CoolSystems, Inc. (www.gameready.com)
The Game Ready Injury Treatment System
Peter Millett, MD, The Steadman Clinic, Vail, CO; Consultant, Major League Baseball Players’ Association
At the Steadman Clinic, we have developed best-practice techniques and protocols to accelerate our patients’ recoveries. Game Ready helps my patients recover faster. The Game Ready device has the most advanced level of rehab technology with the cost-effective cryotherapy delivery system, intermittent compression, and ergonomically designed wraps tailored for specific areas of the body. It just works better than ice alone or other cryotherapy devices. Game Ready reduces swelling and gets patients back faster.
I prescribe Game Ready after surgical procedures because it decreases pain, reduces the need for pain medication, and results in a faster recovery. For my overhead athletes, I routinely use the shoulder and elbow wraps for labral tears, shoulder instability, biceps tendon disorders, and rotator cuff problems.
J.W. Thomas Byrd, MD, Nashville Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics, Orthopaedic Surgical Consultant, various Major League Baseball Clubs
Performing hip arthroscopy procedures for Major League Baseball pitchers over the last 3 decades, I have come to realize the importance of choosing the most effective recovery therapy device. We have trialed numerous products and found the Game Ready cold-intermittent-compression device to be an incredible asset in the recovery and pain management strategy.
During the rehab process, pain control is essential to the athlete’s ability to participate and achieve optimal recovery. Hip procedures can be painful because they usually revolve around restoring the acetabular labrum, which is richly innervated with nociceptive fibers. In order to control discomfort following surgery, regional anesthetic nerve blocks are sometimes necessary. However, these blocks can hinder an athlete’s ability to participate in, and benefit from, the early postoperative rehabilitation process. Applying the Game Ready led to a noticeable drop in postoperative pain, obviating the need for a block.
Kenneth Akizuki, MD, SOAR, San Francisco, CA, Team Physician, San Francisco Giants
Among pro players, Tommy John surgery is a common procedure. The day after surgery, we start the player on the Game Ready system to relieve pain and quickly control swelling. We typically start with cold therapy, then add compression about a week in, and use it throughout recovery.
The players love the comfort of the ergonomic wrap designs and I really like the flexed elbow wrap. The cold is adjustable so we don’t get overcooling, and the wrap design keeps the surgery site dry, which cuts the risk of infection. The pre-set treatment programs are another big advantage. They take the hassle out of application. Whether a professional athlete or not, all our patients want convenience, and we want to see progress. Progress is motivating, it encourages compliance—and that improves outcomes.