Product Reviews

Details: I have erythromelalgia, a rare and poorly understood neurovascular disorder. It is characterized by feet and legs periodically becoming hot, red, and painful. There is no known treatment, except to cool the extremities when it occurs and to avoid warm environments. I purchased the Polar Active Ice device to use when traveling, which I have not be able to do for about 2 years. It works wonders, and I carry it in my car now when traveling long distances. However, when testing it at home to become familiar with it, I did manage to cause a cold-induced injury to the distal part of my right fourth toe, an injury described as pernio or chilblains. This happened even though I was wearing light stockings so that my bare skin was never directly exposed to the inner surface of the boots. I was using the device at the coldest setting (4) and for just 30 minutes at a time. I had no problem in earlier trials at home. But one time, I thought that my right foot did not become as cold as the left, so I left that foot in the device for an additional 20 minutes, instead of just the usual 30 minutes. The next day I noticed that the tip of the toe was painful and appeared bruised. I thought that there was an infection, but eventually my primary care physician correctly diagnosed the problem, one that rarely occurs in SC but is common in the mountain states in the winter. It is similar to frostbite. The toe has healed with no permanent damage. If anyone has a vascular disorder involving the feet and wants to use this device, I recommend that they use a thicker sock and begin at a lower temperature setting for no longer than 30. minutes. Lance Duvall MD

Location: feet and ankles

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Definitely, yes