The PolarCare Cub is our premiere cryotherapy unit - it comes with a multi-use pad that conforms to the shoulder, knee, elbow, and ankle.
Cryotherapy is also known as cold
therapy. This is the treatment of pain and/or inflammation by lowering
the temperature of the skin over the affected area. It is probably the
oldest form of pain control! In addition, it can significantly improve
swelling after an injury or surgery.
What is so special about the PolarCare Cub?
The PolarCare
Cub, made by Breg, is designed to maintain a constant cool
temperature over the joint or extremity where you are having pain. Breg
is one of the world's leading manufacturers of cold therapy devices. In
addition to being very portable, the PolarCare Cub does not require any
electricity.
How
does it work?
It couldn't be simpler! Simply fill the cooler up with ice, and then
top it off with water. Apply the included pad to wherever you are experiencing
pain (it has velcro straps keep the pad in place and conform it to your
body). Then simply pump the hand-pump about 5 times. You
will feel the results immediately!
When the fluid in the pad gets warm (after about 15-20 minutes), you simply
pump the handle a few times and the water re-circulates.
Decrease
your pain and swelling after surgery!
Which joints is
it best used for?
With
the included multi-purpose pad, the PolarCare Cub is suitable for the
following areas:
- Knee
- Shoulder
- Ankle
- Thigh
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For which problems
has this device been used?
The PolarCare is used by physicians for treatment of all kinds of joint
pain and swelling. It has applications in many disorders including acute
injury (trauma, dislocation), chronic problems (tendonitis, bursitis),
and after surgery to help control swelling and pain.
Get
back to work and/or sports sooner!
Why
is JointHealing.Com
suggesting the use of this particular cold therapy device?
Quite simply, we have tested all the available cold therapy units and
found this one to be the best
of the products that are portable and do not require electricity! The
pad is useful for multiple joints as opposed to many competitor's pads
which are only useful for one joint. The use of a hand pump to circulate
the water is much easier than gravity, as some other units use (these
other units require you to elevate the device above your extremity every
15 minutes, or so). If you are looking for a more low-cost cryotherapy
device, consider our DuraKold
cryotherapy packs.
Why not just use
an icebag?
Well, that certainly is an option. However ice bags are messy. They need
to be refrozen constantly. They have the capacity to cause skin burns
if not used properly. When
you are in serious pain, you want one solution, that will provide
you consistent relief of your pain, without all the mess and fuss of icebags!
If you are considering using an icebag, you should check out our DuraKold
system - it is much less messy, and comes with reusable cold packs.
I'm having surgery. Won't my insurance cover this device?
Insurance companies used to pay for these devices regularly. Many surgeons
used them on virtually all of their patients. However, Medicare decided
to discontinue reimbursement for cryotherapy devices, and most other insurance
companies followed suit. There are still a few insurance companies that
will pay for them, so you might want to check.
Sometimes, surgeons will request that the hospital give one of these
to a patient after surgery. It used to be that the hospital would give
it free of charge (because they made up the cost from all the other revenue
they generated from surgery). However, now that reimbursements for hospitals
have gone down as well, you can expect many, if not most, hospitals to
send you a bill. This may be as much as $200-$300 - Beware!
Your best bet is to find out BEFORE surgery whether it will be reimbursed
or whether the hospital will sock you with a tremendous bill. If the latter
is true, we doubt you will find this product less expensive anywhere else!