Specialist in Ice and Heat Therapy

Flex-Ice products are sold by 1000’s of Physiotherapists, Chiropractors & Osteopaths across Australia.

Email your postcode to contact@flexice.com

 to find an outlet near you.

Flex-Ice

GPO Box 1079

Melbourne 3001

Australia

Ph: 03 9311 4011

Fax: 03 9311 4033

birthday glip

Wholesale Orders: info@flexice.com

Hospital remittance: accounts@flexice.com

International Orders: fob@flexice.com

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Instructions

How to apply Flex-Ice Wrap

Simply insert a previously cooled or heated Flex-Ice gel pack in the pocket. 

Place on the area to be treated and tighten the elastic to your desired compression.

PRINT OUT Flex-Ice Wrap instructions

How to apply Flex-Strap

Simply insert a previously cooled or heated Flex-Ice gel pack under the stretchable elastic bands.

Note: Flex-Strap can deliver Hospital Strength Compression.

Stretch 20-50cm to your desired level of compression. Cold or Heat Therapy applied with Strong Compression is a powerful modality and should always be applied with care.

PRINT OUT Flex-Strap Instructions PRINT OUT Flex-Strap Hot/Cold/Compression info.

How to cool the Flex-Ice pack

Store the Flex-Ice pack flat in the freezer ready for immediate use. When the pack is cooled the clear gel inside forms ‘flex-ice’ a soft white paste ready to deliver a recommended treatment. 


How to heat the Flex-Ice pack

Microwave: Heat Flex-Ice for 1 minute on high.

REMEMBER - Microwave power will vary and affect the time required to reach your desired temperature. Also the temperature of the pack before microwaving is to be considered.

After one minute remove the pack and massage the pack a little to distribute the heat evenly (temperature will continue to rise slightly). Carefully check desired temperature by holding Flex-Ice against the inside forearm. If further heating is required heat at 10-20 second intervals until you reach your desired temperature (note total time for future reference). If heating the pack directly from the freezer remove all attached ice (best to just run under warm water until ice is gone) and dry before heating. Heat Flex-Ice for 2 minutes on high then at 20 second intervals until you reach your desired temperature.


Hot Water: Heat approx. 2 litres of water. Pour the water into a suitable container. Place Flex-Ice in the hot water for approx. 120 seconds. If the pack is not hot enough place back in hot water for a further 30 seconds. If removing Flex-Ice from the freezer initially place Flex-Ice in hot water for approx. 5-7 min


FAQ

Please note tips and advice provided on this website are not a substitute for medical advice.

Always consult your surgeon or healthcare provider.

Every individual person’s injury is unique and conditions treated with Hot or Cold Therapy vary widely.

If you suspect that you may have a health problem always consult a Doctor and follow medical advice regardless of the information on this website. 

Does it matter whether I use hot or cold therapy?

Yes. Knowing when to use Hot or Cold therapy is important. If you apply a heat to the wrong type of injury (an acute injury) it can potentially worsen the condition and prolong your recovery time.


Cold Therapy should be used in acute situations.

Redness, swelling, pain & inflammation are signs of an acute injury. So if you have a recent injury (within the last 48 hours) you should be applying cold therapy with compression.

Cold Therapy if you have bumps or bruises, pulled muscles, joint sprains and fractures.

Cold Therapy if you are recovering from a surgical procedure.

Cold Therapy when you have just finished playing sport or strenuous activities

Note: When applying any cold product that is below freezing an insulation layer should be used to guard against frost bite. 


Heat Therapy should be used for chronic conditions.

Chronic conditions gradually build up over several days, weeks, even years.

A condition will begin to become chronic after 6 weeks.

Heat therapy will help period cramps, arthritic pain or muscle cramps/spasm.

Note: Heat Therapy should only be applied when all swelling has been reduced.

Cold / Heat Therapy

  • How do you apply Cold Therapy?

    For the average adult, apply a Flex-Ice pack to

    the injured area for 10-15 min. with a 20-30

    min. rest between applications for a 2 hour

    period. Early application is important.

    Depending on the severity of the injury this can

    be repeated over a 24-72 hour period.


    Note: Always place a light towel/cover between

    the skin and the Flex-Ice pack to avoid the possibility of frostbite.

  • What does Cold Therapy actually do?

    Cold Therapy is the clinically proven aid for

    most musculoskeletal injuries both during

    initial care and later rehabilitation. Cold

    therapy will promote stronger healing, ease

    pain and improve recovery time. It does this by

    constricting blood vessels and slowing down

    the inflammatory response.

  • Will Cold Therapy help the pain?

    Yes, Cold Therapy provides strong pain relief.

    Cold temperatures reduce the nerve transmission from painful areas. With 4-5

    minutes of Cold Therapy there is sensory fibre

    analgesia comparable to local anaesthesia.

    When your tissues are cold the ions that carry

    messages around between neurons find it more difficult to move around greatly reducing the pain signals going to your brain.

  • How does Cold Therapy improve recovery time?

    The body reacts to injury or surgery by

    initiating an inflammatory response. This

    increases the permeability of blood vessels,

    activates local pain receptors and attracts

    immune chemicals creating swelling. This excess of fluids separates healthy cells in the vicinity from their oxygen source. As a result, many healthy cells die from secondary tissue damage called “hypoxic injury”.

  • What are some common uses of Cold Therapy?

    - Sports injuries (sprains & strains)

    - Neck or back injuries/spasm

    - Migraine and headache

    - All types of body aches and pains

COLD PRECAUTIONS

Do not use on infants. Young children should be supervised whilst using this product. Elderly or disabled persons may also require supervision. Any cold product may cause frostbite if improperly used. Do not use Cold Therapy before sporting activities as it can lower the area’s proprioception. People with circulatory disorders should not use cold therapy. 

  • How do you apply Heat Therapy?

    Heat Therapy can be used any time except when there is internal or external bleeding. Application times of 20-30 min. are recommended with a 10-20 minute rest period between applications.

  • What does Heat Therapy actually do?

    Heat Therapy will increase blood flow to an area by dilating your blood vessels so more blood, oxygen and nutrients can be delivered. Heat therapy will soothe and relax muscles in spasms and enhance healing.

    Note: Never apply heat to bruises or muscle strains in the first 24 hours after injury. Heat may increase any local bleeding.

  • Will Heat Therapy help the pain?

    Yes, Heat Therapy provides mild pain relief by acting as a counter-irritant “filling” the nerves with the sensation of heat instead of pain, thereby reducing the amount of pain perceived.

  • How does Heat Therapy improve recovery time?

    Heat encourages blood flow to an area, bringing oxygen and nutrients while decreasing inflammation by taking toxins away.

  • What are some common uses of Heat Therapy?

    - Relieving pain and stiffness in joints and knotted muscles.

    - Alleviating stomach cramps and period pain.

    - Relieving arthritic pain.

    - Pain and stiffness in joints to loosen those problematic areas.

HOT PRECAUTIONS

Never apply heat to bruises or muscle strains in the first 24 hours. Heat may increase any local bleeding. Persons with diabetes, circulatory problems, nerve damage, paralysis or sensitive skin should not use heat therapy except if directed by a health practitioner. When pregnant do not apply heat to the abdomen. Do not apply heat therapy where a clot or thrombosis is suspected. 

Contrast Therapy

  • What is Contrast Therapy?

    Contrast Therapy is simply alternating between the application of Cold Therapy and Heat

    Therapy.

  • When would you apply Contrast Therapy?

    You can apply Contrast Therapy at any time except when there is internal or external

    bleeding. Please avoid Contrast Therapy on fresh injuries that are still hot, swollen or red as

    the heat may aggravate the inflammation more than the cooling phase can control.

    Contrast Therapy is used most commonly when dealing with repetitive strain injuries – as it

    can stimulate the tissue without the need to actually use or stress the area.

  • How do you apply Contrast Therapy?

    Simply alternate between Cold and Heat Therapy for periods of 10-15 minutes. It is

    recommended to begin and end with a cold application. Continue application for two or

    three cycles.

    Shorter applications of a 2 or 3 minutes is also recommended.

    This application method can be surprisingly comfortable when the area is already prewarmed or cooled.

  • How does Contrast Therapy improve recovery?

    Cold Therapy will constrict and tighten blood vessels - vasoconstriction, thereby reducing

    inflammation. However, Heat Therapy will rapidly cause an opening of the blood vessels -

    vasodilation. This contrast in temperature causes rapid constriction and dilation of the

    blood vessels helping flush out waste products while bringing nutrient-rich blood. 

  • What are some of the benefits of contrast therapy?

    Improved Circulation

    Decreased Swelling - Reduced Inflammation

    Reduced Muscle soreness – increased range of motion

  • What are some conditions where Contrast Therapy may help?

    Plantar Fasciitis

    Carpal tunnel syndrome

    Tennis Elbow

    Shin Splints

Compression Therapy

Why is Compression Important?

Compression is required after injury to prevent oedema formation (swelling). Think how effective pressing on a cut finger is when you have a bleeding finger? This is why you should apply compression as fast as possible if you have a twisted ankle for example. You need to compress the injured area to stop excessive internal bleeding (when blood becomes trapped under the skin).It is important to stop blood flowing and pooling around the injured area. Too much swelling results in the death of healthy cells in the area (dying due to a lack of oxygen.) This can cause significant loss of function, increased recovery time, excessive pain and is more likely to lead to a long term injury. Compression will greatly increase the transfer of heat or cold. Think about the difference of touching something hot or cold as opposed to strongly grabbing an object that is hot or cold.

Post Op Information

It is common after surgery to have swelling especially in the lower extremities. After surgery such as a knee replacement swelling should be expected so it is important to apply compression and cold therapy to help stop the inflammation. It is difficult to give advice on post-surgical applications as every condition is different. Swelling can persist for months but generally after a knee operation swelling is greatly reduced by 6-8 weeks. Please consult your healthcare provider. Some swelling can last for months.


When applying Cryotherapy you want it to be not only effective but as easy to apply as possible as multiple applications will usually be required. After time (consult your doctor) exercise is important for blood circulation as the pumping effect helps flush out toxins while strengthening the muscles and ligaments in the area. However the exercise should be low impact and for short periods (start slow and consult your doctor)


If you have been recommended / used Flex-Ice in your hospital you may need to purchase direct from us. Consult with your surgeon if you are unsure.

Sprains and Strains

What happens when I get injured?

Typical joint injuries occur in the knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Injuries can cause joints to swell and suffer from excessive inflammation. When you have an injury or trauma such as a twisted ankle. Your body reacts by flooding the affected area with plasma and red blood cells in an attempt to neutralize the threat. This is called the inflammatory process an innate primitive defence mechanism that gets activated whenever the body feels under attack. The vessels that supply blood to our muscles and other parts of the body are muscular and are able to contract (vasoconstriction) and expand (vasodilation) increasing and decreasing the diameter of the blood vessels. Ultimately what happens is that there is a vasodilatory response so more blood rushes in and the wall of the blood vessels leak fluids into the surrounding area. (this is the swelling you see in a twisted ankle) Inflammation is an important part of the healing process however too much inflammation can cause excessive swelling with fluids rushing in and cutting off nearby healthy cells from getting the oxygen they need to function and stay alive. This increases the damaged area, decreases the strength of repair and lengthens recovery time. 

Inflammation

  • What is Inflammation?

    Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, the body’s way of coping with injury.

    Inflammation can occur when you have a physical injury like a bruise or twisted ankle for example.

    Inflammation is caused a few other ways either through pathogens like Bacteria or viruses entering the

    body or if you have tissue necrosis or even hypersensitivity however the body’s response to inflammation

    is quite similar when dealing with local trauma and needs to be controlled.

  • How does inflammation start?

    In your tissues there are immune cells ready to react and let your body know there is a problem in the

    area. The immune cells release inflammatory mediators that will cause the area to become inflamed.

  • There are 5 signs of inflammation

    1. Heat – Due to vasodilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow.
    2. Swelling – Fluid accumulates in extravascular areas due to the increased membrane permeability
    3.  Redness – This occurs because of the increased blood flow and the vasodilation of the blood vessels.
    4. Pain – Pain occurs when nerve endings are stimulated through chemicals like Histamine and Bradykinin cells that have been released.
    5. Loss of function – Physical movement may be prevented as a result of the pain and swelling of the area

  • Why do we want to prevent inflammation?

    The negative part of inflammation when dealing with a soft tissue injury is that the surrounding healthy

    cells in the affected area can get damaged. This will impact the strength of the repair and also prolong

    recovery time. This is what we are trying to prevent by using compression and cold therapy as soon as

    possible after any trauma.

    Excessive fluid can become trapped under the skin causing the area to expand, separating the health cells

    in the area from an oxygen sources – killing them. This will only increase the area that needs to be

    repaired and increase the likely hood of a chronic injury developing. We don’t want healthy cells to die

    and be replaced by inferior scar tissue.

Sports Trainers / Post Game Recovery

Flex-Strap (Flex-Ice Compression Strap applied with a Flex-Ice gel pack)can professionally treat acute injuries extremely well.

Flex-Strap designed to cool and compress like no other product.

Strong Compression / Innovative Design

Applying compression is important for sports injuries and it should be applied as soon as possible. 


A combination of strong elastic and sticky hook and loop strips deliver strong comfortable compression. Flex-Ice Compression is designed to match an average person’s upper body strength. Designed so one person is capable of stretching the Flex-Strap effectively to provide strong enough compression when required. When applying to larger areas application needs to be done in 2 separate actions to ensure effective application over the entire treatment area. Think of the Flex-Ice Compression Strap like a large Band-Aid that stretches and sticks together. 


Flex-Ice Compression Strap can apply any cooling or heating device to the body. If a cold Flex-Ice gel pack isn’t available you can use the Flex-Strap to apply a bag of ice or an ice bag. The compression delivered will easily compress any device to the body. Elastic that will stretch and compress many times more than neoprene. Flex-Strap is made of quality materials – and it really packs a punch because if it’s not stretching it’s sticking!


Flex-Strap will provide professional icing quickly and easily for the whole team. In a highly acute situations extreme compression can be delivered by applying multiple Flex-Straps. Please note when Flex-Straps are tightly wrapped on top or around each other the amount of compression applied will be very significant.

Please test on yourself before placing on a patient.


Unlike other products on the market all the compression is delivered through the gel pack as the FlexStrap is designed to compress down on top of the gel pack. This design also allows the gel packs to be placed side by side for complete coverage (and compression) when treating larger areas. Flex-Ice gel packs have no side edges so they fits snuggly next to each other.


Flex-Ice Compression Strap is compact and will easily fit in your back pocket. Enough for a whole team in a shoe box. Designed to last with over 25 separate independent stitching areas. This one universal design not only does what a bag full of other hot and cold products will do – it will do it better! 

Sticky Flex-Ice club room wall board available for convenient storage and easy access.

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