Defective Product Alert: Cold Therapy Devices


by JB Demerath - Date: 2010-04-03 - Word Count: 501 Share This!

Recently, reports have been circulating about skin damage and nerve damage as a result of the use of cold therapy devices. These products are defective and the public should generally be aware of the dangers associated with them. If cold therapy devices are used too long, or at too cold of a temperature, it can result in serious injuries such as nerve damage, chronic pain, or frost bite. With little or no instruction or warnings, patients may subject the skin and underlying nerves to very cold temperatures for extended periods of time. Because ice therapy can desensitize the affected area, serious injuries can occur without the patient's immediate knowledge. Case studies have documented this injury pattern.

Cold therapy devices prescribed by doctors are essentially a small ice cooler which a patient can fill with ice and water, and use with an attached device to chill an area of the body. Inside the cooler a small motor circulates the extremely chilled water through a plastic bladder that is placed on a patient's affected area. The circulated ice water super chills the desired area of the body, usually the feet, knees, or shoulders, and can have disastrous consequences due to the defective nature of this product.

Why Cold Therapy Ice Machines are Defective
Some of these cold therapy devices are contain a defective design. Their super cooling abilities can cause serious freeze injuries to both the skin and nerves of the area where the product is used. The devices are defective because there is no regulation of the temperature on how cold the device will make the patient's skin. There is also very little instruction or warning that is provided with the device as to how long a patient can super chill the area of the body without a frostbite type injury. These devices are particularly dangerous, as once an area of a patient's body is super-chilled, the patient is unable to feel the frostbite injury occurring, which can lead to even greater injury.

Known Injuries
The types of injury resulting from these cryotherapy or cold therapy devices are essentially frostbite. This type of injury is characterized by decreased blood flow and heat delivery to body tissues resulting in disastrous ice formation. These skin injuries can be classified as deep or superficial depending on the depth of injury and length of cold exposure. These injuries can involve the skin and tissue, while more serious injuries extend into the muscle and involve the nerves and even bone. These injuries can cause permanent nerve damage and chronic pain, although fortunately are rarely life-threatening.

If cold therapy devices are used too long, or at too cold of a temperature, it can result in serious injuries such as nerve damage, chronic pain, or frost bite. With little or no instruction or warnings, patients may subject the skin and underlying nerves to very cold temperatures for extended periods of time. Because ice therapy can desensitize the affected area, serious injuries can occur without the patient's immediate knowledge. Case studies have documented this injury pattern.


About the author: JB Demerath is a nationwide products liability lawyer accepting new cold therapy lawsuits. His personal injury law firm, OMD is investigating and accepting cases related to frostbite caused by cold therapy ice machines. http://www.txinjurylawfirm.com/cryotherapy-lawsuitsn
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