Studies have shown that people who use cold and compression therapy together as opposed to just one of those therapies alone recover from their injuries significantly faster. The many benefits of cold and compression therapy include reducing pain, swelling, and edema, while promoting faster healing, muscle recovery, and stimulating blood flow.
Cold and compression therapy can be applied to a variety of situations including post-surgical rehabilitation, injuries such as sprains, fractures, and tears, as well as pain and swelling. Most athletes are familiar with the RICE method for recovering from injuries, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. While we leave rest and elevation up to you, PowerPlay™ uses advanced technology to make your ice and compression more effective.
Compression alone is shown to be effective in reducing swelling and edema. Active compression which moves intermittently from distal to proximal pushes that swelling and edema out of the injured site and to the body’s core so it can be disposed of through the lymphatic system. This type of compression also aids in enhancing the body’s blood flow, which helps deliver more oxygen to the injured area.
Cold therapy has also been proven to reduce pain, swelling, and edema, making your recovery faster and more comfortable. Doctors have recommended 20 minutes of cold therapy at a time, alternating between cold and warm or room temperature. We recommend using your PowerPlay gel pack after it has been initially frozen for two hours, then placing it on your affected area for 20 minutes, and returning it to the freezer while your body rests from the ice. Studies find that when active compression is coupled with cold therapy, it results in increased blood flow, and decreased swelling, edema, and muscle spasms. Applying ice or cold to your injury also makes recovery less painful and uncomfortable.
These benefits of cold and compression therapy amount to a faster, and more pleasant recovery. This therapy can be applied to those suffering from minor joint pain, to major surgery rehabilitation, and anything in between. You can also benefit from cold and compression for muscle recovery after training, which will help increase performance. Applying cold and compression to overworked, aching muscles will pump blood and oxygen through the area, and bring down swelling and fluids so that you can get back on your feet faster and be ready for your next event.
