Whether you’re dealing with injury recovery, chronic pain, or pain after surgery, pain management is serious business. Finding the right way to manage pain means finding effective relief while considering the side effects of any treatment and the mental health challenges that often come with pain.
As healthcare changes in response to the opioid addiction crisis, the American Medical Association supports an approach to patient care that considers the way each person copes with pain. (1) Treating pain with different methods and supporting patients’ mental health while they recover is called comprehensive pain management.
A Deeper Dive
Pain after injury or surgery is more than just physical. Changes to routine, especially for athletes and active people, can be frustrating and discouraging. Comprehensive pain management strategies include treatment for physical pain with medication and other therapies, while also taking into account your lifestyle and recovery goals.
Medication
Your healthcare provider may recommend medication, especially in the first few days after an injury or surgery. Medications could include a short course of opioid medication like hydrocodone or oxycodone, but the CDC recommends using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and aspirin, when possible, because these medications have fewer side effects. (2)
Other Therapies
Outside of medication, there are many ways to help manage your physical pain during recovery.
Doctors and surgeons often prescribe physical therapy and light exercise to help relieve pain and support healing. This is because they have learned that moving as soon as possible after surgery leads to better healing and lowers the risk of complications. (3) For example, stretching and strengthening exercises can help relieve pain during recovery. Cold therapy with ice or a cryotherapy device, with or without active compression, can reduce pain and swelling, while heat can help ease pain. (2)
Mental Health Support
For people who are usually active—like athletes—a physical setback like an injury can negatively impact mental health. In fact, new studies show that athletes with poor mental health are more likely to be injured again. (4) That’s why comprehensive pain management includes mood support. For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy can help people find healthy ways to cope with depression and anxiety. (5) Relaxation techniques like guided meditation, massage, or acupuncture may also help people manage their discomfort. (1,6)
Lifestyle
Understanding lifestyle goals is another element of comprehensive pain management. When you’re used to being active, getting back to your usual activity level is a top priority. A comprehensive pain management strategy aims to help patients work toward goals specific to them. This might include finding alternate forms of activity that don’t interfere with recovery while you work your way back to “normal.”
Why Use Game Ready in Your Comprehensive Pain Management Strategy?
When you want to get back in the game faster and stay sharp, a comprehensive pain management strategy that includes Game Ready could be the right fit. The clinically proven Game Ready System integrates cold and compression therapies to help reduce pain and edema—outperforming conventional rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) methods. Additionally, clinical study results show Game Ready may facilitate a decrease in patient opioid consumption and may allow for earlier discontinuation of opioid medications post-operatively.
To use Game Ready, you need to get a prescription from a medical provider. The system is easy to use and, unlike ice packs or an ice bath, keeps everything dry. With body-conforming wraps for ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and more, you can relax while the system does all the work, delivering active compression and therapeutic cold. As part of a comprehensive pain management strategy, Game Ready just might help you get back to your active lifestyle.
To learn more about what Game Ready can do for you and more specific recovery tips, check out our blog articles.
References
- Multidisciplinary Pain Management (topic). American Medical Association. Reviewed 2025.
- Opioid Therapy and Different Types of Pain. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). May 8, 2024.
- Tazreean R, Nelson G & Twomey R. Early mobilization in enhanced recovery after surgery pathways: current evidence and recent advancements. J Comp Eff Res. 2022;11(2):121-129.
- Rogers D, Tanaka M, Cosgarea A et al. How Mental Health Affects Injury Risk and Outcome in Athletes. Sports Health. 2023;16(2):222-229.
- What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? American Psychological Association (APA). 2017.
- How to Mentally Come Back From a Sports Injury. Cleveland Clinic. June 19, 2020.
