BFFL

I bought an Aircast Cryo/Cuff setup to ice down my legs. So far I have the ankle and knee cuffs. Unfortunately, there's not a full length leg & foot cuff and the cuffs are anatomically specific. I can see the foot and calf cuffs in my future. Though, from the photos on the Aircast site, the calf looks life it could double as a foot. The only problem is keeping enough ice on hand.

I should have bought one as soon as the cage came off. My current therapist's office uses them and I assumed they were cost prohibitive for the lego but they are surprisingly affordable, especially when I factored in that I'll be using the setup for years. Anyone that has ever filled plastic bags, wrapped ice in towels or used a bag of frozen vegetables to ice down knows that none of those techniques work very well.

If you have never seen or used one, you basically fill the jug with ice & water and then attach the hose from the jug to the cuff. When you raise the jug above the cuff and open the air vent cold water fills the cuff. Once the cuff is filled the hose can be detached. When the cuff cools down, reattach the hose, place the jug lower than your leg and open the air vent. The warm water in the cuff will drain into the jug. Let the water chill and repeat the process.

From Aircast:

Combining the therapeutic benefits of controlled compression and cold, the Calf Cryo/Cuff minimizes edema, hematoma, hemarthrosis, swelling, and pain.

Product Features and Benefits

* Anatomic cuff design for complete coverage of affected area
* Measured compression for patient comfort
* Controlled cold eliminates the risk of tissue damage
* Detachable cooler allows for uninterrupted treatment

Indication

* Rehabilitation
* Trauma
* Post-op treatment

My right ankle still swells like your grandma having a gout attack, more so now that the lego is carrying all the weight. Even before my latest accident, I found I wasn't doing simple things to avoid leg pain like icing, elevating and wearing a compression sock when exerting myself. In the last few weeks it finally dawned on me, why go through life in pain, some of this is preventable or at least treatable.

Someday I will have a whirlpool, an ice maker and a lap pool next to my Yurt.


I was imagining looking out at water or an open meadow but the deep woods would work too.



I also picked up some Skins Power Sox. They're basically designer compression socks, only they work about three times as good as the pantyhose variety. The stirrup design keeps your foot from overheating and they are SPF 50 versus maybe 15 for a traditional compression sock. So far, they appear more durable than traditional compression socks.

From Skins

* BioAcceleration Technology™
Enhanced circulation from engineered gradient compression assists in reducing lactic acid build-up
* Skin»fit
A precision fit based on your body mass index (BMI) algorithm
* Skin»muscle +
To focus muscle power and dramatically reduce muscle vibration
* Skin»dry
Moisture management wicking draws moisture away from your skin keeping you dry
* Skin»temp
Optimises your body temperature in warm and cool conditions
* Skin»fresh
Antibacterial and antimicrobial treatments discourage growth of bacteria and help prevent odour
* Skin»UVblock
UPF 50+