Brian Mossop

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After doing 35 hours of research, interviewing experts, and testing temperature reduction on the body parts of two different people, we think the Paradice P500 Ice Pack ($30) is the best cold pack for most people. It’s the only cold pack we tested that cooled skin to the ideal temperature every time, making it more comfortable than the competition. Testing these products proved that the coldest packs weren’t the best choice.

We’ve all heard the horror stories: a person gets injured, doctors prescribe pain medication, and the person becomes dependent on it, soon to find himself addicted to opioids — the same class of drug as heroin. But these narcotics, such as oxycodone, do legitimately help some people with chronic pain without the tumultuous high and nasty downsides of heroin, such as sticking a needle in your vein.