San Diego Game Ready Ice Compression
What is a Game Ready?
Image from Game Ready
A Game Ready is a machine that utilizes pneumatic compression and cryotherapy to promote recovery and combat pain and swelling. Using RICE methodology, Game Ready provides a pain management option that does not involve the use of opioids or other addictive pharmaceuticals to users experiencing acute injuries, as well as to users who have recently undergone surgery. RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation, is a method used primarily for treating sprains and injuries where intense swelling as a response to trauma may delay your ability to start moving again. Swelling and inflammation are natural responses to injury, but while both help facilitate healing by bringing an excess of blood and healing factors to damaged cells, too much swelling restricts your mobility and can bring on another set of injuries. Game Ready machines can be used to treat injuries like bone fractures, muscle strains, tendonitis, and general trauma where regaining mobility and moving the damaged area without intense pain is an extremely important part of the recovery process.
Pneumatic Compression
Game Ready machines use pneumatic and intermittent compression to release edema and encourage new blood cells to flood the targeted area. Essentially, a wrap applies an evenly dispersed amount of pressure to an injured joint or damaged muscle tissue. Then, the device pumps blood back towards the heart by increasing pressure first in the distal areas, and then moving towards the more proximal areas of the wrap. This cycle continues in order to clear the amount of swelling. The intermittent squeezing effect imitates natural muscle contractions, which helps to prevent blood clots in deep veins and increase the circulation of oxygenated blood. Though pneumatic and intermittent compression is often used in the therapy world to treat and manage pain from acute injuries and medical operations, other uses and benefits include decreased wound discharge and risk of infection. Additionally, people recovering from a stroke often experience less blood flow in certain areas and could greatly benefit from pneumatic and intermittent compression. Another benefit of the Game Ready is that it decreases post-traumatic injury or surgery edema. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are other conditions that intermittent compression can help to mitigate, or prevent entirely. Game Ready devices have three levels of compression (ranging from 5 mm Hg to 75 mm Hg) for the multitude of injuries and conditions that pneumatic compression treats.
Active Cryotherapy
Active cryotherapy was first developed to treat patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, however, it also benefits people living with chronic pain. Game Ready uses consistent circulation of ice water (ranging in temperature from 35°F to 50°F) in order to flush swelling, lessen fatigue, increase metabolism, and reduce muscle spasms and pain. Cryotherapy is used by a wide range of people from Olympic athletes to millions of everyday people looking to improve their recovery. Active cryotherapy has practical applications for a wide range of patient needs; from people with chronic pain and inflammation that can be difficult to manage without medication to athletes picking up a barbell for the first time or going on their first distance run. Cryotherapy can be beneficial before a strenuous workout by increasing your metabolic rate, energy, and blood flow, but it is most commonly employed after an intense competition or workout. Managing pain through active cryotherapy helps athletes, as well as people recovering from surgeries, recover as quickly as possible by stimulating blood flow and improving muscle tone. Regardless of how physically challenging a workout is, without proper recovery you will experience fatigue and sub-optimal muscle protein synthesis. Through the use of active cryotherapy to aid and shorten recovery time, finding the balance between exercise and recovery can be more manageable and lead to optimizing your body’s abilities and natural functions.
Additionally, active cryotherapy provides several benefits to your skin, mood, and sleep. Studies have concluded that in some cases cryotherapy can reduce cellulite, restore tissue, and rejuvenate skin in the affected area. Furthermore, the increase in metabolism can last for several hours after treatment on the Game Ready. Many users reported having healthier sleep patterns, and generally experienced less stress, which is believed to be the effects of endorphins being released during treatment.
With a Game Ready treatment, a comfortable, circumferential wrap will surround the injured area. The wrap will supply the tissue with active cold and intermittent pneumatic compression therapies. Relax for 30 minutes with the combination of compression and cryotherapy and get your body healing faster than ever before so you can go back to doing what you love. For more details, visit our webpage. Recover faster with Game Ready!