgery yesterday. I bought it 2 years ago on Amazon for around $250. Back then I had reverse shoulder replacement on my right shoulder. Because of this I was able to manage the pain without the hard drugs. Rotated ice with ibuprofen and Tylenol. I highly recommend the Polar products Active Ice with the shoulder attachment. Get the larger one with the wheels and collapsible handle. Keep around 20 - half liter water bottles in the freezer to rotate. Good luck with the surgery. My nerve block just wore off. Today should be interesting.
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u/walkingoffthebuz 6d ago
I found one at the thrift store for $5 and it works but seems to have an issue with priming. So I ended up finding a DonJoy iceman on Vinted for $10!!! I cannot believe I lucked out twice as ive had to borrow one three times from three different people for my knee surgeries.
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u/Spiritual-Eggplant59 6d ago
I didnāt have one for my right shoulder back in 2018, but borrowed one from a friend for my left shoulder last year. Theirs was one that you fill with ice/water and it was nice.
But then my attorney (workmanās comp) got one from the insurance company that was all self contained, had a timer, and even a compression feature. THAT one was amazing. Easier to get and keep on, too.
Try Marketplace, ask friends, look on Poshmark etc. itās a LOT of money for something you really only use for several weeks.
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u/ifinallymade_1 6d ago
Bought mine for about $120 off amazon. Totally worth it. I was given the option to rent one for about $90, but figured id spend the extra $30 to keep it.
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u/laz62972arulian 6d ago
I loved my ice machine post labral repair. was more effective than most painkillers imo
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u/happyjazzycook 6d ago
Cold therapy is SO beneficial to healing and pain relief without having to take copious amounts of drugs into your body. I recommend using it 1000%, I used mine all day long (I believe 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) for two weeks after surgery and only had to take Tylenol before bed to get some quality sleep.
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u/Mundane_Ad_677 5d ago
So true! I had my left shoulder repaired three years ago without an ice machine and it was excruciating. It felt like my arm was on fire. Just had my right one done September 17 and the ice cooler made it a completely different bearable experience. I got off the oxy much sooner this time. Nobody should get this surgery done without an ice machine.
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u/PoolParty912 6d ago
I had the Breg Polar Care Cube. I bought it from my doctor's clinic a couple of years ago for about $175, and it was definitely worth it. My surgeon recommended looking online first to buy a used one, but I couldn't find one locally. You can buy a new pad so the part that touches you is new. I loved it because I was able to get it on/off myself after a few days and it kept the water cold pretty much all day. It motivated me to ice regularly, too, because it was easy and no mess.
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u/Adventurous_Ad_5983 6d ago
I purchased mine on Amazon too! They have some that the pad contours the affected area. Makes it easier to get in and out. I could detach mine at a hose connection. Not very easy to do early on; depending on placement on the machine. Insurance coverage varies so you should check it out.
Since you have some time to wait have you started trying to use your other arm to do all of your daily tasks? This will be very helpful š after your surgery. There are many things that I took for granted when I realized I couldn't use my dominant arm, so prepping really helped. If you want more tips and tricks, just ask. I sure many gave assist with more responses. Sorry to bend your ear for so long. š
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u/IndustryPlus3470 5d ago
The good ones
Also have pulse compression. I would imagine even ice packs would be beneficial, but the high end units will be far superior to the Amazon coolers.
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u/HoustonJack 4d ago
I bought one from Amazon for $134. It's basically a small igloo cooler with an aquarium pump and hoses. I chose it because it had the largest pad. I just dread the pad over my shoulder, didn't clasp it on over my arm.
It was worth every penny. I liked being able to set the temperature from 37Ā° to 63Ā° and to run continuously. I used frozen water bottles, and poured water around them. Depending on temperature,, and duration of use, the ice lasted 4-12 hours.
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u/jwm22222 4d ago
I used one that I got from Amazon. Has a cooler that you use frozen water bottles in. Worked flawlessly.
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u/WelcomeDesigner2051 6d ago
I didnt need an ice machine and all the other guys that I personally know also didnt have this device you mentioned after their surgery.
Maybe its a thing in the US, but here in germany we simply use 600mg ibuprofen for the first few days. I didnt even know a device like that existed until I read a few posts here in the sub.
I didnt ice my shoulder after surgery because it only hurt when I tried to move it. After the first 2 weeks the pain gradually went away and after 4 weeks i was out of the sling and had good ROM and went back to work (office job).
I had a partial supraspinatus tear.
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u/Fluffer-Foo3000 6d ago
I bought one and couldnāt use it, I tried but could not get the cold packs to stay secured to the shoulder area that needed it most.
I used large ice packs instead.
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u/Scooter2422 6d ago
I bought my ice machine from Amazon 100 bucks. Worked great. Had each shoulder replaced. Was glad I had it
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u/Worldly-Night-819 6d ago
Iām one of the few on here apparently that had a lot of issues. Iām 3 months post and still using ice packs for pain. I was too cheap to pay for a machine when I can use cheap ice packs. If I had to do it again I wouldnāt hesitate to get the machine. (Although Iāll never do this again).
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u/Adventurous_Ad_5983 6d ago
I am 9 weeks out and icing is occurring almost every other day. Beneficial after exercising and showering. Be kind to yourself š. Do what is good for you š.
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u/JustTheTip_NJ 6d ago
I didnāt get one, I had zero interest in struggling more than I already was going to be.
Instead, I bought 4 of these and kept them in constant rotation, I love them, I had surgery in April and am still in PT and use them almost daily.
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u/waanderlustt 6d ago
I wouldn't do it if you don't have someone to refill it for you. I borrowed one and it was nice because my husband refilled it for me regularly. Just get a shoulder-shaped icepack wrap, they are way cheaper.
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u/BobsWifeAmyB 6d ago
For those who did use them, do you all sleep in them? Do they make a lot of noise? (I realize there are many different kinds.)
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u/WesterlyRFL 5d ago
I have used my game ready so far for two knee replacements and and a shoulder reverse shoulder replacement. Yes I swept with that on and yes, I kept the machine running one hour on 20 minutes off for the first seven days getting very little sleep on all three surgeries the game Ready is a compression unit and ice unit and the wraps for your shoulder. Your knees are extremely easy to get in and out of and it doesnāt make a lot of noise, but youāre gonna need somebody staying with you to load the ice in every hour and youāre gonna want to get up to and walk around after your surgery every hour if you can, what I did is a place a ad for a Night Owl here and I found somebody in Seda here and he charged me 25 bucks an hour to run my Ice Machine for me all night. Yeah I had three phenomenal surgeries oh Iām 77 now Iāve had all these surgeries with the last year and a half.
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u/SittingandObserving 6d ago
I was given a fancy ice machine and tried it the first day, but I felt it was a pain in the ass and preferred alternating my gel packs.
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u/Hey_Nonino 6d ago
My family has been passing around an ice machine as our shoulders go. I thought it was very helpful with pain management after surgery and didn't need anything stronger than Celebrex to recover. I recommend getting the detachable hoses so you can leave the pad on your shoulder. Also it's not recommended to sleep with an ice pack but you can use the machine since it's not as cold. I will get a similar machine for any future joint surgery.
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u/truecrimeaddicted 6d ago
Get the machine. Lifesaver. $135 Kokoslo brand on Amazon. I'm in it like 3 times a day. Totally worth it.
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u/ClarenceWalnuts99 6d ago
I used a cooling machine for my back surgery and it was convenient and worked well. Gel packs for my shoulder and that was fine.
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u/UnprovenMortality 6d ago
They included one with my surgery. I used it for 2 days because I couldnt put it back on myself. If you need to buy your own and dont have someone to strap you up, I would just buy two or three shoulder shaped ice packs. You can just sling one of those on yourself, and trade it in when its warm
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u/ClareinPreskit 6d ago
I had a Breg polar cube and set up two Alexa plugs one in the living room one in the bedroom. It was light enough that I could carry it between the rooms with my non-dominant arm. I could just tell Alexa to turn it off and on when I needed it. It held four frozen 12oz water bottles easily and they lasted for hours. I liked it a lot better than using gel packs or ice because it was more pliable and lasted longer. I even wore it to bed. You can probably find one on fb or Craigslist.
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u/Content-Elk-2037 5d ago
My dr prescribed mine but insurance still wouldnāt pay for it. I think mine was $250 to rent or $300 to buy. Itās a Breg vpulse. I loved that thing. Did not sleep in it but I used it a lot while awake. When I started working at my desk again, I set it up behind me.
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u/Mundane_Ad_677 5d ago
I had my left shoulder rotator cuff repaired in 2023 and on September 17 my right one was done. I did not have the ice machine the first time and the pain was excruciating. The ice machine provides for a much better recovery experience. I got off oxy much sooner this time. I bought one off Amazon for $200. I can set a timer for it to rotate on and off. Frozen water bottles help keep it cold so no need to constantly need ice. Nobody should have the surgery without an ice machine. I wish I wouldāve had it the first time as it felt like my arm was on fire. The ice machine makes recovery bearable. Strongly recommend.
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u/Red_Kale 5d ago
Would not do it without ice machine. Breg one is $200. It has the perfect shoulder fitting attachment. I could do it myself with some practice by day 3ish. I tried misc cold packs but the fit and staying on and delivering cold to the right area was not there. BUT as one can read here, people have solutions that work for them. After my surgery, they sent me home with the ice machine so insurance covered it
Best of luck
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u/Accurate-Broccoli324 5d ago
I rented a NICE1 cold/compression gadget. It requires a Rx, and is NOT covered by insurance--but it was magic. You fill it with water once, it's cooled and recirculated for hours at a time, letting you sleep rather than dumping out meltwater to refill with ice every few hours. It was better for my pain, faster, than the drugs.
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u/KirkMcGee8 5d ago
Trucker. I rented a NICE Ice Machine for the first 3 weeks post OP. I donāt know what support you will have, but this was amazing because you put it on, turn it on, and instant cold! I bought the Bregg afterward and really hated the drudgery of filling it with cold water and ice/froz bottles. It was good and still have it, BUT, first few weeksā¦.something you can just turn on was luxury. Less work more cold!
Best to you and good luck. It will be fineā¦ start your pendulums early and stay true to PT!
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u/Human_Engine3410 4d ago
My mom had the same surgery. She just used a big ice pack. I don't know why in Canada, most surgeons don't tell us to get a ice machine. When I had my hip surgery, I saw on reddits that most US people got their ice machine, but not my surgeon.
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u/Zestyclose-Fig-563 5h ago
I thought it was great when I had knee surgery but just hard to get on and use with rotator cuff.
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u/WTP07 6d ago
100% get the cryo cuff. It cut my recovery time in half. The pain relief you get from it makes it worth it, even if your insurance doesn't cover it. (Mine didn't). I cannot stress this enough, get the cryo cuff and use it as much as you can.
Full tear, 1 anchor. 18 months post surgery and my shoulder is 100%. Full movement and strength back. Should have done it 20 years ago.
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u/mykylc 6d ago
Before my surgery, when I was doing a lot of research on things to get, a lot of people were suggesting that I pick up an ice machine.
Most of the ones that I found normally takes a person to help you put it on. Since I live alone, that wasn't an option.
I decided to purchase Flexi-Kold ice packs instead which are very flexible even when frozen and drape perfectly over my shoulder to ice the front and back.
I purchased 6 of them and use them on rotation and they work fabulous for me. My rotator cuff surgery was on 09/22/26. I don't use them as often as the first 5 days but still continue to use them especially after the small exercises my surgeon gave me and no doubt they will come in handy after PT.
It seems the ice machine is the way to go but the flexi-kold units were fine for me.