GE A R by
C a mi lle C hi n
Help for MDs on the mend A cool aid
An old tube sock for compression around your bad knee or an almost hip Dr. Cool Wrap for compression and ice? Made by a New Englandbased company called Coolcore, the velcro wrap consists of a “chemical-free” cooling fabric on its underside that absorbs water, freezes and stays cold for 20 minutes while remaining flexible for contorting around wrists, knees and ankles. A clever frozen-bag-of-peas-and-bandage combo for pain and swelling, the wrap barely drips. Coolcore’s temperature-regulating fibres are, well, so cool that they recently received the first-ever Innovative Technology award from the Hohenstein (research) Institute in Germany. Machine washable. Three sizes; seven colours. US$25-$40. drcoolrecovery.com.
Let’s roll
The main reason folks use foam rollers is to force tight muscles to relax. Knots restrict mobility and athletic performance. A March 2013 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (JSCR) showed that 11 males experienced as much as 10 degrees of improved knee flexion (without a loss of strength) after foam rolling. A January 2014 JSCR study suggests that it reduces post-exercise fatigue. Research is itself still rolling in. For your own hands-on investigation, consider getting the Enso¯ by EvoFit. It features eight removable discs that are 11 and 13 centimetres in diameter. Slide one on the 33-centimetre aluminum tube to treat kinks via a handheld or more in any configuration for your own deep-tissue massage therapist. US$69-89. evofitforlife.com.
For dry spells
No one wants to hold a water bottle while running — and no one should be forced to wear a fanny pack or, ahem, a water belt. Staying hydrated by drinking 1 litre of H2O during hour-long, high-intensity workouts can be tricky though if you’re slurping the stuff from a park fountain. Enter the Fastdraw 20 Extreme, part of Ultimate Direction’s Runner’s Collection. The 600-millilitre, BPA-free, squeezable bottle is hugged by an insulated NeoMesh sleeve with an adjustable hand-tension strap that wicks moisture and eases hand-strain. Plus, it features the company’s famous Kicker Valve. Its soft, medical-grade silicone mouthpiece with X-cut opening lets you guzzle “the biggest flow on the market;” it closes into leak-proof position with a hands-free, 40-degree kick to the side. In acid (yellow) or teal. US$30. ultimatedirection.com.
MORE ONLINE
Can inversion therapy, aka hanging upside down, really relieve back pain? doctorsreview.com/gadgets/hang-time MAY 2014 • Doctor’s
Review
17