Everyone knows ice is the best treatment for injuries and muscle pain. When it comes to selecting an effective cold therapy product to relieve inflammation, a New Mexican business wants people to think "SnowPack".

Introduced to the retail market in March 2002 by CleanAIR Systems, Inc., SnowPack is serious cold therapy created to treat muscle and joint pain. After researching various markets, Sales & Marketing Manager Louise Roach realized athletes were one of the best-educated consumers of cold therapy products. "Whenever I call on a running or athletic specialty store, they are eager to discuss our product. Most retailers in this field are athletes themselves. They are purists when it comes to "icing" and have had first-hand experience with different products to treat shin splints and runner's knee," explains Roach.

"Many times they have been disappointed with what's available. The cold packs they've tried don't get cold enough or they lose their effectiveness within thirty minutes. When I tell them SnowPack was developed to act exactly like ice, they're very interested and want to know more about our product."

The idea for SnowPack began three years ago when the president of CleanAIR Systems injured his knee. Unhappy with the cold therapy treatments he found at the local pharmacy, he decided his company could produce a better product. That's when the inspiration for patent-pending SnowPack was conceived. The idea was to develop a flexible, long-lasting, reusable cold treatment that out-performed similar products.

Using hundreds of mini-gels in a special solution, each SnowPack freezes to look and act just like frozen snow. Other products retain cold a limited time of 20 to 30 minutes. Both ice and SnowPack go through "phase change". "Phase change" occurs when a substance goes from liquid to solid when frozen, and then back to liquid. SnowPack stays cold for so long, 2 plus hours, due to "phase change".

Ernesto Torres, SnowPack inventor and Project Manager, explains: "An important concept we took into consideration when developing SnowPack was R.I.C.E. - Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation. The technique of R.I.C.E. is something that every serious athlete knows well. The first 48 hours after an injury occurs is the most crucial time to use R.I.C.E. SnowPack offers both Ice and Compression to help with the pain."

Not only does it stay cold long enough to be used two to three times without refreezing, SnowPack also has a long lifespan. Designed to be refrozen many times, it offers a consumer over one hundred hours of use. According to Trish Shain, a Santa Fe long-distance runner and an Olympic Torch Bearer, ?The first time I used it after a long run, I applied SnowPack to my very painful knee and was quite surprised to feel such immediate relief. It is the longest lasting cold pack I have found, and it feels equally good completely frozen or slightly thawed. SnowPack has enabled me to keep running while my knee is healing."

Although runners have become a niche market for SnowPack, other applications include: lower back pain, sports injuries, inflammatory arthritis, post surgical rehabilitation, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraine headaches, toothache pain, and insect bites. It's even effective at treating or preventing heat exhaustion. SnowPack is also good to the environment and people. Unlike the majority of cold packs on the market, the mini-gels contained in SnowPack are biodegradable, non-toxic and dye-free.

Officially launched in the Southwest, SnowPack is being marketed through running specialty stores, retailers of outdoor and hiking equipment, and independent pharmacies, as well as through various online distributors and catalogs. SnowPack is also being recommended by several chiropractors and physical therapists.

In September 2003, SnowPack will launch SportCover. A convenient, durable ice wrap, SportCover is designed to hold SnowPack securely in place while in use. What makes SportCover special is its two-way cold coverage.

Unlike other cold wraps, SportCover allows the consumer to use both sides for a choice of cold levels. Plus it has an extra long, attached strap that offers compression and a comfortable fit. An added benefit is that SportCover fits virtually any part of the body.

For more detailed information about SnowPack products and uses, visit the SnowPack website at: http://www.snowpackusa.com.