Pain, often associated with swelling and discomfort, has been part of our lives for as long as humankind has moved. Pain can affect all areas of our daily living and we therefore need to do whatever we can to control it. Many different theories exist on the treatment of pain. Cold therapy has been known to be one of the most effective treatments of pain associated with injury and Neuromuscular conditions. Cold therapy works well to decrease pain because

DEEP FREEZE | What is inflammation and how to treat it Many of us have, at some stage, experienced pain and inflammation due to either injury, health conditions or disease. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury and/or offending agents such as viruses, bacteria or other toxic agents.  The immune system sends out its ‘first responders’ - inflammatory cells and cytokines to either go ‘fight’ or to begin  the healing process.   There are 2 types of inflammation: Acute inflammation

DEEP FREEZE How to prevent strains and sprains Muscles, tendons and ligaments enable us to move – essential to our daily lives. When we can’t move, we can’t do life. We therefore need to do everything possible to protect ourselves from any injury that could prevent us from moving and performing our daily tasks. Muscles and tendons contract and expand when we move, with ligaments the hinges that our bones move on at our joints. It therefore makes sense

DEEP FREEZE | Preventing and Treating Headaches this Summer When we think about summer we immediately think of sun, sea, outdoors and adventure! You may be planning some serious training sessions this summer or simply looking forward to a lazy beach holiday with hours in the African sun.  However, did you know that headaches are the most common form of pain experienced by people during the summer months and can sometimes derail our longed-for days off? With several reasons

DEEP FREEZE | How Deep Freeze helps reduce pain and inflammation Pain scenarios are plentiful – from spraining your ankle coming down the steps through to pain flaring up on that long-awaited run or the needless suffering from joint pain and inflammation when you just need a ‘quick fix’ on the days when it feels unbearable. To know how to treat pain and inflammation, let us first have a quick look at what pain and inflammation is. Pain is

DEEP FREEZE | When do we want to lessen blood flow In order to lessen blood flow to any area of the body, we need the blood vessels to constrict. This is known as vasoconstriction. In this article, we discuss vasoconstriction and the resulting lessening of blood flow to any given area of the body during an exercise routine. Blood that flows brings oxygen, nutrients and plasma. It also serves to rid the body of any by-products that can

DEEP FREEZE | Follow our cooldown routine to settle after activity For the most effective cooldown, it’s important to revisit and understand the ‘why’. Cooling down after a workout helps the body’s system and muscles return to a ‘normal’ or ‘resting’ state. We recommend following this general cooldown routine, modifying it where necessary to suit your specific sport: Slow down:  If you went for a run, swim or a cycle – continue, but at a reduced pace for approximately 5

DEEP FREEZE | Which product to use when? There are numerous products on the market today that help our bodies cope with the demands of our modern lifestyle. Deep Freeze is amongst those products most widely used by professional athletes and their masseuses, as well as the general public. The range is readily available and can be found at most retailers and pharmacy outlets.  With numerous products to choose from, it always helps to have a guideline of what

DEEPFREEZE Cooling down in winter? Yes, it is still important! Cooling down, often referred to warm-down, is needed to restore one’s body to its normal temperature after exercise.  You have just returned from an outdoor run in 5°C and the only thing you want to do is jump in a hot shower. This may seem like a good idea, but experts recommend a proper cool-down – even, and especially, in cold weather. To understand why cool-down is so important

DEEP FREEZE What causes knee injury and how to treat it? An active lifestyle and moving one’s body consistently on a daily basis is important for our overall health and wellbeing. However, as much as physical activity and movement have great benefits,  it is important to give our bodies both the necessary attention and assistance it needs when it comes to the maintenance and recovery of our joints, muscles, connective tissue (fascia) and other part of our bodies. Injuries

What is joint pain and how to treat it? A joint is formed where two or more bones meet in our bodies.  Joints are the hinges that allow our bodies to move in all directions.  We use our joints all day, every day, without considering the load and pressure they are under.  Whether you have sat at a computer all day or  trained for a triathlon, your joints have been moving and working.  Unfortunately, we only become aware of

Physiological Response to Exercise or an Activity The physiological response to exercise is dependent on the intensity, duration and frequency of the exercise as well as the environmental conditions. During physical exercise, requirements for oxygen and substrate in skeletal muscle are increased, as is the removal of metabolites and carbon dioxide. Circulatory Response to Exercise or an Activity To dissipate the extra heat generated as a result of an increased metabolism during exercise, blood supply to the skin must

Why do people reach for a bag of frozen peas or an ice pack to treat injuries like sprains or sports injuries? The easy answer is, “Because it works”. Cold therapy, known as cryotherapy, is is a well-established treatment recommended by sports physiotherapists and health professionals. It works by decreasing blood flow to the site of the injury, which helps to reduce inflammation and pain in the muscles, tendons and joints. The same effect is created by using a

The most common injuries and causes of pain in the thigh are hamstring strains (back of the thigh) and quadriceps strains (front of the thigh). A thigh strain refers to an injury where the fibers in a quadriceps muscles are overstretched. Once the fibers are overstretched to a certain point, muscle tears occur. Recommended rehab exercise: Use Deep Heat before exercise and Deep Freeze after exercise to rest & recover. Gentle stretches and gentle leg strengthening exercises. Focusing on

A Calf injury or strain is a tear of the muscle fibres of the muscles at the back of the lower leg and can range from mild to very severe. Calf injuries usually occur as a result of sudden pushing off movements, sudden changing of direction or from excessive over-stretching of the calf muscles during jumping. Recommended rehab exercise: Treatment includes, rest, ice and compression during the acute stage followed by a full rehabilitation program consisting of stretching and

Ligaments are often strained because of exercise and are commonly sports-related injuries. A knee ligament strain happens when one or more ligaments in the knee are suddenly stretched or torn. Ligaments are what hold bones together. Ligaments support the knee and keep the joint and bones in the correct position. They help you walk, twist and turn. There are four ligaments that help support the knee. It is important that a professional assess and determines which of the ligaments

This is an injury to the muscles of the inner thigh, frequently seen in twisting and turning sports. These muscles not only move the legs together and apart, but also assist with the movement of the hip. These muscles are important for dynamic and direction-changing sports like soccer or rugby. When a muscle is stretched too far, this is commonly referred to as a muscle strain. Occasionally strains are accompanied by small tears in the muscle fibers. Because of

A back injury can be caused by a variety of issues. It is important that a professional (physiotherapist or biokineticist) does a full assessment, or get your sports physician to give a diagnosis. In some cases, it may be mechanical; then you need to look at the glutes (buttocks muscles) and the pelvis (hip bone structure). If it’s not mechanical, then you need to look closer at the injury. There can be hundreds of issues. Recommended rehab exercise: Use

You need to understand the basic structure first. The ACL is basically the link between the tibia and the femur. The ligament itself runs diagonally and stops the femur being pushed over the tibia or another kind of rotation. Basically, there’s been a sheering force down on the knee and there’s been mass affliction with rotation. ACL injuries represent a lengthening of the ACL ligament or a tear. Recommended rehab exercise: The first and most important thing is to