Athletic trainers can recommend earlier, safer, non-pharmacologic pain relief after an acute injury or surgery, and should discourage addictive pain medications for chronic pain. Read More

Ice has gotten a bad rap recently. Anti-ice proponents have stated that “icing doesn’t work,” and ice has “never been proven effective.” Such statements are biased, inaccurate, and just plain wrong. Unfortunately, these claims have done nothing but create confusion and even anger. It’s easy to make these statements by looking at a few selected studies that support the anti-ice position while ignoring the hundreds of other studies on the benefits of cryotherapy.

The good thing about the anti-ice movement is that it makes us take a step back and re-evaluate the clinical decisions we make—and why we make them. Are they based on “tradition” or evidence? This article will help you understand the facts about ice to help YOU make the decision whether to use ice or not. Read More

Have you ever looked at the THERA°PEARL Face Mask and wondered what exactly you could use it for? You may be surprised to learn that ice therapy is great for your skin. If strapping an ice pack to your face sounds strange to you, bear with us. We’ll prove to you that it’s well worth the 20 minutes! Read More

Hot and cold therapy can be beneficial before and after you exercise. The treatment plan will differ depending on whether you have an acute or chronic injury. An acute injury is a result of a physical impact or accident, such as a fall, rotating action, or direct strike. Acute injuries cause instantaneous pain. Conversely, the symptoms of a chronic injury develop over days, weeks, or longer. The overuse of muscles is frequently the cause of chronic injuries. Read More

When a small quantity of blood gets trapped under your skin, the result is a blackish-blue mark known as a bruise. A bruise manifests due to a blow that breaks blood vessels that are close to the surface of your skin. Read More

Have you noticed ongoing tingling and numbness in your hand and wrist when you drive, talk on the phone, or when you first wake up? Are you experiencing intense, cutting pain that sharply pierces your wrist, and then moves up your arm and shoulder? Have your hands felt weak, causing you to drop personal belongings or other objects? If so, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be the culprit. Read More

If you are experiencing neck soreness or stiffness, your disks between the bones – muscles – nerves – or vertebrae bones may be causing the pain. You may notice that moving your neck is difficult, especially when you turn it to the left or right. It is estimated that 7 out of every 10 adults will encounter neck pain at some point, so it is a common complaint. Read More

Dr. James B. Herrick, a United States cardiologist, discovered sickle cell disease (SCD) in 1910; however, Africans had been suffering from it for at least 5,000 years prior to his official discovery of the disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disease caused by a mutation in a gene, and it affects red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are circular and flexible, which allows them to move easily through the blood vessels. Read More

Many doctors recommend using hot and cold treatments for relieving the symptoms of arthritis and other conditions, such as stiffness and inflammation. It usually takes some trial and error to settle on which of these therapies works best for a particular individual, but by staying the course it is usually possible to find which combination of ice packs and hot packs works best at relieving the pain and making the condition easier to manage. Read More

During the initial one to three days following an injury, the blood vessels around the harmed tissues widen to increase the flow of blood, fluids, and nutrients to aid in healing. Increased blood flow can cause unharmed tissues around your injury to swell. Hot and cold therapy can be very helpful, but it is important for you to understand when to use a heat pack, and when to use an ice pack. Read More