Artic Ease Product Review & Giveaway

I was contacted by Arctic Ease (HERE) sometime ago to review samples of their Cryotherapy Wrap. I had it sitting in my "running bin", waiting for the time to use it. I have had ocassional aches and pains here and there through my training ... but have been fortunate enough not to need too much icing.

Last week, I rocked my marathon on minimal training. But, a couple of days later (after not having too much discomfort) I needed to do something about my ankle. It was bothering me when walking and a little bit when I ran. I was in pain and I had a half marathon scheduled again in a few days. I needed to do something. So, I pulled out the Arctic Ease. I wasn't sure what to expect.

Why mess with ice bags that melt and leak? Or frozen ice and gel packs that don’t conform to the injury? Until now, you had no choice; there was no better way. But Arctic Ease has changed all that.

Cryotherapy (cold therapy) works in three major ways:

It reduces inflammation by causing a slowed metabolic state. This reduces the amount of cellular damage to injured tissue and decreases edema (swelling).

It decreases hematoma formation. Hematoma is bleeding under the skin, which is what results in bruising. Constricting blood vessels through the use of cold decreases blood flow and therefore reduces bruising.

It induces numbness. Cryotherapy reduces the firing of inflamed nerves and reduces swelling which decreases painful muscle spasms.

The benefits of using frozen gel or ice packs end when the temperature of the tissue being treated drops below 59°F (15°C). If your skin gets colder than that, it can cause lymph tubes to flow backwards toward the injured area, actually increasing the swelling and pain. It also increases the risk of frostbite and peripheral nerve palsy.

With my ankle injury the last few weeks, I had been wearing a cheap ice pack inside my compression socks. It was not only extremely bulky and uncomfortable, but it also wasn't functional. It moved. The freezing temps burned and it was so frozen that it wouldn't fold to the shape of my foot, leg and ankle. Also, once it thawed out, it was no longer cool. Therefore, if I wore it around a few hours, or to bed, it wasn't doing much of anything after awhile.

Arctic Ease is easy to use. Simply open the resealable package and apply. Arctic Ease will stay comfortably cool for hours, with no fear of damage to muscles or tissues. It’s completely reusable – just add 2 tablespoons of water, seal it up and it will recharge (rehydrate) and be ready to go when you need it.

I opened the package and the wrap just kept unrolling. There was a gel-like substance on the outside of the package the product was still moist and cool after months and months of sitting in my "runners bin". I was skeptical, but wrapped the super long wrap around my ugly runner's foot and swollen ankle. It wasn't bulking; was cool and was really comfortable. I slid a sock on over the top and was able to go about my day as normal. It really eased the pain. I've also been wearing it to bed. By the time I wake up, isn't as cool and has hardned to the shape of my foot almost. I simply wet it, cool it in the refrigerator and re-wrap it. It works perfectly!

This works great for endurance athletes as well as for your children with any sports injury. I would highly suggest investing in one or two wraps. Refrigeration isn't necessary, so it would be great to keep in your gym bag or your kid's sports bag. The reusable wraps retail for $13.49 and the pads retail for $8.99. These wraps are an AWESOME investment.

I have two. I am now keeping one (when I'm not wearing one!) in my gym bag and one in my refrigerator for reuse. And, did I mention they are odorless? The wraps, not necessarily the runner's feet! ...

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One lucky winner will win

2 Arctic Ease Wraps

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Enter now though Monday, November 14.
Winner will be announced on Tuesday.

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