Oh, That Wonderful Ice Machine !

On a lighthearted note, this is a salute to that wonderful piece of durable medical equipment known as, the Ice Machine. Whoever invented this , all I want to say is, THANK YOU.  Gone are the days of ice gel paks and leaky bags filled with ice cubes. Continuous cold therapy is the way to go.

My particular model is the Breg Polar Care 500. This has been a constant companion of mine for many years. I've been through 3 of these machines over the years.  I've used them so much, almost daily, that I burned the motors out. I've even used it while traveling in the car, by using a power converter. Those of you who have used an ice machine, I'm sure you share my sentiments.

But, alas, move over Polar Care and make room for the Gameready, my new love ( the machine , not the guy, Ha!). I use this machine at PT. This machine has an 18 inch pad, much like a blood pressure cuff , that wraps around the knee. It also provides 3 settings of compression while icing and precise temperature control. This is great for swelling. Ahhhhhhhhhhh......total icing bliss.

If you thought the Polar Care was expensive, the Gameready goes for a whopping $2400.00 , not including pad.

With prices like that, I'll be using the Polar Care for many years to come.