Combination Therapy means using ColdCure® and BFST® in combination by alternating treatments, as well as using KB Support Tape™. Combination Therapy is much more effective than using just ColdCure® or just BFST®. This is because you're getting both the pain and swelling relief of ColdCure® and the healing benefits of BFST®, as well as the protection and re-injury prevention of KB Support Tape™, resulting in the absolute best treatment for your injury.
Combination Therapy will get you on the road to recovery and back to your regular activities at an amazing rate.
An important part in treating your injury is to use the ColdCure® Wrap several times a day to help reduce not only the visible swelling that you may see on the surface, but also the inflammation you may have deep within.
At the beginning, don't be discouraged if you're using ColdCure® Treatments more frequently than you would expect. Your body's natural defense when injured, is to generate inflammation and swelling in order to protect itself. Being aggressive with back to back ColdCure® Treatments will give your body a chance to get ahead of the inflammation, and prepare your injury for the blood flow that's needed to help heal quickly.
Because some inflammation and swelling is internal and hard to see, a good guideline to remember is that with each ColdCure® Treatment, you should feel a reduction in pain. When you have successfully treated your swelling and inflammation, your pain level should be minimal. You may still have a slight amount of pain, but most likely that's from the injury itself.
Introduce your BFST® Treatments, once your swelling and inflammation is under control. When doing your treatments you should only feel a slight warming sensation. At any time if the BFST® feels hot or uncomfortable, discontinue use and reflect on your activities since your last BFST® treatment. An increase in heat during a BFST® treatment is most likely a recent re-injury. Being aware of your current limitations and preventing re-injury will help speed up your recovery.
Each BFST® Treatment will last only 20 minutes, but the increase in blood flow will last up to four hours. Ideally your treatments should be spaced throughout the day, so you can promote good blood flow all day long. If you can't do 3-4 treatments a day, your two most important treatments are first thing in the morning, and right before you go to bed. This will ensure that you have a great start to your day and you can also rest well at night. If you don't have time to complete a 20 minute treatment, completing either 5 or 10 minutes with the BFST® is still more beneficial than skipping the BFST® Treatment altogether.
If you are planning on being active throughout the day, complete a BFST® Treatment before any type of physical activity. It can be as simple as going for a walk, or even doing the dishes depending on which type of injury you are suffering from. Always assess how you are feeling after your activity, as there's a chance you may need to apply your ColdCure® to treat to treat any new inflammation that may have generated during your activity.
The goal with your BFST® Treatments is not to increase on the levels as quickly as possible, but to condition your circulatory system to allow for the much needed increased blood flow. Staying on the lowest level to where you feel any warmth - remember it's just a slight warmth - will be the most effective way to start healing your injury.
When can you move up to the next level? You can move up in levels when you feel barely any warmth from the wrap at all. This means that you've successfully conditioned your circulation and you're ready to move up. Some people can move up in a few weeks, some people it takes a lot longer. It just depends on how well your body adjusts to the increase in blood flow.
What do BFST® Treatments feel like? During your BFST® treatments, you should only feel a slight warming sensation. No pulsing or vibrations happen during any of the treatments. Some people may experience a slight tingling sensaion, but this is due to the increase in blood flow being delivered to the injured area.
Is this a heating pad? BFST® treatments are not like a traditional heating pad, it's much more! While you will feel a warming sensation while using the wrap, the heat is not hot. This is because the BFST® is stimulating blood flow underneath the surface of the skin. The higher you move up on th levels on the controller, the warmer the BFST® wrap is going to feel.
Do a ColdCure® treatment any time you experience a pain flare-up or after any physical activity to prevent further injury and reduce swelling and inflammation. Remember, staying on top of your inflammation will allow you to complete more BFST® treatments throughout the day.
Wait 30-45 minutes after your ColdCure® treatment to use BFST® again. This time will allow the blood flow and body temperature to regulate again. Refrain from using ColdCure® within 4 hours following your 20 minute BFST® Treatment, unless you notice an increase in pain.
Please note that you may charge the XC RigiGel® packs either in the fridge or the freezer depending on your cold preference. The more inflamed your injury is, the less sensitive your skin may be to cold temperatures. If you choose to charge your gels in the freezer, back to back ColdCure treatments are safe and effecive, as long as the gel packs are pliable. If the gel packs are not pliable enough to fit into the wrap, leave them on the counter for a few minutes to warm up slightly. When the pack is soft enough to bend, it's ready to use for your treatments.
Combination Therapy is a complete treatment - you're getting everything you need to heal your injury.
When you're not doing treatments with your BFST® and ColdCure wrap, your injured tissue is vulnerable to further damage. KB Support Tape™ is critical in preventing re-injury. You're going to be amazed at how a simple roll of tape will stop the sharp pains when you move the wrong way. You need to recover, and you need to stop that painful re-injury process. KB Support Tape™ can be used at the same time as your BFST® and ColdCure® Treatments without any issues, but try to have your first BFST® Treatment of the day without the KB Support Tape™ applied. After your BFST® Treatment has been completed, then apply the tape. Removing the tape before the last BFST® Treatment of the day will help you rest well at night.
Why does Support Tape work? Our skin is soft and elastic and can stretch much more than the tissue underneath. When you apply KB Support Tape® to your skin, it becomes a much more rigid surface than before, serving to limit how much the skin can stretch. The Tape makes your skin a source of outside support to hold your tissue in place from above, helping you avoid re-injury.
It's important to understand that the healing process takes much longer than most people realize. Even if your pain is 100% gone, your tissue may only be 20% or 30% healed. This is why you need to continue using BFST® for months after the pain is gone. Regular BFST® treatments will help your tissue get stronger and will protect the affected area from re-injury. If you want to maintain the healing you've done and prevent re-injury, make sure you do a BFST® treatment before any physical activity.
For a more in-depth explanation of how your body heals, click here for our Healing Time explanation.
If you're taking painkillers before you do any physical activity, you're only masking the pain. This is dangerous when you're injured. Without the pain to remind us of our injury, we feel like we can do more than we really should. Masking the pain leads to re-injury and a worsened condition. Don't take painkillers before physical activity or you will be looking at a much longer recovery time. You want to feel the pain so you can avoid re-injury and heal faster. It is understandable that people need relief from the pain, so if you're going to take painkillers, try to restrict them to times when you are at rest. You can use painkillers to help you sleep.
The ColdCure® Wraps are specifically designed to treat the pain associated with soft tissue injuries and chronic conditions. These innovative devices are incredibly soothing and protect the injured area from further strain.
Soft tissue injuries and chronic conditions can be extremely painful and debilitating. NSAIDs such as ASA, acetaminophen or ibuprofen are often used to treat the pain, but these drugs do nothing to treat the actual condition. In fact, NSAIDs are known blood thinners and make the bleeding worse for fresh tissue injuries. Typical pain medications actually interfere with the healing process. Cortisone injections are used in extreme cases but these too are intended to address the pain. They do not promote healing of the injury and they put you at a very high risk of further injury.
Every BFST® and ColdCure® Wrap purchase comes with the additional benefit of having one of our knowledgeable King Brand® Advisors contact you 2 or 3 days after your order has been delivered. This is to ensure you have received your order, find out how your treatments are going, and to answer any questions you may have. Our Advisors have been thoroughly trained on BFST® and ColdCure® technology and treatments, as well as different injuries and conditions. They spend all day every day giving people treatment advice and guidance. They truly care about your recovery. While one of our Advisors will follow-up with you directly, you are welcome to contact us any time. We are here to help you every step of the way. Your recovery is very important to us.
For additional questions or concerns regarding your King Brand® Wraps or treatments, please call our toll free number 1-844-672-9440. Please visit our Contact Us page for Customer Service Hours.