(ARA) - If your child participates in an organized sport this year, it's very likely he or she will experience some sort of minor injury. According to the National Institute of Health, an estimated 30 million children and adolescents participate in organized sports each year in the United States. Of those children, 3.2 million between the ages of 5 and 14 are injured while participating in athletic activities.
Some of the most common minor sports injuries children and adolescents experience are sprains, strains, bruising and contusions. To immediately relieve the pain and swelling, school and recreational league coaches, high school athletic trainers and others will now be able to use what the pros use: Gebauer's Instant Ice.
Jim Ramsay, head athletic trainer for the New York Rangers, has been using Gebauer topical refrigerant sprays for years. "Instant Ice is great for on-the-scene care," says Ramsay. "If a player gets hit on the wrist or takes a puck off the shin, I can easily anesthetize the area with Instant Ice to reduce the pain."
A nonflammable skin refrigerant, Gebauer's Instant Ice is a better choice than ice for immediate temporary relief because it's less messy, easier to transport and more efficient as each can contains 50 applications.
In conjunction with the immediate use of ice or a topical anesthetic, the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) recommends that the most effective way to treat an acute injury, such as an ankle sprain, is through R.I.C.E., which stands for Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.
* Rest: Moving about will lead to more inflammation and pain.
* Ice: Cold will reduce swelling and pain. Use a skin refrigerant such as Gebauer's Instant Ice immediately following injury, but use an ice pack or bag as recommended above.
* Compress: Control swelling through application of a light pressure wrap.
* Elevate: Elevate the area to reduce swelling by draining the fluids through gravity.
For more information about Gebauer's Instant Ice, the nonprescription skin refrigerant used by the pros, call (800) 321-9348 or visit www.gebauerco.com.
