Ice Wraps & Cold Compression for Pain Management

Ice wraps come in many shapes and sizes for all different kinds of pain, injuries and ailments. These ice compression and support devices use portable plastic sacs filled with cooling gels, water or other liquid that slows down blood circulation and, in turn, alleviates pain and swelling. You’ll frequently find athletes using ice wraps, as they are best for minor injuries – think strains and sprains, bruises and bumps, pulled muscles and pulled ligaments. They’re also commonly used in overuse injuries, like patellar tendonitis, which is commonly found in avid runners.

When to Use Ice Wraps

As a safe and localized alternative to painkiller drugs, ice wrap packs are a very popular recovery method for a variety of injuries and circumstances. If you think an ice wrap might be right for you, read on while we dissect the different kinds of ice wraps and how they can help you live a pain-free life.

General Pain Relief

Day-to-day activity – whether it’s especially athletic or not – puts strain on our bodies. Sometimes, even just working a job where you’re on your feet can cause some pretty serious musculoskeletal pain. Ice wraps are excellent solutions for minor muscle and bone injuries. If foot pain is resonating with you, consider our Icy Feet™ Orthotic cold packs. These soft ice packs provide sturdy arch support for your feet, making them perfect to put on at the end of a long day.

Athletic Injury

Ever heard of the RICE method? RICE is a process commonly referred to by doctors and nurses as the best way to treat muscle injuries, including all athletic and overuse injuries. RICE is an acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Doctors say that these four steps can heal most minor muscle injuries in a short period of time. With an ice wrap, the second and third steps – ice and compression – are taken care of in one easy application.

Knee injuries are increasingly common among athletes, especially in high-intensity, high-impact sports. If patellar tendonitis (an extremely common injury that involves inflammation of the knee’s primary tendon) is the problem, try this DonJoy Dura*Kold™ Consumer Wrap. The small band will deliver the right amount of pressure to your patellar tendon, while the specially made ice packs provide two hours of cold therapy.

If an injury is minor enough, or if your injury is on the mend, a good ice pack could be the difference between sitting on the sidelines and getting back in the game. When you feel like you might be ready to get back in the game but still want some extra TLC for a knee injury, consider this high-tech Corflex Cryo Pneumatic Knee Splint. The anatomical wrap is ideal for athletic activity, while the detachable pump allows you to choose the level of compression at any given time. However, be sure to consult your doctor before reworking a healing injury. He or she will be able to give you the best opinion as to whether or not you’re ready to get back to activity.

Post-Surgery

Sometimes, an injury is severe enough that it requires surgery. When this happens, the road to complete recovery is a long one, but an excellent ice pack can make all the difference. For surgery recovery, make sure to choose an ice wrap that is powerful enough to cool through surgical dressings. An effective ice wrap can help decrease pain, edema and secondary hypoxic tissue injury from your surgery.

DonJoy makes excellent post-surgery ice wraps with its Dura*Soft™ wrap line. This DonJoy Dura*Soft™ Shoulder Wrap has removable cooling packing that can be changed out without removing the wrap, providing long-term cold therapy and making your life much easier.

Reducing pain and getting back to your normal routine could be as simple as purchasing the right ice wrap for your needs. Ask your doctor how an ice wrap can help you. It might just change your life!