Treatment Options

Game Ready Therapy

Do you require Game Ready Therapy? Our expert team are here to help.

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What is Game Ready?

Game Ready is an advanced recovery and rehabilitation system combining controlled compression and cold therapy (cryotherapy) in a single device. It delivers rapid cooling alongside intermittent pneumatic compression to reduce swelling, control pain, and speed up healing after injuries, surgery, or intense athletic activity.

At Spinal & Sports Care, Game Ready is integrated into evidence-based rehabilitation protocols as a standard adjunct treatment. Many clinics charge separately for this service because the technology is highly advanced and expensive. We provide Game Ready at no additional cost as part of our treatment plans because research consistently demonstrates its benefits for post-injury and post-surgical recovery.

How Game Ready Works

Game Ready blends two treatment modalities in one system:

  • Cryotherapy: Reduces blood flow, swelling, metabolic activity, and inflammatory signals in injured tissues.
  • Intermittent Compression: Uses gentle cycles of pressure to improve fluid movement, enhance circulation, and reduce oedema more effectively than cold therapy alone.

Together, these therapies create a powerful recovery tool, improving pain control and tissue healing while reducing recovery time.

Clinical Benefits and Applications

Game Ready therapy is widely used in orthopaedics, sports medicine, and post-injury recovery. Key applications include:

  • Post-surgical recovery (e.g., ACL reconstruction, joint replacement)
  • Acute sports injuries, sprains, and strains
  • Tendon repairs and post-traumatic swelling
  • Integration with corrective exercise, soft tissue therapy, and return-to-sport programs

It is widely used for orthopaedic surgery recovery (e.g. ACL reconstruction, joint replacement), acute sports injuries, sprains, strains, tendon repairs, and post-traumatic swelling.

Research and Evidence for Game Ready

Extensive research in orthopaedics, sports medicine, and post-surgical rehabilitation supports the use of combined cryotherapy and compression for optimal recovery outcomes:

  • Compressive cryotherapy is consistently shown to be superior to cryotherapy alone in reducing pain, swelling, and functional limitations after both injury and surgery.
  • Post-operative studies on ACL reconstruction, total knee replacement, and shoulder surgery demonstrate faster oedema resolution, lower pain scores, reduced medication use, and earlier return of range of motion when intermittent compression is added to cold therapy.
  • Research on athletes shows that cryocompression reduces muscle soreness and inflammatory markers and improves performance recovery after high-intensity training or competitive events.
  • Laboratory studies confirm that intermittent compression with cold therapy enhances microvascular circulation, tissue oxygenation, and lymphatic drainage, accelerating the healing process.
  • Systematic reviews conclude that cryocompression devices improve both subjective outcomes (pain, swelling) and objective recovery measures (range of motion, limb girth, biomarkers) compared with cold therapy alone.


By offering Game Ready therapy at no additional cost, Spinal & Sports Care ensures patients benefit from evidence-based technology proven to deliver superior recovery results after injury or surgery.

What to Expect During a Session

  • The limb is fitted with a specially designed wrap connected to the Game Ready system.
  • The device delivers precisely controlled cooling and compression according to preset protocols.
  • Sessions last 10–30 minutes, depending on injury type and rehabilitation stage.
  • Most patients experience immediate pain relief and reduced swelling after their first session.

Sessions are repeated according to the treatment plan, often multiple times per week during early recovery phases.

Integration with Treatment Plans

At Spinal & Sports Care, Game Ready is used as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation approach:

  • Post-surgical protocols: Controls swelling and pain before physiotherapy exercises begin.
  • Injury rehabilitation: Combined with manual therapy, exercise prescription, and strength training.
  • Athletic recovery: Used between games or training sessions to speed recovery and reduce fatigue.

Because the system is an expensive piece of technology not available in many clinics, we include it in our treatment plans without additional cost to ensure our patients receive the highest standard of care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. It is well tolerated and non-invasive, with contraindications screened by our clinicians.

Many post-operative protocols allow its use within 24–48 hours, guided by your surgeon and rehabilitation team.

No. It complements physiotherapy, exercise, and manual therapy for the best outcomes.

In early recovery, sessions may be used daily or multiple times per week. The frequency decreases as swelling and symptoms resolve.

Most patients find it comfortable. Mild cold or pressure sensations are expected, but they are not painful.

No. It benefits anyone recovering from injury or surgery, regardless of activity level.

The system is expensive, but we provide it at no extra cost because it significantly enhances recovery and is supported by strong clinical research.