The years have not been kind to my knees. When I in high school, I would go to my local recreation center to play pickup basketball and there was always the old guy, who wore a headband and big compression knee pads as he ran up and down the court. I always wondered why he needed the knee pads and now I know. After each of my workouts, whether it is Jiu-Jitsu, hiking, or biking, my knees are usually inflamed due to tendinitis.
In order to combat the inflammation, I started a routine of icing my knees after my workouts. The process of icing my knees used to consist of taking a standard ice pack and placing it on top of my knee cap and wrapping a BJJ belt around my legs to secure it.
This method worked, but there were a few downsides to it including
- I wasn’t able to move around since the ice pack would slip down my leg.
- The ice pack warmed up after 10 minutes.
- The belt did not provide snug, tight compression on my knee.
One day, my friend posted an image on his Instagram account showing him icing his knee after a basketball game in his new ice pack specifically designed for his knee from HyperIce. This sparked my curiosity and I researched the ice pack online. The ice pack looked like it came from the future and was endorsed by NBA superstar Blake Griffin who has a history of knee injuries. I asked HyperIce if I could sample the product to see how it worked and they were kind enough to send me a knee brace.
Here is how the HyperIce Compression Technology works. There is a a thin rubber ice cell/bag filled with ice that is tightly secured around your knee with a compression sleeve/brace to make a nice cold, snug wrap around your knee. On the top of the ice cell/bag’s cap is an air release button that you can press once it is wrapped to eliminate any air pockets in the cell to get an even tighter fit around your knee.
Ideally, the ice would be crushed, but regular ice from your refrigerator ice machine works well too. After using the product for over a month, here is what I believe really differentiates HyperIce’s Compression Technolovy from a regular ice pack.
- Really tight and snug fit so the ice is consistently flush against your skin
- Ice cell/bag feels colder than a regular ice pack and stays really cold for up to an hour. I will ice my right knee for 20 minutes, then take it off and place it on my left knee with little to no drop off in cold temperature.
- I can walk around while wearing the braces since the brace is secure tightened to my knee.
- The ice cell/bag covers more area than my ice pack. The ice cell/bag is larger enough where it wraps around most of my knee for more coverage in reducing inflammation. I am hitting all areas of my knee now with a cold, tight, compression rather than just the front side.
The cost of HyperIce Compression Technology for the knee is $90, which is a lot more expensive than the $5 to $20 ice pack you will see at the local pharmacy. However, it is also very durable and will last for many years, unlike my knees. So for the one-time investment, you will be able to help reduce the inflammation and pain in your knees and hopefully staying actives for years to come.
