Key Takeaways:
- Targeted cryotherapy at home can help manage symptoms of common issues for athletes, such as runner’s knee, shoulder strain, and muscle soreness.
- For best results, apply cryotherapy wraps or sleeves for 15 to 20 minutes immediately following a workout, practice, or game.
- Following cryotherapy best practices consistently is key to reducing soreness and speeding up recovery.
It’s the big game, and you’re riding the bench. It’s nothing you did wrong. It’s just that you tweaked your ankle when working out several days ago, and it’s still a little touchy, so your coach doesn’t want you risking a more serious injury. If only there were something you could have done to help your ankle heal faster, other than rest.
So, what can you do to actively speed up your recovery time and avoid long-term vacations on the pine? That’s an excellent question, and a proactive approach is key. When it comes to managing the temporary pain, swelling, and inflammation (issues that often slow recovery times), a professional tool is essential.
Aquilo Sports offers several patented, FDA-cleared at-home cryotherapy systems ideal for quicker recoveries. Our systems help manage pain and temporarily reduce swelling and inflammation. To get the most out of our machines, however, it’s necessary to understand cryotherapy best practices and how they apply to specific sports-related issues.
Applying Best Practices for At-Home Cryotherapy
For many athletes, the question is when to apply ice to reduce the risk of soreness or pain. Quite simply, it’s best to use cold as quickly as possible. In terms of cryotherapy, it’s usually best to start a cold compression session within one hour of wrapping up practice or a grueling workout.
The sooner you apply the cryo-wrap, sleeve, or bag, the sooner you address the micro-traumas so common in athletic and fitness performance. Whether you’re pushing yourself during leg day at the gym or giving it your all out on the field, your body (more specifically, your muscles) can form tiny tears. While normal, the tears can be painful. People often describe a fire-like feeling running through their muscles. A quick application of a cold wrap typically reduces the pain, but how long and how often should you apply it?
Timing Is Everything
Now, as beneficial as at-home cryotherapy can be, it’s important not to overdo it. Using cold therapy multiple times per day is not recommended for the average person. However, numerous short cycles (2 to 3 minutes each) can benefit high-level athletes or individuals with intense training schedules.
People with an acute injury or recovering from surgery can benefit from longer cryotherapy sessions (10 to 20 minutes), and providers often recommend multiple sessions during the first 72 hours after surgery. You should space each session 30 to 60 minutes apart.
Ideally, you want to aim for consistency, adding multiple sessions to your week. For example, the best practices for athletes and highly active individuals using cryotherapy are three to five 10 to 20-minute sessions per week. For those not used to cold therapy, it’s better to start with only one or two sessions weekly, allowing your body to adapt gradually.
Targeting Specific Issues With a Recovery Playbook
So, how can you apply the above practices to cryotherapy use at home, especially for specific issues? For example, how would you use the Aquilo system for post-workout muscle soreness as opposed to shoulder strain? The beauty of the Aquilo system is its targeted treatment. You can say bye-bye to full-body ice baths or cryotherapy chambers. No more teeth chattering and grueling countdowns. It’s all about focused, targeted cold compression.
For General Post-Workout Muscle Soreness
Think about your last leg day. You just wrapped a series of Bulgarian split squats, Romanian deadlifts, and barbell lunges. Your calves and thighs are on fire. At this point in your training, you know that a little burn leads to explosive on-field results, but it’s still uncomfortable.
The muscle soreness is normal for any workout and muscle group post-workout, but you can help reduce it with at-home cryotherapy machines. For example, the CT1000 + Arm/Leg wrap or CCT1500 + Full Leg Sleeves are ideal for post-workout soreness after leg day. The units can help reduce the severity of soreness over the 24 to 48 hours following a workout.
For Runner’s or Jumper’s Knee
What about overuse injuries, like runner’s or jumper’s knee? It’s common for high-intensity athletes to experience some pain from the overuse of specific joints or muscles. Runner’s and jumper’s knee (patellar tendonitis) refers to broader and more concentrated pain felt just below the kneecap.
Our CCT1500 + Knee/Elbow Wrap keeps the cold therapy and compression focused on the affected area. The best practices for this type of cryotherapy application call for a 15 to 20-minute session following running activities.
For Acute Ankle Sprains
How many times have you rolled an ankle on the field or court? The treatment goals for these types of injuries are to control the swelling and manage the pain. You’ll want to use an ankle or foot wrap multiple times per day for the first 48 to 72 hours following the injury to reduce swelling and pain temporarily.
We offer an at-home cryotherapy wrap for ankle and shoulder cryo-compression. It applies the targeted cold therapy you need without forcing you to endure full ice baths or leg compression.
For Shoulder Strain and Soreness
If your sport of choice is swimming, baseball, or tennis, you're likely more familiar with shoulder strain or soreness. The overhead action of repetitive breaststrokes, changeups, or serves can result in overuse, strain, and pain.
You can use the same Aquilo wrap for shoulder cryotherapy that you use for your ankles. It has an adjustable zipper mechanism to easily transform it from foot to shoulder positioning, allowing you to get the targeted treatment you want (around the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles). As with other units on the list, use the Aquilo wrap as soon after a practice or match as possible.
Recovering Smarter, Not Harder, With Aquilo
Aquilo’s at-home cryotherapy system helps speed up the recovery process and temporarily relieve pain and swelling. It works by applying targeted cold therapy and active compression, both of which can complement passive rest cycles for a quicker recovery.
By using the best practices with applied cryotherapy tools, you can recover smarter and more easily (no more makeshift ice baths and wet messes). Aquilo Sports is here for you. Contact us to learn more about our units or ask any questions.
