Ice Packs and Wraps – Buyer’s Guide

Ice Packs and Wraps – for General Use

Ice therapy (also known as cryotherapy or cold therapy) is essential in the treatment of sports’ injuries. Ice therapy is used in the early (acute) stage of a sports’ injury to relieve pain, prevent swelling, cool tissue temperature and prevent further tissue damage following the initial injury. Reusable ice packs and wraps, cold therapy packs and instant ice packs can all be used to deliver ice therapy. Because it controls pain and swelling so effectively, it is most beneficial to apply ice therapy immediately after an injury or surgery. When you suffer a sports’ injury away from your home, where conventional ice packs are not practical, single-use Instant Ice Packs are the ideal treatment. Instant ice packs are activated by squeezing or twisting the pack to mix the chemicals contained inside, which produces an instant cooling effect. In the home, an ice wrap (a wheat-filled fabric bag) or an ice bag can be stored in the freezer to deliver ice therapy for the immediate relief of muscle injuries, joint injury, sprains and bruises. However, the most effective cold therapy is delivered by patented systems that incorporate an elevated tank of ice cooled water that flows down to the injury for a period up to six hours.

This Buyer’s Guide will help you to choose the best ice pack or ice wrap to use after surgery, or to treat your sports’ injury, wherever ice therapy needs to be applied.

Neck

The WHEATeeze Neck Cooler is the ideal shape and size for applying to the neck region. This wrap is a versatile pliable bag which can be stored in a freezer and applied directly to an area of injury to reduce swelling and speed up the healing process, without the risk of ice burn. A neck cooler, ice bag or instant ice pack is ideal for the treatment of swelling or bruising to the neck as a result of a sports’ injury.

Shoulder

For the immediate relief of bumps and bruises to the shoulder, instant ice packs, ice bags and cold therapy wraps provide ice therapy to an injured shoulder. When you need a much longer therapeutic period than an ice pack or ice wrap can provide, for shoulder injuries such as shoulder sprain, dislocated shoulder, rotator cuff tear, shoulder separation and a broken collar bone, or following shoulder arthroscopy or shoulder surgery, a patented shoulder cuff with cooling mechanism is more effective. Snug-fitting shoulder cuffs and shoulder wraps, connected to a constant supply of iced water, combine the therapeutic benefits of compression to reduce bleeding and swelling in the shoulder, with cold therapy to minimise pain. An elevated tank of iced water holds enough cold liquid to provide up to six hours of cryotherapy, giving maximum benefit and accelerating the healing process.

Arm & Elbow

Single use instant ice packs, ice bags and cold therapy wraps provide immediate ice therapy to an injured arm or elbow, when an injury occurs away from the home or freezer. Cold therapy wraps or sleeves have an integral pocket into which you can insert a single use instant ice pack or ice gel pack. The sleeve’s Velcro fastening ensures that compression is applied to the injured arm, along with cold therapy. A wheat-filled cold therapy wrap, stored in the freezer, is also effective in providing the desirable cooling effect to an arm injury, for a limited period. For an elbow injury such as a sprained elbow, dislocated elbow, golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, an elbow fracture, or following elbow arthroscopy and elbow surgery, where a longer therapeutic period is needed, a patented arm or elbow cuff with a cooling system is more effective. You apply a snug-fitting sleeve or cuff to the arm injury or elbow injury. Into this flows a constant supply of ice-cooled water from an elevated tank for a period of up to six hours. The combination of compression from the tight cuff and constant cooling greatly reduces swelling and pain, while speeding up the healing process.

Thumb & Wrist

It is very easy to get a thumb injury or wrist injury through a simple trip or fall. Thumb and wrist injuries are also very common in winter sports, ball-handling sports, and contact sports. If you are away from the home situation, a single-use instant ice pack, or ice gel pack will bring immediate cold therapy to your thumb or wrist injury. Cold therapy wraps or sleeves, either wheat-filled and stored in the freezer, or equipped with an integral pocket, into which you place an ice pack or re-usable ice gel, deliver compression and cooling to the injured thumb or wrist for a limited time. If you need a longer period of cold therapy for hand and wrist injuries, such as a sprained wrist, a dislocated wrist, hand and wrist arthritis, a hand fracture, a broken wrist, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or following wrist arthroscopy or hand and wrist surgery, the ideal solution is a patented cryotherapy system. You apply a tight-fitting sleeve to the wrist or hand, connected to an elevated tank that delivers ice-cooled water to the hand, thumb and wrist for a period of up to six hours. Such a cryotherapy device provides a combination of compression and cooling that reduces swelling and bleeding, thereby speeding up the healing process.

Back

If you have a fall or develop a back injury playing sport, instant ice packs, ice bags and cold therapy wraps provide immediate relief of bumps and bruises. Ice bags and wheat-filled wraps stored in the freezer, or in a cool bag, can deliver cold therapy to the immediate area of the back or rib injury. For home treatment of back and rib injuries such as muscle strains, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, broken ribs, bruised ribs and following back surgery, a patented back wrap with cooling mechanism is more effective. A tight-fitting wrap that encircles the back and ribs and is connected to a constant supply of iced water, delivers cold therapy to the injured back for a period of up to six hours. This treatment combines the therapeutic benefits of compression to reduce bleeding and swelling in the back, with cold therapy to minimise pain.

Hip, Thigh & Hamstring

All athletes and sports’ players, whatever their level of competition, tend to suffer from hip, thigh and hamstring injuries from time to time. Minor bumps, bruises and strains can be addressed immediately by applying single-use instant ice packs or ice gel packs. In the home, a wheat filled wrap, stored in the freezer, or a fabric wrap, enclosing an ice pack or frozen gel pack, delivers ice therapy to a ‘tight’ hamstring, bruised hip or ‘dead leg’. More acute, or long standing, hip and thigh injuries such as a thigh strain, torn thigh muscle, quadriceps strain, hamstring strain, or thigh surgery, benefit from longer period of cryotherapy. Long lasting cold therapy can be delivered by a patented device that comprises a wrap, or sleeve that fits snugly around the thigh, connected to an elevated tank of ice-cooled water. The system delivers a constant flow of cold water to the injury which, combined with the compression given by the wrap, reduces swelling and bleeding in the tissues and minimises pain, thus speeding up the healing process.

Knee

Because of the stresses and strains imposed upon the knee whilst running, playing competitive sport, or due to the degeneration of the joint with age, many people experience a knee injury at some stage of their life. In the case of bumps and bruises to the knee, single use, instant ice packs or ice gel packs are ideal for giving immediate cold therapy to an injured knee, especially if you are away from home. For arthritis of the knee joint, and more acute, or long-standing, knee injuries such as medial knee ligament sprains, cartilage tears, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, and following knee arthroscopy and knee surgery, more effective delivery of cryotherapy is needed. A patented cold therapy device, comprising a knee wrap connected to a tank of ice-cooled water delivers therapeutic cooling to an injured knee for up to six hours, minimising pain and reducing swelling and bleeding in the injured knee.

Calf & Shin

If you participate in sport it is likely that you will suffer from a calf or shin injury at some stage. Single use instant ice packs, ice bags and cold therapy wraps can provide immediate ice therapy to an injured calf or shin as soon as an injury occurs, on a pitch or running track, away from the home or freezer. Cold therapy wraps or sleeves have an integral pocket into which you can insert a single use instant ice pack or ice gel pack. The sleeve’s Velcro fastening ensures that pressure is applied to the injured leg, along with cold therapy. A wheat-filled cold therapy wrap, stored in the freezer, is also effective in providing the desirable cooling effect to an injured calf or shin, for a limited period. Where a longer therapeutic period is needed, as in the treatment of calf injuries, such as a calf muscle strain, pulled calf, gastrocnemius muscle strain, soleus muscle strain, tennis leg, plantaris strain, shin splints, compartment syndrome and following calf surgery, a patented calf wrap or sleeve, with a cooling system, is more effective. You apply a snug-fitting sleeve or cuff to the shin injury or calf injury. Into this flows a constant supply of ice-cooled water for a period of up to six hours. The combination of compression from the tight cuff and constant cooling greatly reduces swelling and pain, while speeding up the healing process.

Ankle & Foot

Ankle and foot injuries are very common sports’ injuries. If you are away from the home situation, a single-use instant ice pack, or ice gel pack will bring immediate cold therapy to your ankle or foot injury. Cold therapy wraps or sleeves, either wheat filled and stored in the freezer, or equipped with an integral pocket, into which you place an ice pack or re-usable ice gel, deliver compression and cooling to the injured foot or ankle for a limited time. If you need a longer period of cold therapy for ankle and foot injuries, such as sprained ankle, dislocated ankle, ankle arthritis, metatarsal fracture, osteochondral lesions, avulsion fractures, plantar fasciitis, as well as following ankle arthroscopy and ankle surgery, the ideal solution is a patented cryotherapy system. You apply a tight-fitting sleeve, connected to an elevated tank that delivers ice-cooled water to the foot and ankle for a period of up to six hours. Such a cryotherapy device provides a combination of compression and cooling that reduces swelling and bleeding, thereby speeding up the healing process.

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