With so many choices out there, it can be difficult to find the best ice wraps for injuries you may have. Many factors can play a role in which type of ice wrap might be best for an injury. Was an injury sudden or traumatic? Is it a chronic issue? Is it joint related? All of these things can have an effect on which cold pack product will best suit your needs. Cool Relief currently has a many types of ice wraps available in it's ice wraps specialty store. Some of the best ice wraps for injuries have soft gel cold pack inserts, custom fitted segmented ice mat inserts, ice bag inserts, and even products which use polymer crystals to keep you cool.
As far as injury type, if your injury is sudden or happened traumatically, R.I.C.E. is a great method of recovery. See the article: How to use the R.I.C.E Recovery Method for more information. Injuries traumatic in nature involving torn ligaments such as ACL injuries or Rotator cuff injuries benefit from coverage and depth of therapy or compression. Ice wrap products that have custom fitted segmented ice pack inserts work well for these types of injuries. Their coverage typically extends beyond that of products with soft gel inserts because the fitted ice inserts are lighter in weight and offer a bit more stability.
Chronic issues such as Tendinitis, joint or ligament overuse, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome benefit from products with soft gel inserts. With the repetitive use of the ice pack, many people like the comfort of soft gel to surround the injury gently while keeping compression on it. The comfort is the key benefit.
If injuries stem from athletics or events outside of the home or where a freezer isn’t always available, ice bag inserts are beneficial. The design of the ice bag pouches allows users to fill the product with ice and water as soon as the injury occurs, without having to freeze the ice pack. These are great to store in athletic equipment bags, or with trainers.
Of course any ice wrap is better for any type of injury than going without ice, whether you use the best ice wraps for injuries or not. In the end it comes down to preference of type and brand. Always ice an injury as soon as possible. Remember to ice for about 20 minutes on the injury and 20 minutes off the injury to avoid “Cryoburn”. See the article Cryoburn: What To Look For And How To Avoid for more information.
For more help, refer to our Pain Relief Health Articles.