A growing number of people have been severely injured by cold therapy machines, such as the DonJoy Iceman. This product is designed to deliver up to eight hours of ice-cold temperatures to injured body parts. Unfortunately, patients can easily suffer devastating skin and nerve damage due to excessive cold temperatures.
What is the DonJoy Iceman Cold Therapy Machine?
The DonJoy Iceman is a type of cold therapy machine (also called “cryotherapy” or “ice therapy”) that consists of an ice-chest and a motor that pumps ice-cold water into a compression pad. Patients are supposed to wrap the compression pad around their injured body part (usually the shoulder, knee, or ankle), where it provides chilling temperatures for up to eight hours.
Manufacturers and orthopedic surgeons who sell the DonJoy Iceman claim that it is better than traditional ice-packs for reducing pain and swelling. They also claim it speeds up the recovery and healing process.
Types of DonJoy Iceman products include:
- DonJoy Iceman Model 1100
- DonJoy Iceman Continuous Cold Therapy Unit
- DonJoy Iceman CLEAR Cold Therapy Unit
- DonJoy Iceman Cryotherapy Unit
- Aircast Cryo/Cuff IC (no pump)
- Aircast Cryo/Cuff Cooler (no pump)
What is the problem with DonJoy Iceman Cold Therapy Machine?
The problem with the DonJoy Iceman and other cold therapy machines is that they can cause severe skin and nerve damage. Although many people have been injured, the products have not been recalled, and they continue to be sold without adequate warnings, alarms, or safety devices that would automatically shut them off when they are used inappropriately. This is concerning, because many people use the DonJoy Iceman as a “do-it-yourself,” at-home therapy.
Patients may fail to realize that injuries can occur even when the DonJoy Iceman is used above freezing temperatures. In fact, the DonJoy Iceman is designed to desensitize nerves, which may cause a patient to fail to realize that they are being injured. They may have pre-existing nerve damage or pain from their injury, which can make it hard to tell when skin and nerves are being damaged.
Types of Injuries from DonJoy Iceman Cold Therapy Machine
- Pain
- Severe skin and nerve damage
- Skin Necrosis
- Frostbite
- Tissue death (necrosis)
- Infection of necrotic tissue
- Circulatory problems
- Need for reconstructive surgery or skin grafts
- Scarring and permanent disfigurement
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) Syndrome
- Amputation
- Permanent disability
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