How Intermittent Compression Works With Cold Therapy

Wondering how a cold compression machine actually works? Learn what intermittent compression does, how it works alongside cold therapy to manage pain and swelling, what the research shows, and who should and shouldn't use it.

By Supply Cold Therapy | Updated October 2026

Cold therapy has been part of injury and surgery recovery for decades. Compression has too. For a long time, patients combined them the simple way: an ice bag held on with an elastic wrap.

Cold compression machines take that idea further. Instead of a wrap that squeezes at the same pressure the whole time, they use an air pump to inflate and deflate the pad in a repeating cycle while ice water keeps it cold. That rhythmic squeeze-and-release is called intermittent compression.

So the useful question isn't just "Does compression help?" It's:

How does intermittent compression work with cold therapy, and does it actually make a difference for my recovery?

The short answer: cold and compression do different jobs. Cold slows things down by lowering tissue temperature, which helps numb pain. Compression pushes on the tissue, which helps move excess fluid out of the area and keeps the cold pad in close contact with your skin. Intermittent compression does this in cycles, pressing and then releasing, rather than holding constant pressure.

Research suggests combining cold with compression offers modest, mostly short-term benefits over cold alone, especially for pain in the first few days after knee surgery. It isn't a cure, it doesn't replace rehab, and it isn't safe for everyone.

At Supply Cold Therapy, we help patients compare cold therapy and cold compression systems before surgery. Here's how the main types of compression compare.

Cold Therapy and Compression Types at a Glance

Quick recommendations

• Before surgery: Ask your surgeon whether they want you to use cold only, cold with compression, or simple ice, and whether active compression is safe for you.
• If your surgeon recommends cold and compression: Compare the Breg Polar Care Wave and Omni Ice Pulse Compression, which both pair circulating cold with intermittent pneumatic compression.
• If you want something simpler: An Aircast Cryo Cuff gives cold and compression in a cuff, without a separate air pump.
• If you have a vascular condition, a history of blood clots, or heart failure: Talk to your doctor before using any compression device. Active compression may not be appropriate.
• Whatever you choose: Plan for a sterile dressing or skin barrier, and ice or freeze bags if you use a machine.

Intermittent compression adds to cold therapy. It doesn't replace your rehab program, your medications, or your surgeon's instructions.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• What intermittent compression is and how it differs from static compression
• How cold and intermittent compression work together, step by step
• What research says about combining cold with compression
• How cold compression options and costs compare
• What the pressure and temperature settings mean
• Who should not use intermittent compression
• How to use a cold compression machine safely
• Common mistakes and answers to frequently asked questions

Medical note: Your surgeon's or physical therapist's instructions take priority over any general guide. Cold compression devices are prescription devices with specific contraindications. Follow your provider's recommendations and the manufacturer's current instructions.

1. What Is Intermittent Compression?

Compression simply means applying external pressure to a part of the body. In recovery, it's used to help limit and reduce swelling. There are three basic ways to deliver it.

Static compression

Static compression holds the same pressure the whole time. An elastic bandage, a compression sleeve, or the straps on a gel ice wrap all work this way. It's simple and inexpensive, but the pressure depends on how tightly the wrap is applied, and it can loosen or shift as you move.

Intermittent compression

Intermittent compression inflates to a set pressure, holds briefly, then releases, and repeats that cycle throughout a session. In a cold compression machine, an air pump does this automatically, so the pressure is consistent from session to session and doesn't depend on how tight you made the straps.

Sequential compression

Sequential compression uses several chambers that inflate one after another, usually from the foot or calf upward, to push fluid toward the heart. Hospitals often use sequential calf sleeves to help prevent blood clots after surgery. Most home cold compression machines are designed to reduce swelling and pain at the treatment site, not to prevent blood clots, so don't assume a cold compression pad replaces the clot-prevention plan your surgeon gave you.

How a cold compression pad is built

The pads on cold and intermittent compression systems are built differently from cold-only pads. According to Breg's FDA clearance summary for the Polar Care Wave, its pad has two bladders: cold water flows continuously through one, while air is cyclically pumped into and released from the second to create intermittent compression. That's why cold compression pads aren't interchangeable with cold-only pads.

For a broader comparison of cold-only and cold compression units, read Cold Therapy Machine vs. Cold Compression Machine: What's the Difference?

2. How Cold and Intermittent Compression Work Together, Step by Step

A cold compression session runs through the same few steps over and over. Here's what's happening at each one.

Step 1: Cooling Begins - Lower the Temperature

The machine pumps ice water from the cooler through the cold chamber of the pad.

What it does:

• Lowers skin and tissue temperature
• Slows nerve signaling, which helps reduce pain
• Narrows blood vessels near the surface, which may help limit swelling early on
• Slows local tissue metabolism

Why it matters: Cold is the part of the treatment most closely tied to pain relief. Systematic reviews of cold therapy after knee replacement and ACL reconstruction consistently find lower pain scores in the first days after surgery.

Where it fits: On the Breg Polar Care Wave, you choose between two cold settings. Breg lists the colder setting at an average pad temperature of about 45°F or higher, and the standard setting at about 50°F or higher.

Step 2: The Pad Inflates - Apply Pressure

The air pump fills the compression chamber, and the pad tightens around the joint.

What it does:

• Raises pressure in the tissue under the pad
• Encourages excess fluid to move out of the tissue and into the veins and lymphatic vessels that carry it away
• Presses the cold chamber firmly against the skin for better contact

Why it matters: Swelling is fluid that has collected in the spaces between cells. Compression raises the pressure in those spaces so fluid is more likely to move back into the circulation. Lymphedema researchers have described intermittent pneumatic compression as essentially squeezing stagnant tissue fluid toward areas where it can drain.

Better contact means better cooling: In a study of 11 people, an ice bag combined with a compression wrap produced significantly cooler temperatures than ice alone at every depth measured, including 2 cm below the fat layer. Compression alone, without ice, didn't cool the muscle at all. In other words, compression helps cold work better, but it doesn't do the cooling itself.

Step 3: The Pad Releases - Let the Tissue Refill

The air chamber deflates, and pressure drops back down.

What it does:

• Lets blood flow back into the tissue
• Lets the small vessels and lymphatic channels refill so the next squeeze has fluid to move
• Prevents the constant pressure that can make a tight wrap uncomfortable over a long session

Why it matters: The release is what separates intermittent compression from a tight bandage. The repeating squeeze-and-release creates a pumping effect, a little like the way your calf muscles pump blood back toward your heart when you walk. After surgery, when you're moving less, that mechanical help can be useful.

Step 4: The Cycle Repeats - Keep It Going Through the Session

The machine keeps cycling compression while the cold water continues to circulate.

What it does:

• Delivers consistent cold and consistent pressure for the length of the session
• Lets you rest without re-wrapping or swapping ice packs

Where it fits: On the Breg Polar Care Wave, compression can be set to Low (about 25 mmHg average peak) or Regular (about 50 mmHg average peak), or turned off so the unit runs as cold only. The Omni Ice Pulse Compression also combines circulating cold with pulsing pneumatic compression, with Low, Medium, and High compression settings and 20, 40, or 60-minute session lengths. Your prescribing clinician should tell you which settings to use.

Shop: All Cold Therapy Products

What about the Aircast Cryo Cuff?

The Aircast Cryo Cuff IC works differently. It has no separate air chamber. According to its instructions for use, it provides cold and compression by exchanging chilled, pressurized water between the cuff and the cooler intermittently. The non-motorized Aircast Gravity Cooler uses the height of the cooler to set the water pressure in the cuff, and the instructions warn against raising the cooler more than 15 inches above the cuff to avoid excessive pressure.

Shop: Aircast Cryo Cuff Coolers

3. What Does the Research Say About Intermittent Compression With Cold Therapy?

This is where a lot of marketing overstates the case. Here's an honest summary.

Compression helps cold reach deeper

• A Journal of Athletic Training study found ice plus a compression wrap cooled tissue significantly more than ice alone at the skin and at two muscle depths. Compression alone slightly warmed the skin and had no effect on muscle temperature.
• A later study in the same journal found that after 30 minutes, skin under an ice bag reached about 9.5°C (49°F) with an elastic wrap, compared with about 15°C (59°F) with no compression.

Combined cold and compression: modest, early benefits

• A 2016 meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials with 522 knee surgery patients found compressive cryotherapy tended to produce less pain than cold alone on days 2 and 3 after surgery, and showed a strong tendency toward less swelling on days 1 and 2. By the later rehab stage, both approaches were similarly effective. The authors noted the trials were small and of low to moderate quality.
• A 2024 randomized trial of 40 knee replacement patients found that adding dynamic compression to cold led to faster improvement in knee bend, greater reduction in swelling, and less pain during activity than cold packs alone.

Intermittent compression vs. static compression

• A multi-center randomized trial of 280 knee replacement patients compared a cold and intermittent compression device with ice and a static compression bandage. The device group used less narcotic medication in the first two weeks (509 vs. 680 mg morphine equivalents) and reported higher satisfaction, but there was no difference in range of motion, knee girth, or walking tests.
• A 2014 case-control study after ACL reconstruction found patients using cold with dynamic intermittent compression needed less tramadol than those using cold with static compression (57.5 mg vs. 128.6 mg on average) and had slightly more knee bend at discharge.
• A 2023 randomized trial of 72 knee replacements found patients using a cold and intermittent compression device had slightly better knee extension during the two-week treatment period than patients using ice with static compression. There were no differences in pain, swelling, or opioid use, and the authors concluded the extension difference was likely due to chance.

After ACL reconstruction

• In a randomized trial after ACL reconstruction, 83% of patients using a cold and compression device had stopped narcotic pain medication by six weeks, compared with 28% of those using standard ice packs. The device group also started with higher pain scores, which complicates the comparison, and knee circumference didn't differ between groups.

The bigger picture on cold therapy

A Cochrane review of 22 trials and 1,839 people after knee replacement found cold therapy, with or without compression, may reduce pain slightly in the first two days, but the certainty of the evidence was low and the effects were small.

What this means for you

Adding intermittent compression to cold therapy may help with pain, early swelling, and comfort in the first days after surgery, and many patients like it. The benefits are real but modest, and studies don't consistently show better long-term function. It works best as one part of a recovery plan that includes your medications, elevation, and the exercises your therapist prescribes.

4. Cold Compression Options: Cost Comparison

Prices below reflect starting prices on SupplyColdTherapy.com at the time of publication and may change.

Hidden costs to consider

• Skin barriers: Most pads need a sterile dressing over a fresh incision or a skin barrier over intact skin. Read Why You Should Always Use a Sterile Pad With Cold Therapy Machines.
• Ice: Machines can use several pounds of ice a day in the first weeks. Reusable ice freeze bags can cut down on trips to the store.
• Extra pads: Cold compression pads are specific to their machine. If you'll treat more than one joint, or two knees, plan for extra pads or an adapter.
• Insurance: Most plans don't cover home cold therapy or cold compression units. See Insurance Coverage for Cold Therapy Units.

5. Pressure and Temperature Settings Explained

Cold compression machines usually let you adjust two things: how cold the pad gets and how hard it squeezes. Here's what those settings mean.

Compression pressure (mmHg)

Pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), the same unit used for blood pressure. For reference, a study of ice bag application used about 45 mmHg as typical pressure for an elastic wrap on the thigh. The Breg Polar Care Wave's two settings average about 25 mmHg (Low) and 50 mmHg (Regular) at peak.

• Lower pressure is often used right after surgery, over a tender incision, or for patients who find compression uncomfortable.
• Higher pressure may be recommended once the area tolerates it, if swelling is the main concern.
• Off lets most cold compression units run as a cold-only machine.

Cold setting

Colder isn't automatically better. Pad temperatures in the mid-40s to 50s °F are typical for cold therapy machines. Using a colder setting for longer raises the risk of skin and nerve injury, especially if you have reduced sensation.

Session length and frequency

There's no universal protocol. Studies have used everything from 30-minute sessions three or four times a day to longer, more frequent use. Your surgeon or therapist should give you a schedule, and your device's instructions will list any limits.

How compression use usually changes over recovery

• First few days: Swelling and pain are highest. This is when cold and compression are used most often, as prescribed.
• Weeks 1 to 3: Many patients use sessions after physical therapy and at the end of the day.
• After that: Use usually tapers to as-needed sessions after harder workouts.

For more on how long patients typically keep using cold therapy, read How Long Do I Have To Do Cold Therapy After Surgery?

6. Safety: Who Should Not Use Intermittent Compression?

Intermittent compression pushes fluid from the treated area back into the circulation. In some situations, that's the last thing you want. Manufacturer instructions list contraindications for both the cold and the compression parts of the treatment.

Don't use compression without your doctor's approval if you have

• A known or suspected deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) or pulmonary embolism
• Congestive heart failure or significant swelling from heart, kidney, or circulation problems
• Inflammatory phlebitis
• Venous or arterial occlusive disease, severe arteriosclerosis, or poor circulation
• Acute compartment syndrome
• An active infection or an unstable skin condition, such as gangrene or a recent skin graft, in the treatment area
• A condition where increased venous or lymphatic return is undesirable

Don't use cold therapy without your doctor's approval if you have

• Raynaud's disease or another vasospastic condition
• Cold hypersensitivity, cold urticaria, or cryoglobulinemia
• Sickle cell disease
• Diabetes or other conditions that reduce circulation or sensation
• A history of frostbite or cold injury

Be extra careful after a nerve block

A nerve block or local anesthetic can leave the area numb for hours. You may not feel if the pad is too cold or too tight. Check your skin often until normal feeling returns.

Always use a barrier

Never place a cold compression pad directly on bare skin unless the manufacturer specifically says the pad has a built-in barrier. Use a sterile dressing over incisions.

Stop and call your doctor if you notice

• Increased pain, burning, or numbness
• Throbbing or pulsing under the pad
• Skin that turns white, gray, blue, or blotchy, or blisters
• New calf pain, calf swelling, or chest pain or shortness of breath, which need emergency care

The FDA notes that water-circulating devices can stay colder for longer than ice packs, and that the most serious injuries linked to them, ranging from numbness to frostbite, have come from the cold therapy mode. It recommends talking with your provider first and following both your provider's and the manufacturer's instructions.

7. Which Cold Compression Option Fits Your Recovery?

Choose a cold and intermittent pneumatic compression system if:

• Your surgeon recommends cold and compression after surgery.
• Swelling is a major concern, such as after knee replacement or ACL reconstruction.
• You want adjustable, consistent compression without re-wrapping.
• You've confirmed that compression is safe for you.

Choose a Cryo Cuff if:

• You want cold and compression in a simpler system.
• Your surgeon is familiar with the Cryo Cuff and recommends it.

Choose a cold-only machine if:

• Your surgeon recommends cold without active compression.
• Compression isn't appropriate for you.
• Your main goal is consistent, hands-free cooling.

Choose a gel wrap with static compression if:

• You want something portable for after physical therapy or for minor injuries.
• You're further along in recovery and only need occasional sessions.

For a deeper look at cold-only machines, read How Does a Cold Therapy Machine Work?

8. What to Have Ready Before Surgery

Essential checklist

• Your surgeon's recommendation on cold only vs. cold and compression
• The correct pad for your joint and machine
• Sterile dressings or skin barriers
• Ice or reusable freeze bags
• Your prescribed settings and session schedule written down
• A test run at home before surgery day
• Your surgeon's plan for blood clot prevention, which a cold compression pad doesn't replace

9. When Should You Order?

Order one to two weeks before surgery. That leaves time for shipping, a test fill, learning how to put on the pad, and confirming you have the right size. If you're having surgery on short notice after an injury, ask about same-day or next-day shipping.

10. How to Use a Cold Compression Machine Safely

Setting up

• Fill the cooler with ice and water to the marked lines.
• Place a sterile dressing or barrier on the skin first.
• Apply the pad snugly but not tightly. Compression comes from the pump, not from cranking the straps.
• Connect the tubing and make sure there are no kinks.

During a session

• Start at the settings your clinician prescribed, often a lower pressure at first.
• Check your skin at regular intervals, more often if you have reduced sensation.
• Keep the limb supported, and elevate it if your surgeon recommends.

After a session

• Remove the pad and check your skin.
• Give your skin time to rewarm before the next session.
• Empty and dry the system as the instructions direct.

11. Common Mistakes With Cold Compression

For more at-home tips, read 5 Things to Avoid When Using Cold Compression at Home.

Mistake 1: Assuming more pressure is better

Higher pressure can be uncomfortable over a fresh incision and isn't necessarily more effective. Use the setting you were prescribed.

Mistake 2: Using compression with a suspected blood clot

New calf pain, warmth, or swelling needs medical evaluation before you use any compression device.

Mistake 3: Treating a cold compression pad as clot prevention

Most home cold compression units aren't designed to prevent deep vein thrombosis. Follow your surgeon's separate plan.

Mistake 4: Strapping the pad too tight

A pad that's too tight before inflation adds pressure on top of the pump's cycle.

Mistake 5: Skipping the barrier

Cold and pressure together make skin protection more important, not less.

Mistake 6: Buying the wrong pad

Cold compression pads aren't interchangeable with cold-only pads or with other brands. Confirm the pad matches your machine and joint.

Mistake 7: Expecting compression to replace rehab

Cold and compression make the early weeks more comfortable. Your exercises are what restore motion and strength.

12. Frequently Asked Questions

How does intermittent compression work with cold therapy?

Ice water circulates through one chamber of the pad to cool the area, while an air pump repeatedly inflates and deflates a second chamber. The squeeze helps move excess fluid out of the tissue and presses the cold against the skin. The release lets the tissue refill before the next cycle.

What is the difference between static and intermittent compression?

Static compression holds the same pressure the whole time, like an elastic wrap. Intermittent compression inflates and deflates in cycles at a set pressure.

Is cold with compression better than cold alone?

Research suggests modest short-term benefits, mainly for pain and early swelling in the first few days after knee surgery. Longer-term differences are less consistent.

Does compression make cold therapy colder?

It can. Studies show cold plus compression lowers tissue temperature more than cold alone, largely because compression improves contact between the cold source and the skin.

How much pressure does a cold compression machine use?

It varies by device. The Breg Polar Care Wave, for example, averages about 25 mmHg on Low and 50 mmHg on Regular at peak pressure.

Can a cold compression machine prevent blood clots?

Most home cold compression units are designed to reduce pain and swelling, not prevent blood clots. Ask your surgeon about clot prevention.

Who should not use intermittent compression?

People with a known or suspected blood clot, congestive heart failure, severe circulation problems, active infection in the area, or certain skin conditions should not use it without their doctor's approval.

Do I need a prescription for a cold compression machine?

Cold compression units are generally intended for use by or on the order of a licensed healthcare professional. Talk to your provider about whether it's right for you.

How long should I use cold compression after surgery?

Use is usually most frequent in the first one to two weeks and tapers as swelling improves. Follow your surgeon's schedule.

Can I use the compression without the cold?

Some units let you turn cold or compression off independently. Ask your clinician which combination they recommend.

Does insurance cover cold compression machines?

Most plans don't. Check with your insurer before purchasing.

13. Final Cold Compression Checklist

Before you start, confirm:

• My surgeon recommends cold with compression, not cold only.
• I don't have a condition that makes compression unsafe.
• I have the right pad for my machine and joint.
• I have sterile dressings or skin barriers.
• I know my prescribed pressure, cold setting, and session schedule.
• I know the warning signs to stop and call my doctor.
• I have a separate plan for blood clot prevention.
• I'm still doing my rehab exercises.

Final Verdict: Is Intermittent Compression Worth Adding to Cold Therapy?

Intermittent compression and cold therapy do different jobs. Cold lowers tissue temperature and helps numb pain. Compression helps move excess fluid out of the area and improves contact with the cold pad. The cycle of squeeze and release adds a pumping effect that static wraps can't.

The research: Combining cold with compression offers modest, mostly short-term benefits for pain and early swelling, and some studies show less need for pain medication.

Best fit: Patients recovering from knee replacement, ACL reconstruction, and other surgeries where swelling is a major concern, and whose surgeons recommend cold and compression.

Not a fit: Anyone with a blood clot, heart failure, serious circulation problems, or other contraindications, unless their doctor says otherwise.

The right device makes the hardest days of recovery easier, so you can focus on the rehab that actually rebuilds strength and motion.

Shop Cold Compression at Supply Cold Therapy

At SupplyColdTherapy.com, we carry cold therapy machines, cold compression systems, replacement pads, sterile dressings, gel ice wraps, and accessories from Breg, DonJoy, Aircast, Össur, Omni Ice, and ActiveWrap, with same and next day shipping from Charlotte, North Carolina.

• All Cold Therapy Products
• Omni Ice
• Aircast Cryo Cuff Coolers
• Compression Ice Wraps
• Sterile Dressings
• Ice Freeze Bags

Not sure whether you need cold only or cold with compression? Contact our team and we'll help you compare options.

Cool it. Compress it. Then get back to work.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Cold therapy and intermittent pneumatic compression have contraindications and risks. Follow your healthcare provider's recommendations and the manufacturer's current instructions.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Merrick MA, Knight KL, Ingersoll CD, Potteiger JA. The effects of ice and compression wraps on intramuscular temperatures at various depths. Journal of Athletic Training, 1993. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1317720/
2. Tomchuk D, et al. The magnitude of tissue cooling during cryotherapy with varied types of compression. Journal of Athletic Training, 2010. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2865960/
3. Song M, et al. Compressive cryotherapy versus cryotherapy alone in patients undergoing knee surgery: a meta-analysis. SpringerPlus, 2016. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4943919/
4. Quesnot A, et al. Randomized controlled trial of compressive cryotherapy versus standard cryotherapy after total knee arthroplasty: pain, swelling, range of motion and functional recovery. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10900683/
5. Su EP, et al. A prospective, multi-center, randomised trial to evaluate the efficacy of a cryopneumatic device on total knee arthroplasty recovery. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (British), 2012. https://boneandjoint.org.uk/Article/10.1302/0301-620X.94B11.30832
6. Murgier J, Cassard X. Cryotherapy with dynamic intermittent compression for analgesia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Preliminary study. Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research, 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24679367/
7. The role of a cryocompression device following total knee arthroplasty to assist in recovery: a randomised controlled trial. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 2023. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00167-023-07455-3
8. Waterman B, et al. The efficacy of combined cryotherapy and compression compared with cryotherapy alone following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Journal of Knee Surgery, 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22928433/
9. Aggarwal A, Adie S, Harris IA, Naylor J. Cryotherapy following total knee replacement. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2023. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007911.pub3/full
10. Zaleska M, Olszewski WL, Durlik M. The effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic compression in long-term therapy of lymphedema of lower limbs. Lymphatic Research and Biology, 2014. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4062105/
11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 510(k) Summary K183702: Polar Care Wave. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf18/K183702.pdf
12. Breg, Inc. Polar Care Wave Instructions for Use. https://breg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Polar-Care-Wave-IFU-INTL-AW-1.04509-A.pdf
13. Enovis. Aircast Cryo/Cuff IC Cold Therapy System Instructions for Use. https://enovis.com/sites/default/files/CryoCuff%20IC%20IFU.pdf
14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cold Facts to Help Avoid Injury from Water-Circulating Hot/Cold Therapy Devices. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/cold-facts-help-avoid-injury-water-circulating-hotcold-therapy-devices
15. Supply Cold Therapy. Top 5 Ways Intermittent Compression Speeds Up Recovery. https://supplycoldtherapy.com/blogs/news/top-5-ways-intermittent-compression-speeds-up-recovery
16. Supply Cold Therapy. Cold Therapy Pads vs. Traditional Ice Packs: Which Cooling Method Makes More Sense? https://supplycoldtherapy.com/blogs/news/cold-therapy-pads-vs-ice-packs