The most common injuries that people suffer from are injuries caused by physical activities. These injuries can be minor or severe depending on the severity of the physical activity and the person’s overall health. The most common injuries from physical activities are strains and sprains. These injuries happen when muscles, ligaments, or tendons become stretched or torn. They can also occur when the muscle is overworked, or the joint is forced beyond its normal range of movement. There are many ways to prevent these injuries, including warming up before exercising, stretching after exercising, using proper form while exercising, and wearing appropriate footwear for the exercise being done.
But if the damage has already been done, it’s time to step up and take care of the injuries in a non-invasive way and deliberative treatments.
Intermittent compression for athletes
Intermittent compression is a technique used in sports medicine to reduce the risk of blood clots. It is a safe and non-invasive technique that helps to prevent clots from forming in veins during and after long periods of physical activity. This technique has been shown to reduce the risk of blood clots in athletes who have had an injury or are at risk for blood clots like those with deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or chronic venous insufficiency.
Why is Intermittent Compression important for physically active people?
Intermittent compression is a type of compression that supports the lower limbs, hips, and spine. It is important for physically active people as it can help reduce pain and injury. Many types of intermittent compression gear are available today, but some examples include tights, leggings, shorts, socks with built-in pads, or ankle sleeves.
How to Use Intermittent Compression
Using intermittent compression varies depending on the needs of the patient. The common periodic compression procedure is to prevent deep vein thrombosis or DVT, which is trauma or bone fracture in the body. To use intermittent compression to prevent DVT, the whole leg or calf of the patient is enclosed in a cuff. The cuff will then fill with air and squeezes the leg – like how a blood pressure calf works. After the leg of the patient is squeezed, the cuff will deflate and relax. This process needs repetition over and over for as long as necessary.
What is cold therapy machine?
Cold therapy is a device that provides cold therapy to the body by cooling off the body. It is a popular treatment method for many conditions such as arthritis, muscle spasms, pain relief, and inflammation. This ice machine is becoming more popular as it can help with various health problems, especially to get relief from common aches and pains.
Benefits of using cold therapy machine for post-operative surgery
Cold therapy machines are a good way to reduce the pain and swelling in patients. They are also used for post-operative care and have been shown to reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process. Cold therapies are also recommended for people who have had surgery, especially those who have had orthopedic surgery. Here are more of the benefits of using a cold therapy machine for post-operative surgery:
The convenience and portability: Cold therapy machines are convenient because they can be brought to almost anywhere and used any time of the day without any hassle.
Lessen the pain medication: Cold therapy with ice is not a replacement for traditional pain medication; rather, it can be used to complement it as well. It can be used to reduce the amount of pain medication that the patient needs to take to relieve pain or swelling.
It is more efficient than ice: Cold therapy machines, also known as cryotherapy, use liquid nitrogen to cool the body down, which helps reduce inflammation and swelling. It is a lot more efficient than ice packs because it can be done much faster and with less pain.
Sky Medical Supplies is a company that sells compression wraps and cold therapy machines. They offer a wide range of products that can be used for physical therapy, pain relief, and recovery. They also have acquired multiple models and designs to suit the needs of different customers and patients.
How to use cold therapy machine at home
Setting up your cold therapy machine at home is fairly easy:
- Get off the device’s lid to add cold water until the fill line.
- Add some ice and put the top back on with the device’s handle forward.
- Attached is the hose of the cooler to the connection on the cold pad part of the cold therapy machine.
The next thing to do is to put the white side of the cold pad against the surgical area while the blue side is away from the patient’s skin. This is also the time to use the elastic straps to hold the pad in place. It’s also important to put a small towel under the pillow, so it’s not directly on the skin. Once it’s settled, turn the device on and use the machine as often as needed.
Helpful tips when using cold therapy machine
Freezing plastic bottles filled with water can be a great alternative instead of always using ice because it can be re-freeze. And if the patient cannot tolerate the level of the coldness of the machine, using ice packs of any type can be more beneficial. Or, if the patient cannot take any cold at all, stopping the procedure is fine, but the pain level can slightly increase.
Always put some layer of protection such as cloth to avoid cold pad directed on the skin. Inspecting skin every 1 to 2 hours avoids the causes of frostbite. More importantly, skin injuries can happen from cold therapy. Make sure to call medical professionals if the patient’s skin becomes discolored.