A common medical device in the world of sports medicine, the Game Ready ice machine stands out because it provides an innovative method of cold and compression therapy for injuries. It is not only used by athletes, but it has also found utility in the recovery of numerous postoperative patients.
What makes this device superior to traditional cold therapy treatments? Let us delve into the science behind the machine’s operation, as understanding how it works will also help us understand just how users can experience faster healing and recovery.
The Benefits of Cold Therapy
Cold therapy, or cryotherapy, acts in several ways to promote the relief and healing of an injury. It is useful as an immediate treatment after the occurrence of an injury and is also beneficial after surgery. When cryotherapy is applied, blood vessels constrict (i.e., they become smaller).
This process (known as vasoconstriction) reduces the amount of blood that can flow to the area being treated. “Cooled” tissue retains heat less effectively, so the area being treated also experiences some amount of heat loss. With the reduced blood flow and blood volume comes reduced swelling that occurs inside an injury. Less swelling means less pressurized tissue, which results in less pain.
The Benefits of Compression Therapy
Swelling and impaired circulation are two of the body’s most common immediate responses to injury. The second essential component of the Game Ready ice machine, active compression therapy, addresses these problems. Unlike static ice packs, which cool only the exposed part of the body, this device delivers pneumatic pressure in an active, two-phase (on-off) manner to the injured area.
Compression reduces the buildup of fluid in tissues (edema) by applying gentle, even pressure to the lymphatic and venous systems – that is, the system of vessels that carries fluid away from the lymph nodes and heart. The squeezed vessels respond by pushing excess fluid away from the injured area, increasing the speed and efficiency of the healing process.
The Benefits of Cold and Compression Therapy Combined
While cold and compression therapies are effective on their own, using them together offers even more benefits. Game Ready allows for the application of both therapies to the targeted treatment area, and it does so in a way that’s conducive to circulation.
This isn’t just about making you feel better. It’s about optimizing your body’s healing environment. The clinical research evidence indicates that you’re more likely to get all the way back, and get there faster, if you don’t shortcut the use of these two tools.
Let the Game Ready Ice Machine Get You Back in the Game
In summary, the Game Ready device uses the accepted scientific basis of cold and compression therapy for superior injury management. Cold therapy reduces pain and inflammation through vasoconstriction. Compression of the tissues limits swelling and encourages unfettered blood flow in and out of the injured area.
More and more, the Game Ready system is being seen as the go-to tool not only among athletes but also among physical therapists and doctors for speeding up the rehab process and improving patient outcomes.
