Are you anticipating knee surgery this year? Then you should expect a long—and at times painful—recovery. But there’s good news: cold therapy can help mitigate the swelling and discomfort you’ll feel post operation. Below I share a little more about the benefits of cold therapy before jumping into the 4 best ice machines for knee surgery.
The Role of Ice After Surgery
As a PT, I’ve helped many patients recover and rehabilitate their knees after surgery, from partial and total knee replacements to knee scopes and ligament repairs. I’ve witnessed firsthand the courage and commitment it takes to undergo surgery and recover strong.
That being said, one of the best things you can do for your knee recovery is apply ice. It’s normal to experience significant pain after surgery. As the body begins the healing process, it will flood your knee with fluid and white blood cells to rebuild what’s damaged. However, excess fluid can cause swelling and stiffness, which in turn slow your rehabilitation.
Ice helps address pain in two ways: first, by numbing pain receptors with the shock of cold temperatures and, secondly, by curbing the swelling. When done regularly, ice therapy can help the tissue in your knee heal faster. That’s why your PT will recommend a steady regiment of ice therapy every day for several weeks post operation.
In fact, your PT may recommend buying an ice machine or cold therapy machine. Essentially an electric cooler, this device connects to a cold compress and recirculates freezing fluid to your knee and back, keeping your compress cold for the duration of your therapy session.
Advantages of an Ice Machine Over an Ice Pack
When you’re in pain, any source of cold therapy will help you feel better, regardless if it’s a fancy ice machine or a zip-top baggie of ice cubes. But there are some undeniable advantages of an ice machine that could make it worth your while.
Stays Colder for Longer
It doesn’t take a physicist to know that a bag of ice remains a bag of ice for only a short amount of time. After just a few minutes in contact with your warm knee, those ice cubes will begin to melt into a steady drip of condensation. Ice packs, too, are limited in how long they’ll stay as cold as your freezer.
By contrast, because an ice machine is connected to power, it can deliver freezing temperatures directly to your knee for a steady 20 minutes, without warming or melting.
Supports Consistent Use
An ice machine is designed to be used intermittently all day. It’s well-insulated, staying cold for 4–6 hours before needing a fresh refill of ice cubes or frozen water bottles. An army of freezer bags or ice packs require constant refreezing, but an ice machine provides the most consistent, uninterrupted cold therapy.
Helps You Prepare
Unlike an unforeseen ankle sprain, your surgical site is an injury you can prepare for. A bag of peas may do in a pinch, but an ice machine is one more purchase you can make ahead of time that will positively impact your recovery. When the rubber meets the road, you’ll be glad you invested in such an essential piece of your recovery.
Ensures Faster Recovery
From my experience, patients with considerable post-operative knee pain are not very enthusiastic to perform therapy exercises. But managing that pain improves not only their quality of life but also their consistency in therapy.
Research supports this observation. In this 2015 study, patients who used a cold therapy device were more satisfied with their recovery and more consistent in their therapy than those who used ice alone. The less pain you experience and the more consistent you are in therapy, the faster and stronger you’ll recover. An ice machine is a small price to pay for such desirable, positive results!
How to Use Ice Safely After Knee Surgery
As much of a miracle worker ice can be for an injury, it can also do some damage of its own. Ever heard of frostbite? No longer just the injury of gloveless snow shovelers, frostbite is a condition you can develop in your own living room from an overeager ice machine.
To protect your skin from freezing temperatures, always keep a barrier between your skin and the cold pad. Never apply ice directly to your knee with only flimsy plastic in between.
Even with an adequate barrier, you can develop frostbite if you use your ice machine for too long. You don’t have that risk as much with an ice pack that melts and warms to room temperature. But a cold therapy machine is designed to stay cold for hours—far longer than is healthy for continuous use.
Some ice machines come with a timer so you can program an automatic shutoff and avoid overdoing it. Otherwise, always keep track of the time and do not sleep with the machine running.
4 Best Ice Machines for Knee Surgery
You may see state-of-the-art ice machines at your physical therapy clinic, but these 4 ice machines are available for easy purchase on Amazon.
Ossur Cold Rush Ice Machine
- Features 4 flow settings
- Comes with knee-specific pad
- Keeps ice cold for 4–6 hours
- Has locking lid and handle for easy transport
- Weighs 4.6 lbs
- Offers 6-month warranty
- $225 on Amazon
The Ossur Cold Rush was designed with the post-operative patient in mind. By toggling between four flow settings you can dial back—or crank up—the cold therapy as your knee requires. Expect 4–6 hours of use in between trips to the freezer and back, which will be much easier thanks to the machine’s lightweight design, sturdy handle, and locking lid.
Polar Active Ice 3.0
- Includes on/off timer for 10–990 minutes
- Comes with knee-specific pad
- Features 9-qt, double-insulated cooler
- Has high ratings in customer service
- Offers 6-month warranty
- $220 on Amazon
The Polar Active Ice 3.0 sports a familiar, blue cooler design that will fit right into your home while delivering Arctic-level temperatures. At 9 quarts, this cooler can house 6 frozen water bottles for maximum refill efficiency. Its programmable timer manages both on and off time for up to 990 minutes of intermittent therapy.
Polar Vortex Ice Machine
- Includes timer for 5–30 minutes
- Comes with universal pad
- Features transparent, 9-quart basin
- Keeps ice cold for up to 6 hours
- Offers 30-day warranty
- $180 on Amazon
If you’re looking to save a few bucks, the Polar Vortex is a good discount option. It can provide the same cold therapy and compact convenience of the other coolers for $40 less. Instead of a knee-specific pad, however, it includes a universal one, which may require an additional wrap to secure around the knee. But hey, if you’re ever injured again, you’ll have a pad—and a device—you can use just about anywhere.
Don Joy Iceman Classic3
- Features locking lid and handle
- Comes with a universal pad from Amazon
- Uses two pumps to recirculate cold
- Has a compact, hose-and-stirrup design
- Offers 6-month warranty from manufacturer
- $190 on Amazon
As one of the best brands for wraps and braces, it’s no surprise that DonJoy has its own line of cold therapy machines. Their Iceman Classic 3 is another budget option, delivering quality cold therapy in a simple, plug-and-play design. To ensure your compress stays cold all day, this machine uses two pumps instead of one for continuous flow.
If you buy the Iceman Classic from Amazon, you’ll receive the universal pad. But knee-specific wraps are available for purchase from the DJO Global website.
Summary
Recovering from knee surgery is no picnic, but with the right tools, support, and commitment to therapy, I know you’ll be successful. For more tips on recovering well from knee surgery, check out this post. Or, follow along with me in this 10-minute exercise video for knee replacement recovery.
