ActiveWrap Blog

ActiveWrap Chillin’ in the Big Leagues with Matty Z

“A special thanks to the team at Active Wrap for sending me an elbow wrap while I was injured. It made icing a lot easier and more convenient than ever during my recovery!”

Matt Dominguez Florida Marlins

ActiveWrap® Foot/Ankle Hot and Cold Therapy Review

May 17, 2011 by Jacquie
Online Running Gear. Com

Editor’s Rating *****
Quality *****
Price ****
Comfort *****
Features *****
Value *****

The Need for Ice Therapy

If you have run or played sports for any length of time, my guess is that you have needed hot or cold treatment at some point. For treatment of sports injuries such as achilles tendonitis, ankle sprains, swelling, or my personal crutch, plantar fasciitis, icing will work wonders.

For many months, I’ve been icing, off and on, for treatment of my plantar fasciitis. But in a recent visit to an orthopedic surgeon, he confirmed that I needed to be icing a lot more, at least twice a day. At that point I knew I needed more than a frozen bag of peas.

Presenting … ActiveWrap® Foot | Ankle | Achilles
What is ActiveWrap®?

ActiveWrap® foot and ankle wrap is an anatomically shaped compression wrap with an open heel and two heavy duty velcro closures. A larger velcro closure closes around the foot and the thinner velcro closure closes around the ankle, with an open heel area that helps position the wrap for proper placement around the foot and ankle. The wrap itself is stretchy, flexible, and anatomically shaped which allows it to conform to the foot and ankle comfortably and securely.

The Activewrap® compression wrap comes with two ice and/or heat thermal packs. These reusable ice packs fit into a sleeve which has velcro attachments that attach to the compression wrap. The thermal packs easily adhere to anywhere inside the compression wrap which makes it very easy to target the area of injury that needs icing.

My doctor said that I should ice directly on the area that I experience the pain, which is on my heel. Since there is a heel opening in the compression wrap, I wasn’t sure how well it would work.

No problem! I simply placed the ice pack directly on my heel and fastened the compression wrap around it to keep it in place. The cold ice pack in it’s sleeve is large enough that it doesn’t pop out through the heel opening and adheres securely enough to the inside of the compression wrap that it doesn’t move around at all. It’s my understanding that Activewrap® is the ONLY wrap that you can create your own configuration inside of the wrap.

What I Love About Activewrap®?
Non-Migrating Gel: The gel in the thermal pack is designed not to move around and disperse. With so many other gel packs, the gel moves around. When you check the icepack, you see that the injured spot is not even making contact with the gel anymore because the pressure has pushed the gel aside. So what use is that?
The material in ActiveWrap®’s icepack is described as having an elastic stretch which can’t be flattened or displaced, giving you optimal, targeted icing.
Injury Specific Icing: I realize I just mentioned the “targeted icing”, but, it’s really awesome. The ice pack molds to the injured area and you achieve maximum injury specific icing that ensures effective treatment.
Two Ice Packs Included: For my icing purposes, I only need to use one ice pack at a time. So, I love the fact that I have the other ice pack sitting in the freezer waiting for the next time I ice. It means that I always have a cold ice pack – no excuses not to ice.
Mobility: I can walk around while icing. Not that this is what I want to do. I usually like to sit down and stay put while icing, but life happens – the phone rings, someone comes to the front door, nature calls. It’s nice to know that once you’ve got the ice pack properly in place, you can just get up and walk with it and the ice pack doesn’t move out of place. This, again, ensures effective treatment.
What Comes with the Active Wrap?

A flexible compression wrap with a plush exterior and Lycra trim lining for flexible comfort
Two 3.5″ x 5.5″ latex-free, non-toxic heat and ice inserts with soft, non-migrating gel so the gel stays in one place
A strong velcro strip to secure and position your heat and ice exactly where you need it.
A handy nylon drawstring storage bag
One year warranty under normal wear conditions

What Injuries are Recommended Use for the Foot | Ankle | Achilles ActiveWrap®?

Ankle Sprains/Foot Sprains
Plantar Fasciitis/ Heel Spurs
Sore Arches
Achilles Tendonitis
Sever’s / Heel Pain
Bursitis
Swelling and Soreness

What Others Say About ActiveWrap®

I read some reviews on the ActiveWrap® heat cold treatment and generally most reviewers love the flexibility and versatility that ActiveWrap® provides. ActiveWrap® delivers a high quality product and most reviewers have noticed and commented on that.

The one item that some reviewers weren’t happy about is that they say the ice packs never stayed cold long enough. I can’t say that I’ve experienced this. Maybe I have a low cold threshold, but at times I have actually found the ice pack too cold and need to put on a sock for a bit of insulation.

ActiveWrap® states that the small ice packs are designed to stay optimally cold (between 40 and 50 degrees) for over 20 minutes. That has been my experience. Plus, the recommended ice treatment time is 15 minutes max.
heat ice packs How does the heat and ice work? Are they the same packs?

Yes, the heat cold pack is used for heat or for cold treatment. It is non-toxic and freezer or microwave safe. Directions for microwave use are printed on each thermal pack.
Technical Specifications

Color: Black only
Size: Small/Medium fits men’s shoe size 10 and under, and women’s shoe size 11.5 and under
Large-X-Large fits men’s shoe size 10 and up, and women’s shoe size 12 and up
Weight: 1 pound
What else should I Know?

The heat cold therapy packs are estimated to last for up to three years even when used on a daily basis. However, ActiveWrap® also sells the heat cold therapy packs in packages of two and in two sizes for under $20.

Thank goodness that they didn’t limit their product line to only hot cold therapy for the foot and ankle. Why not expand on a great product? Here is a list of more awesome hot and cold therapy products that are available by ActiveWrap:

Shoulder – used for rotator cuff injuries
Elbow – used for tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, pitcher’s elbow, tendinitis, and arthritis
Knee | Leg – used for knee pain/swelling, post-op knee & leg, tendinitis, arthritis, and pre/post workout recovery
Wrist | Hand – used for carpal tunnel, arthritis, tendinitis, repetitive strain, and mild support
Mid Back | Lumbar – used for lumbar, thoracic, sacral discomfort, post-surgical disc injuries, muscle aches, spasms, stiffness, and hip

For anyone that is into running or participating in sports, purchasing any of the active ActiveWrap® products is a great investment for treatment of sports injuries. ActiveWrap® has a high quality product and the simple fact is that most of us will need some heat cold therapy at some point in time.

ActiveWrap Product Review

I’ve gone through the first week of the second phase of my training plan and it’s leaving my body stiff and achy! Luckily, it’s also the week where I got well acquainted with a product from ActiveWrap specifically designed to help soothe my aching muscles. This week we take an in depth review of ActiveWrap Knee & Leg Wrap. Read on!

The first week of any new training plan is always the toughest – it’s when you’re learning proper form, figuring out what amount of resistance to use, fiddling around with new equipment and, all the while, performing exercises that your muscles are just not used to using. It is exactly this that had me waking up the next morning feeling the aches in my upper back, abs and thighs. Wow. thanks, Mica!

Relief is, luckily, an arms reach away as ActiveWrap sent me a product specifically designed to soothe achy and sore muscles (it can also be used to relieve swelling as well). ActiveWrap has a line up of various products that target specific parts of the body: mid back/lumbar, foot/ankle/achilles, elbow, knee and shoulder. I had a chance to use the knee wrap for this review.

I don’t want to go into too much product detail as you can find all the information on the ActiveWrap website – very briefly: ActiveWrap prides itself as a high quality, professional grade thermal compression wrap manufacturer and has served as the official therapy wrap of USA Gymnatics of 2003-2004.

All I can say is that I have high expectations for this product.

Unboxing:

The entire package comes with the sturdy plush knee wrap, 2 ActiveWrap heat/ice packs, and one carry pouch,

Design/Quality:

The first thing I noticed was how soft and sturdy the support wrap was, not to mention the overall build quality of this thing! The stitching is very well done, the velcro pieces are thick and well reinforced and the materials used is soft to the touch.

There are two pouches that hold the ice/heat packs and these can be detached and repositioned to best target the aches or swelling areas. The pouches, although very functional, seem to be a bit “flimsy” than I would have liked. Perhaps this serves to let the heat/cold pass through with ease.

Overall, this product is very well made

and I can see that ActiveWrap makes every effort to target the athletic market seriously.

Putting It To Use:

There are two major factors that make this product effective: the hot/cold pack and the support wrap architecture.

1. The hot/cold pack are ones specifically developed for ActiveWrap. The material used is very interesting in that it takes seconds to heat up and, when frozen, never freeze solid. Even when stored in the freezer over night, the pack stays pliable which is great when you want it to contour the crevices of your joints. Heating is a cinch – either pop it directly in the microwave for a 30 seconds (depending on your microwave wattage) or submerge it in water and heat that up for 2 minutes (the method I prefer).

Once hot/cold, you would slip the packs into the pouch of the support wrap.

2. The knee support wrap itself allows you to really apply the wrap on tightly. The straps that hold the wrap is stretchable and held in place by velcro. The velcro can attach along the length of the entire wrap itself, so chances are good that it’ll fit your leg. (The knee wrap actually comes in two sized: small/medium and large/x-large).

Although the support wrap fits quite snug, you can’t really walk around too freely without it falling off or shifting in place. Quite understandable, but something i did notice. I suppose, typically you wouldn’t want to be moving much anyway as you’re applying the support wrap.

Does It Work?

Yes, it does! Unfortunately, it wasn’t my knee that was sore during this whole week but my upper back, abs, hamstrings and thighs. The ActiveWrap knee wrap was great for my legs. The hot packs felt great but I did find that the heat dissipated sooner than I would have liked. You don’t need the heat for too long, but i did find myself having to re-heat after a while. This is probably just my body acclimatizing to the heat very quickly.

For the upper back, I just ended up applying the hot packs directly on my upper back. It did the trick.

After apply the hot packs, I would also give my muscles a good stretch and then follow that up with another heating session. I think I indulged more than I had to with the hot packs, but hey, why not?

Fortunately, i never had any major injury or swelling during the week but I had to try the cold pack. I tossed the packs into the freezer and tried them out. Sure enough, the cold sensation works through the support wrap without a problem. I love how it’s not frozen solid!

Bottom Line:

ActiveWrap provides a very professional line of thermal compression wraps. With its steady construction, ease of use and innovative ice cold packs – this product is great. To some this may be a bit more expensive than your typical bandage with ice bag (the knee wrap is about $52 USD), but for those that train regularly either competitively or for pleasure, this may be just the relief your body is aching for.

For more information, be sure to check out ActiveWrap’s website.

ActiveWrap, the Mack Daddy of Wraps

by Coach Run Mom (www.runfastmommy.com)

Because when when you’re a runner, sometimes you need a little ice.

But hey, a wrap’s a wrap and ice is ice right? Who needs a fancy schmancy wrap when you’ve got frozen peas anxiously awaiting you in the freezer?

Not so fast there. Well…ok, maybe in a pinch a random bag of ice (or your favorite frozen vegetable) will do. But come on now, we’re running moms here. Do we really have time to sit around and ice? Me…not so much.
I bought a real actual (cheapo) ice wrap for my knees (sensitive little buggers) last year in training for my marathon. Bought it from Meijer for around $12-15 (best I can remember). But you know what they say, “you get what you pay for,” and that I did. I could never seem to get that wrap just exactly the way I wanted it and if by chance I did happen to get it just right, it would slide right down within taking a few steps. And really, if I’ve got to just sit down while I wear it, I might as well just use that bag of peas after all. On top of all that, it’s pretty much completely falling apart now. Awesome.

So when Ashley from ActiveWrap contacted me to see if I’d like to give one of their wraps a try, oh yeah. I was all about having a little upgrade. Wait. Scratch that. When you go from a clunker to a Cadillac, “little upgrade” isn’t an entirely accurate description. I moved waaaaaay up.

These wraps are heavy duty baby. The minute I opened the package and took a look at the knee wrap, I could just tell it was really solidly made, which is probably why they feel totally comfortable putting a warranty on their wraps.

There are three parts to these wraps: the hot/cold pack (you can freeze or microwave it for cold OR heat therapy whichever you desire), the bag you slip the pack in, and the outer wrap that you attach the bag to via some serious velcro then wrap around your knee.
Besides the fact that I think this sucker is going to last a REALLY long time despite the ridiculous number of times I may be using it, here’s what I LOVE about these wraps:

1.) You can wrap them really tight around your leg so it doesn’t move if you walk around, but it’s not so tight that it’s uncomfortable.

2.) The cold part of the cold pack doesn’t get bunched up in any one particular area. It stays spread out all across the area you are icing.

3.) You get two cold/heat packs. With my other wrap, there was only one. I’d always forget to put mine in the freezer when I was done using it. Then the next time I needed it, I’d pretty much be screwed. While really you can ice anytime, it’s not nearly as effective as icing immediately after you finish running. So having to wait an hour or so for my cold pack to freeze up kind of seemed like a waste. I’d just use something else. But with ActiveWrap, I’ve always got a cold pack ready to go.

4.) They are REALLY REALLY cold. And yeah, I know cold is cold, BUT if you happen to be wearing running tights, you can just strap that puppy right over top of your clothes and let me tell you, it is PLENTY cold. You can ice right through a pair of blue jeans if you have to. (I know this because I did. See the pictureSmile)

5.) You can adjust the position of the hot/cold pack within the wrap because of the various locations of velcro so you can get it right where you need it.

So all and all, this wrap gets two thumbs up for me and I am super excited to have it for my next marathon. Unfortunately, I only received one so I don’t have another one to giveaway. I could give away mine. But really, who’d want a wrap I’ve worn it on my sweaty smelly knee a fee times? (ahem…ok. Maybe it’s also completely washable and I just REALLY REALLY want to keep it. Can you blame me? My other one is falling apart for crying out loud!)

BUT I hear you can possibly score yourself a little discount if you follow along on Twitter or you like ActivWrap on Facebook. So you might want to check that out. Also take a peek at their website if you get a chance. You’ll find more detailed information on all their wraps for just about any body part that might cause you some grief for being an athlete and far better pictures than I was able to take with my silly little camera phone.

Big thanks to Ashley & the good people at ActiveWrap for giving me the chance to try out such a sweet product for runners. And especially thanks for all their patience, waiting around for me to write this review. I got the wrap in the mail just prior to the plague hitting and here a month later, I’m finally getting around to writing the review and letting you all know what I thought. I’m sure they were starting to wonder if I just took their wrap and ran. Literally. If Ashley is representative of what their customer service is like, you all should go buy a wrap just to chat with them. So friendly, polite, and did I mention patient yet? Just an all around good company. Seriously, go check them out when you can.

Vanilla Ice Ice Baby

Vanilla Ice Ice Baby

To The Extreme….
Yo, VIP, Let’s kick it!
Ice Ice Baby (too cold, too cold)
Ice Ice Baby (too cold, too cold)

It’s no secret around here that I call myself “Vanilla Ice”. 1) I’m about as white as white can be. Especially this time of year. Man, I cannot wait for the sun to shine again! 2) I spend much of my time icing my knee. I ice my knee after every run. I walk around with my Active Wrap strapped to my leg (directly after running) for a good 10 – 20 minutes (with an old hankie between my leg and the ice pack to prevent a burn). I also do 5 – 7 minutes of “direct icing” as soon as time allows. Usually in the evening when I’m sitting around watching TV. Sometimes, I direct ice twice a day depending on how my knee(s) feel. Why? Because I suffer from IT Band issues. Uggggg. Last winter, it took me down. Hard. I do not want to get wrapped up in that kind of injury drama again. It literally kept me from doing anything, much less running, for several months. I’ve done everything from changing my running form (which was really difficult to do!) to buying new running shoes every 3 months or so. My injury was severe. We were discussing when to schedule surgery for the issue, which is actually pretty uncommon. Then I moved to Washington…so I was unable to follow through with surgery (phew!). In the mean time, I became Vanilla Ice!

Even when I don’t feel any pain or tweakiness at all with my knee…I stretch, rest, and ice them regularly. I swear by ice therapy. My physical therapist back in Cincinnati got me hooked on direct ice therapy. The kind folks at Active Wrap took pity on me, and sent me a knee ice/heat wrap last February. I’ve found the two work beautifully together, and have helped me continue running as comfortable & injury free as possible.

For all my icing needs….
Direct Icing…
Ice cups are used for direct icing. My physical therapist taught me this trick, and I make a point to have at least 6 ice cups in the freezer at all times. You need to use the paper, wax coated cups. The small ones that people normally have in the bathroom in a cup dispenser for kids to rinse after brushing. You know the kind I’m talking about, right? Plastic cups and non-waxed cups will not do. Anyway, fill each cup about 3/4 of the way with water, let them freeze overnight, peel the cup away from the ice when you’re ready to do your therapy, wrap the end you’re holding with a washcloth so your hand won’t freeze, and start icing whatever part of your body hurts. For me, it’s the outside of my right knee…always. The IT band. I make a point to ice the entire area rather well for about 5 minutes. Never longer than 7 minutes…you don’t want to freeze/burn your skin. My skin is bright red by the time I’m done. While I’m icing the area, I’m pressing fairly hard in a back and forth (across) motion. The idea behind putting friction on the area is to break up any adhesions that might be building up along the band. The idea behind direct ice therapy in general is to reduce swelling in the exact area of inflammation. Ice packs are perfect for general swelling reduction, but you need to spend a little more time on the area that’s inflamed to see better results. If you need to take your ice cups with you, stick it in a thermos. I’ve left mine in the car up to 2 hours during summer runs, and had very little melting occur (as long as it’s in a thermos). I have the little thermos that holds about 1 cup of soup. The little ice cups fit perfectly inside!

Active Wrap…

My Active Wrap after 1 year of use!

I need immediate ice therapy after a run. Even if it’s only 3 miles….you will find me with an ice wrap after the run. I’ve purchased many “cheap” ice packs, wrap systems in the past. I totally wasted my money. They didn’t work the way I wanted or expected…so I would go in search for yet another device. $25.00 here, $15.00 there. Spending more & more money. Over time, I have learned to stop buying the least expensive item in hopes it will rock my world. Chances are, it will not. I’ve also learned to read reviews from other runners. Chances are, if they love (or hate) a product….there’s probably a good reason why. Active Wrap is the ONLY ONE that will not slide down your leg as you walk. It actually bends as your leg moves. I know the concept of icing after a run is to rest / sit while you do it. I’m a mom. After I run, it’s time for dinner (literally). I don’t have the luxury of sitting down and resting (ever). As I’m putting the finishing touches on dinner & setting the table, I’m wearing my Active Wrap. On days we’re driving to our running destination, I make sure to put it in the car so I can wear while driving home. Did you hear that? This wrap is so flexible, I can drive while wearing it! I’ve even worn it to Starbucks, the grocery store, a parent teacher meeting, etc. You catch my drift, I’m sure. Unlike others, this one allows me to move on with my life while I ice my leg. For me, ice therapy is such an important part of running. I must do it, and I must do it often. I’m here to let you know, there’s a product out there by Active Wrap that can make this a lot easier & suck less time out of your day. You can read more about Active Wrap Heat & Ice wraps on their web site. (http://activewrap.com/ )

I want to be clear about something. Active Wrap sent me a knee wrap in either January or February of last year. They did not ask me to pimp their gear for them. During that time frame, they read all of my whining (on my other blog), and felt sorry for me. I recently contacted them (and begged them) to do this giveaway because this product helps me so much (love it!). So please make a point to head over to their facebook page & “like” them. They certainly don’t have to put up with blogging kooks like me, but they did! lol The least I can do is send some love their way. Also, I love Rob’s (aka: Vanilla Ice) show on DIY Network, “The Vanilla Ice Project”. It rocks, and so does he. “If there was a problem, Yo, I’ll solve it. Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it.”

Why Ice And Heat Treaments Work For Injuries

By Skyler Meine for Ask Fitness Coach
January 20,2011

Ice and heat are the most common treatments for injury and soreness. Over the years you probably have heard of many different protocols for how to utilize ice and heat to improve recovery from injury. Lets make sure that you know exactly what you should be doing.

The hated, at least by most people, ice treatment should be used during the first 48 hours to reduce swelling and inflammation. Ice compression should be done for 10-15 minutes and repeated 30 minutes after ice is removed from the injured area for the first couple hours after the injury. Then reduced to 10-15 minutes every couple of hours. Don’t over-do it because ice can cause frost bite. For overuse injuries ice can be used at the end of a workout to help control inflammation. But don’t ever ice these areas before a workout or sporting event it will reduce performance.

Heat is the treatment that most people look forward to. Heat helps relax and loosen muscles, and gets blood flowing to that area. It is recommend that heat treatments shouldn’t be done for more than 15-20 minutes and area shouldn’t be swollen or inflamed. Heat can be used for overuse injuries before an activity to get your blood flowing to that area.

Ice and heat treatments have come a long way since the days when I would sprain my ankle and put ice in a bag and use an ace bandage to hold it on the injured area. Now there are compression wraps that are designed for specific areas of the body and gels that can be warmed or frozen. The ice and compression of the R.I.C.E. model are now taken care of with one easy solution.

ActiveWrap, a company I was recently introduced to, produces these products and they gave me the opportunity to try them out. I liked how comfortable the ankle ice/heat wrap and the knee ice/heat wrap were to wear. I didn’t have to constantly adjust them or have to lay perfectly still to get the desired effect. If you have any overuse injuries or would just like to have something available for those rare ankle sprains these are definitely the products you want available.

Skyler Meine is the Master Trainer and Director for www.askfitnesscoach.com. He is commited to providing accurate and up-to-date information in regards to weight loss, health, and fitness. He owns IdealShape a company focused on providing complete and accurate weight loss and fitness solutions.

ActiveWrap Review-Mom vs Marathon

ActiveWrap Review
If we weren’t blog-buddies last year, you may not remember THIS. Or THIS. Or THIS.

THAT is why I’m paranoid. It is hard to explain in words how badly I want to run a marathon. I need to. It’s like, without it, something will always be missing. I’m totally one of those girls on America’s Next Top Model, who says (while “smizing,” btw), “Nobody wants this as much as I do.”

NOBODY!

I will not get hurt. I cannot. Which is why I recently took a week off. And why I’ve been using the ActiveWrap Knee/Leg Heat Ice Wrap, a product I was sent to test and review. And a product that I don’t know how I lived without.

Here’s what ActiveWrap says about the Knee/Leg Wrap:

“The ActiveWrap knee system includes 2 large reusable heat and ice packs, and a durable active medical plush compress support. Complete with generous 3-inch wide plush compression straps that can be spiraled around the support to provide focused compression and fastening. Designed for injury specific adjustability and freedom of movement. Full one year warranty. Washable and built to last. Patented design allows the soft hot/cold packs to be adjusted and positioned anywhere throughout the wrap for targeted relief. Use support without thermal inserts to provide support and retain therapeutic warmth to the knee. One product provides heat, cold and mild-moderate support for the knee.”

I love that…

…you can make the wrap really tight to get the benefits of compression and icing.
…the Velcro is super-strong and holds the wrap tight.
…the packs stay cold for a very, very long time.
…the freeze packs are thin and don’t take up too much space in our already-full freezer.
…the freeze packs don’t turn into bricks – they are soft and mold to you.
…the freeze packs only need a couple hours in the freezer (read: it’s OK if you forget to put them in overnight).
…you can ice after a shorter run (read: you don’t need to submerge your entire self in a full ice bath).
…I can now eat my peas.

I have not used the heat yet because I haven’t had a need for it. I know my running buddy, Zoë (of Run, Zoë, Run), uses it to warm up baby Goober’s crib before putting her to bed. Genius! Hey, maybe I’ll do that with my bed since it’s the end of April and it’s expected to snow on Thursday.

Get $5 off of any ActiveWrap product by using the code blog5 from now until 5/30/2011!

A big thank you to ActiveWrap for giving me the opportunity to try out this product. If you have any more questions about my experience, please feel free to ask here or e-mail me at kerrie (at) sanitydepartment (dot) com. To learn more about ActiveWrap, go HERE, and follow them on Facebook HERE and/or on Twitter HERE..

I received ActiveWrap to review for free. I truly like the product and the above post reflects my honest feelings about it.