Breg’s Polar Care Cub is a compact, cost-effective manual icing system ideal for managed care or minor procedures. Better than an ice pack and easier to take with you than icing systems that require electricity, this manual pump does the trick.

Portable Polar Care Cub Icing System Provides Cold Relief without Electricity

You've got to go to your kid's soccer game and you've just had knee surgery. The icing system you have requires electricity. Well, if you have a family of athletes, it might not be a bad idea to have the Polar Care Cub. It is the most cost-effective portable manual icing system around. And it's far better, easier and less messy than an ice pack.

The PolarCare Cub is made by Breg and designed to maintain a constant cool temperature and compression over the limb or joint that is swelling or painful. Breg is a leading manufacturer of cold therapy devices. There are certainly times when you'd like a portable system that does not require electricity. And cold therapy is a proven system for providing both effective pain relief and compression.

What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is also known as cold therapy and it works. Basically, it is the treatment of pain and swelling by lowering the temperature of the skin over the affected area. It reduces pain, swelling and speeds recovery after injury and surgery. Many sports med surgeons and physical therapists recommend these so athletes can get back to their sport without losing their competitive edge and it is often recommended for use by a surgeon following knee ligament sprains and ACL injuries and arthroscopic surgeries although you usually will get the electric units from either Breg Polar Care or Aircast CryoCuff.

How does it work?

The Polar Care Cub has a built-in hand pump to circulate the cold water through the Polar Pad while it increases compression around the joint; ankle, knee or shoulder.  The Cub is designed for portability, ease of use, and it has a versatile list of uses ranging from sprains to post operative swelling and pain management.

It really is easy to use. Just fill the cooler up with ice and top off with water. You can attach the cooler tube to the included pad and apply wherever you are experiencing pain or swelling. There are velcro straps that keep the pad in place and it can conform it to your body part.

To get it going, you pump the manual pump 5-6 times and it circulates soothing cryotherapy right away. You'll feel the effects almost immediately.

The fluid in the pad gets warm after about 20 minutes so you just repeat the above process and the water re-circulates. The pad is versatile and works for a number of limbs, body parts and joints. Other icing therapy units work by having you elevate the device above your extremity (or lifting from a table) every 15-20 minutes.

Will a prescription cover the cost?

Probably not, particularly for the portable unit. Some insurance does but hospitals often send you home with one and you think you've scored an awesome new toy until the bill comes. And like the $20 tylenol pill, they don't just pass on the cost but double it. Not always but often enough. At any rate, they rarely send you home with this one. This is just a great little travel unit. While ice can't be had in every venue, you can pack it with enough at home to last a good part of a day. Sometimes you get the unit from a physical therapist. So it's not a bad idea to go ahead and get one of these if you are anticipating a surgical procedure. Cryotherapy is very effective in the rehabilitation process and so the icing is a crucial part of getting better faster.

Which is better, Aircast CryoCuff or Breg Polar Care.

It depends. The Polar Care Cub is popular because it is the smallest and most lightweight cold therapy unit available and does not need electricity. A lot of people like the specialized pads for CryoCuff better. Some don't like to elevate the CryoCuff unit and the Polar Care cuff has two hoses so the water is constantly circulating. Very few people have tried both. And for certain, most people worship these units since they provide such incredible pain relief often severely reducing the amount of pain medication you have to take. Both are very high quality units with impeccable customer service and those who've tried one or the other swear by the unit they used.