I suffer with chronic lower back pain and sciatica. I've been to many doctors, physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractors over the years. They have all helped but the pain never totally goes away. I bought this cold pack because I noticed that it is what was used in physical therapy. So I do my exercises and stretching at home and afterwards apply the cold pac to my back. It gets really cold and feels great. The price on Amazon is good, much less than at the physical therapy place. I like it so much that I purchased two more, one for each son, who also have back pain.
Chattanooga company makes a few different models of Cold packs. Stick with these (the black ones). They're far superior to the blue ones and will last 10 times longer. The blue ones I bought always developed leaks. I've got Black ones I've been using over a year and this has never happened.
I virtually live on these ice packs 24/7 (no exaggeration) for some L4 - L5 herniated discs and have been for about 5 years now so I think I'm qualified to make an objective, trustworthy review. I keep buying these (perhaps every 12 to 18 months). That wouldn't be the case if I weren't completely satisfied with the product. With my terribly bad back, I simply could not imagine life without these cold packs.
My mother recently broke her femur and shattered her hip. These things are a Godsend for relieving her discomfort and swelling after PT sessions, so when I found them on Amazon, I decided to order one for myself to use on my knee, shoulder and ankle.
The 10" X 13.5" size is ideal for my uses, with the larger one being best for the hip or larger areas. It's not terribly thick, but it is fairly heavy. Being able to tuck it around the area and have it stay is great. It's very pliable and after two hours flat in the fridge (per the instructions) it's definitely cold enough for a 20-30 cooling session. (It's recommended you use a towel between the pack and your skin, and use it no longer than 30 minutes.)
These are a tad expensive by comparison to some others, but well worth it in terms of performance and ease of use. I recommend them to anyone who hates the lumpiness of ice packs. The uniformity of the cooling around a specific area achieved with this gel pack is superior to any other I've found - great stuff!
Really nice cold packs. They stay cold for an appropriate length of time. Typically a cold pack should only be used for about 15 minutes per hour then removed as to not freeze yourself or cause damage to your skin. I bought two of these when I injured my back and would rotate them throughout the day to help reduce the inflammation and swelling after surgery. When first removed from the freezer they are a bit stiff, but you can conform them to any contour with minimal fuss. They work best wrapped in a thin towel or even a t-shirt to prevent freezing your skin or getting condensation dripping on your furniture (as any ice pack will do). These are the same type that were used at the physical therapist's office and are very nice. They may not be the best for small children as they are a bit heavy and I would also worry about kids puncturing them if not properly supervised, but for adults they are great.
The physical therapist treating my shoulder impingement syndrome has instructed me to ice my shoulder twice a day. She iced it at the end of each session with an ice pack inside a pillow case. As I was leaving after my first session I looked inside the pillow case to see what brand the rehab center uses and saw that it was ColPac. Given that they do a lot of "icing" I knew that whatever brand they use would be very durable so I ordered this and a few other shapes and sizes of the same brand.
If I am going to ice my shoulder while lying down I will lie down on top of this one, and put a smaller one on top of my shoulder. This brand gets VERY cold and stays cold because the exterior is made of a heavy polyurethane. As a result, you will probably want to put it inside a pillow case or wear a piece of clothing at least when using it so that it isn't so cold that it is uncomfortable (I sometimes have to ask the therapist to put a second pillow case over this because it is too cold with just one on it).
Feature Product
- Filled with a non-toxic silica gel that remains pliable throughout use
- Delivers up to 30 minutes of soothing cool relief from acute pain, swelling and fever
- Latex free packaging
Description
here's a ColPac for Every Application. Four different sizes of black polyurethane ensure effective cold therapy regardless of body area or shape. Also available are seven sizes of blue vinyl. One year warranty.
I've had my Chattanooga ColPacs now for over three years, two standard size and two over sized. I first found these from my chiropractor who after I had an accident, charged me ad additional $15/visit for "cold therapy". I could never find these in local ,medical supply stores are found them elsewhere online, but not for AMAZON prices! These are very heavy to ship so Amazon's free shipping is amazing.
I keep mine ready to go, flat in the freezer. You can fold these over once for storage, but that's all I would recommend. Mine came with an outer plastic shipping cover so be sure and not throw that away if yours is shipped that way. It adds extra protection for the vinyl case from sharp edges in the freezer from other packaged and frozen items. These should last many MANY years and are nothing like you would find in a local pharmacy. They're always pliable and comfortable no matter where it's used. I recommend a thin, thin cloth between you and the pack to get the most of the cooling effects for swelling without damaging or freezing an exposed skin area. You can easily flip this over and get an extra 10-15 minuted of chill from the other side. It makes me able to work hard, ice to help the swelling after and start the next day with little pain. EXCELLENT product.
My physical therapist recemmended a gel type cold pack. The one he used as amazing, even though it was well below freezing in temperature, it was still a flexible gel. He recommended going to Walgreens or Walmart but all they had were the hard type ice packs like you would put in a cooler or lunch box. On Amazon I found this ColPac brand which is the exact same one the physical therapist used. I've only had it for a few days but the outer poly plastic cover seems very durable and would be surprised if it develops a leak anytime soon.
With a flexible gel pack like this you can easily wrap the pack around the injured area. In my case I am using it on a shoulder. I can shape the pack so it hits the back, front, and top of the shoulder, and at the same time it shapes to cover the outside of my shoulder/arm. Before I found this ColPac I was using ice and I had to reposition it constantly to cool the entire area.
Highly Recommended.
This sounds silly, but I don't even care....I am in love with this brand & this specific type of ice pack. I recently had major hip surgery & this is the only thing that helps me & stays cool the longest. This is what my physical therapy place uses & this specific brand & size & type was recommended by them. Please don't hesitate & buy this if you want an actual cold ice pack that is durable, comfortable & lasts a long time. I love this thing! God bless this company who makes these. I wish I could afford to buy 10 of them.
I bought all three sizes, of this brand cold pack. I'm very impressed with this product because, unlike other cold packs that the gel will squish to the sides and not stay in the middle where you need it most, this gel does stay in place. It stays cold better than the cheaper gel packs in my opinion. The vinyl (or whatever) exterior is substantial and appears it will outlast the cheap cold packs I've purchased in the past. I am glad I bought this brand. Do not store this gel pack outside the freezer once you freeze it for the first time, as I've read of several people that mentioned the gel disintegrates if stored at normal room temperatures over time.
I ordered 2 of these cold packs after our last one we had leaked (a cheapie from the drugstore). There are several pros about this cold pack that others don't have:
The size
Portability (save the zip lock pouch!)
Forms (easily molds)
Temperature (stays cold, use a thin dish cloth to cover it)
Durable
Overall, I would highly recommend having this on hand at all times in your freezer! It works much better than a bag of peas and for the long term use, don't wait until an injury happens to have it ready!
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