I regret to inform you all that after eleven to fourteen years of faithful service, my Bledsoe Cold Therapy device has ceased to work. Tomorrow I will call the doctor and ask her to prescribe a new one. I’ve had this one since the shoulder injury with Lily, which is why I say eleven-fourteen years because I don’t really remember when it happened.
The reason I am talking about this is twofold- one, because it’s just fucking bullshit how insurance in this country works and that because I have a job I can just call my doctor and most likely get a new device for “free,” but two, because lots of you, like me, are aging, and daily pain management is vital to quality of life, and I think cold therapy is dramatically underutilized, even in the middle of an opioid epidemic.
For those of you who have chronic pain and have not yet tried cold therapy or ever even heard of it, I highly recommend asking your physician or caregiver. It’s a simply thing- you take an igloo like cooler, fill it with ice water, put a sleeve around the hurting part of your body, turn it on, and it circulates near freezing water continuously through it. Here’s a video of someone using one:
At any rate, the real benefit is that unlike an ice pack, which can cause tissue damage because ice is touching the skin, this thing has near freezing water and you can wear the thing all day if you want. I have had sessions where i have worn it for two hours while working at the computer or watching a movie. And because it can be worn so long, it gets deep down in there and really provides a great deal of relief.
Additionally, if you are like me and simply can not use opioids (I have horrible histamine effects- sweating, itchiness, etc., as well as constipation and general confusion, not to mention I AM A FUCKING ALCOHOLIC AND DON’T NEED THAT BULLSHIT IN MY LIFE), these units are fucking amazing. Also, unlike opioids, which don’t actually relieve pain but make you forget about it, these things provide actual pain relief and help with inflammation.
So, if your knees, shoulder, elbow, etc., chronically hurt, look into one. They are the fucking best.
This concludes tonights AARP infomercial, and you may now continue to your normal blog experience. But seriously- if you have any injuries or surgical interventions, ask for one of these bad boys.
Josie
My middle son was a dancer in high school and seriously injured his ankle. The physical therapist told me to buy a similar device and have him use it each evening before bedtime. It was wonderful, both for relieving pain and for healing. I agree with John’s endorsement.
zhena gogolia
It really helped me after hip replacement. But it was just a rental.
HumboldtBlue
If John Cole were a mood.
Raven
Back?
Spanish Moss
@HumboldtBlue: Too funny! Loved that mixtape part. Thanks for sharing.
Yet Another Haldane
Oh, hell yeah. I had a similar device (Cryo-Cuff, I think?) from the physical therapist after an ACL replacement and it was wonderful. Now I’m 20 years older and everything hurts I should get a whole-body version. Or maybe just take ice baths like in Body Heat.
Freemark
Had a version of this supplied by insurance for a month after my rotator cuff surgery. Worked great. Between the nerve block given during surgery and this I never took any of my opioid painkillers. I did get the impression the machine would have been hella expensive to purchase.
frosty
@HumboldtBlue: Imma send this to a couple of my GenX former co-workers. I was like, the only Boomer among them. Payback!
Spanky
@Freemark:
The Bledsoe, McManus, and a couple others are $190-$200 on Amazon.
SiubhanDuinne
It was January 2010. Here’s your post on the shoulder surgery:
balloon-juice.com/2010/01/27/im-alive/
Elizabelle
Anytime Lily is mentioned, it makes me smile. Valiant little dog.
BretH
Next best thing IMO is a cold wrap called “Elasto-Gel”. They’re not cheap but are wonderful in much the same way – the pack is a thick neoprene/memory foam-like substance covered with nylon so the cold never touches your skin directly. The thick foam holds the cold for quite a while.
You can also toss it in the microwave for three minutes and have instant gentle warmth for a sore or tight back.
I have had 2 of the 9×30 size for years now and they still work great.
CaseyL
Does anyone know if these Cold Treatments work well for people with Reynauds Syndrome? My Aunt has Reynauds, and also hates the cold in general.
Brachiator
I didn’t know about this kind of device. Making a note.
Thanks very much.
RobertDSC-iPhone 8
For the record, you’re never supposed to put an ice pack directly on the skin. Wrapping it in a towel works fine.
tobie
I referred my husband to this post. I don’t have serious orthopedic problems but three things that have rid me of any hip or back pain are Birkenstocks (I vowed in my youth I’d never wear them!), orthotics and daily glucosamine. As I said, my problems were never that serious but I’m astonished myself at how agile I’m feeling these days.
Lyrebird
@CaseyL: Probably not on her fingers, hands, toes, or front of her feet. Apparently I have that (Raynaud’s disease) too, and it can certainly can be painful and annoying, but the circulation to my knees and elbows is AOK. I have never tried this machine. I will say that a PT in NJ once treated my wrist injury with alternating cold and hot baths for the wrists, and it was incredibly effective.
jackmac
And now, pain relief tips. This really IS a full-service blog.
Quiltingfool
I had that cold therapy machine after my knee replacement. It was great! I didn’t put ice in mine, I used frozen water bottles. No melted water to deal with, and it was easy for me to exchange ice bottles. You have to get creative when you have to use a walker to get around.
Eric S.
This will get me to delurk. These devices are absolutely awesome. I have 1 right now but have owned 2 because of multiple shoulder surgeries. I have one to a friend who had shoulder surgery and her doctor didn’t provide one. To repeatz they are awesome. Get one.
CaseyL
@Lyrebird:
Thanks!
According to my Aunt, everything hurts all the time -what with the Reynaud’s, plus arthritis, plus various injuries incurred over a very athletic life – but the worst pain is in her back, I think. I’ll mention the Cold Therapy thing to her.
satby
@CaseyL: As far as I can remember from way, way back in nursing school, cold exacerbates Raynauds:
“In Raynaud’s phenomenon, smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin constrict excessively in response to cold, limiting blood supply to the affected area. The first line of therapy consists of lifestyle measures, such as avoidance of precipitating factors and use of gloves” from the Mayo Clinic site
I don’t have Raynauds, but cold therapy has always been painful to me. I prefer heat therapy, and I hate being hot.
soapdish
Look, if any of you are looking to free yourselves of any of those pain medications, feel free to reach out to me. I’ll be happy to take them off your hands.
satby
@Lyrebird: That’s what I’ve done: cold after an injury to prevent swelling and heat afterward to increase circulation and speed healing. And naproxen for pain, like many redheads I have bad reactions to opiates so all of them are not options for me even after surgery.
danielx
Going through the same insurance bullshit in regard to a cpap machine right now – suffice to say my sleep test was in early May, pulmonologist said I needed it, and I’m still waiting for the fucking medical equipment company to get its sierra stacked in a neat pile. Las time I talked to a customer service rep there I said I was about to blow the whole thing off, and got a long and pronounced (if not made explicit) yawn. Fuck, you’d think they’d be motivated for the revenue if nothing else.
FastEdD
I have a device called the Unscrew which is a plastic piece and a knurled metal post. It gives you a mechanical advantage opening jars and lids. My Mom used to call it the Unscrew You. Works quite well for those with arthritis. It finally broke after 60 years of service. I replaced it with a similar one for $5 but it just isn’t the same. RIP Unscrew You.
Lyrebird
@satby: So glad you have found good alternatives! And I don’t have red hair, but I do know a little of what you and Cole are saying. Years ago, I took one single dose of the op. they gave me after my wisdom teeth came out. Thought I was going to need a barf bag just to roll over in bed. Clung to the wall walking to the bathroom. Probably twelve whole steps. Thought the floor was heaving. My grandm also had trouble with naproxen, bleeding too much, so I am very glad it does the trick for you without all that!
AJ of the Mustard Search and Rescue Team
You are the best, Cole.
Not being sarcastic.
Ruckus
@Yet Another Haldane:
I’m 74 and still active, although not near as much as I was a few years ago. But sleeping often gives me more pain than anything else. And it did long before I reached this age. I have a herniated disc and while it isn’t debilitating it can be annoying when I lay down. And then various joints seem to be, well, somewhat/rather worn the hell out. I’m sure that others here having survived this long know of what I speak. This getting old shit is getting old… Doesn’t mean I don’t want another 20-25+ yrs just that the ride isn’t as comfortable as it used to be.
BigJimSlade
Earlier this year, when the natural gas prices went up in Los Angeles, they turned the heat off in the pool at our recreation center. I would walk back and forth in water between (guessing) 55-60 degrees for about 20 minutes. My knees hadn’t felt that good in years. I’ll have to look into one of these contraptions. (Though I’ve been using fancier ice packs than I had before that, and they’ve been pretty good.)
Sebastian
Can this be used for lower back pain, too?
sab
@Brachiator: My husband borrowed one from a friend after his back surgery (with MRSA) and it was miraculous. Same issues as Cole with opioids so we really needed something that would work.
Dave
I am glad to hear you found relief from your pain!
The entire US medical/insurance industry is a criminal syndicate. You pay more than anywhere else on earth for worse medical outcomes. I am a type one diabetic, and after 50 years of bullshit in the US, I punched out for good and now live in Spain, where I no longer have to pay outrageous amounts of money for substandard care. If you have the means and inclination to do the same I cannot recommend it enough.
Here is a Times article about what a nightmare it is for those with chronic health conditions to live in the US: tinyurl.com/2equsgyn
Geo Wilcox
@zhena gogolia: I never got one with my hip replacement (was never in any real pain but I have a VERY high pain tolerance) but my husband did for his knee replacement.
MelissaM
I can attest to my own attempts at cold / ice therapy. I had tennis elbow from knitting and finally read about rubbing an ice cube on the tendon for a minute at a time, about 3 times, twice a day and I did that inconsistantly for about a week. Pain started to go away and the injury healed.
Jaybird
You can actually buy a Berg brand cold machine online for about $100 online from a medical suppply place. I did that when I had my knee replaced a few years back so my husband wouldn’t have to lug the thing up and down the stairs for me – no prescription needed.
ArchPundit
So much this. I just had a hip replacement and the opioids didn’t get rid of pain, it just splattered my attention so I didn’t notice it and could fall asleep.
JAM
My husband has 3 or 4 of those things because he has had so many surgeries and they always just send one home from the hospital. Unfortunately I think only one of the power cords still work.
Chris T.
I was given those for a bone break (well, shatter, actually) many years ago. I was taking them at a friend’s place where they were doing dinner for a large gathering, and someone asked me if they took away the pain. I considered this for a moment, and I still remember my answer (though not 100% exact phrasing): “No, it still hurts just as much. I just don’t care now.”
Basically they don’t stop the pain, they just disconnect it from the “me” part of me.
(The constipation was pretty bad though, and was one reason I kept my usage as minimal as possible.)