Gareth's Story: Managing Hip Pain with the NICE1 While Waiting for Surgery

In June 2025, Gareth had a partial capsulectomy, carried out by hip arthroscopy (keyhole surgery on the hip joint). He is now waiting for a further operation, and in the meantime he lives with hip pain that he describes as high for most of the day. We asked him how he has been managing it, and how the NICE1 cold and compression machine fits into his day.

Before the NICE1

Gareth's main problem has always been pain. Before the NICE1, he relied on ice packs and gel packs, but with the amount he needed to use them, they caused more problems than they solved.

I used ice and gel packs, but I had burnt my hip and thigh after extended use and caught several infections afterwards.

Being unable to control the pain took its toll. In his words, it was “very stressful and debilitating”.

Starting with the NICE1

Gareth was sent a NICE1 to trial by his surgeon after his first operation, and used it alongside his physiotherapy during that recovery. Asked whether it helped then, his answer was simple: “After my previous operation it was, for sure.”

The NICE1 delivers cold at a controlled temperature, with adjustable compression and no ice against the skin. For Gareth, that removed the main worry he had with ice packs.

The NICE1 machine allows me to use cold therapy without the worry or risk of burning myself.

How he uses it now

While he waits for his next operation, the NICE1 has become the centre of Gareth's routine. He finds that if his hip warms up for more than 10 to 30 minutes, his pain becomes unmanageable, so he uses the machine for much of the day. He works from his bed with his laptop and keeps the NICE1 on, then carries on using it in the evenings while watching TV or on his phone or tablet.

He has also used it during the night, sitting up when pain has woken him. His use has increased recently, as he feels his hip condition is getting worse.

He finds the machine “very easy to use”, which matters when it is part of almost every hour of the day.

What has changed

Gareth notices a fairly immediate drop in pain once his hip has cooled. On a scale of 0 to 10, he puts his pain at around 7 before using the NICE1, falling to around 3 while he is using it.

The change he values most is in his medication. Gareth told us he has “reduced my morphine intake considerably” and now manages much of his pain with the NICE1, which he describes as one of its major benefits.

It has also given him back a sense of control. “I can control the pain much better,” he says.

Looking ahead

Gareth hasn't yet returned to the gym or swimming, but he is hoping the NICE1 will help him get there after his next operation, as it did after the last one.

We asked what he would say to someone struggling with pain after hip surgery. He would recommend the NICE1 for pain management, and pointed to an easier recovery and less reliance on medication as his reasons.

We would like to thank Gareth for sharing his experience, and we wish him the best with his upcoming surgery. For more on cold therapy around hip surgery, read our guide to hip replacement recovery and how cold compression compares with ice packs.

Gareth's experience is his own, and results vary from person to person. Always speak to your surgeon, GP or pharmacist before changing how you take any pain medication, especially opioids such as morphine.