Rutgers University Women’s Basketball
The Firefly Recovery Device has not only transformed how I treat overall leg soreness with my athletes, but also how I approach the initial healing phase of lower extremity injuries such as ankle sprains. Our team has a short roster this season which has emphasized our need for the best recovery tools possible, in order to maintain the health and availability of our athletes throughout the long collegiate basketball schedule.
Following games where one of our basketball players hits a higher-thanaverage mileage and intensity, we will put the firefly devices on both legs before loading up the plane to fly home. In town, we routinely have our higher mileage athletes wear the Firefly devices home after a game to sleep in overnight. They wake up feeling much fresher the next day and are able to get more out of their next training session.
When it comes to ankle sprain, one of the most common injuries in basketball, there is no other tool that impacts the healing process as well as the Firefly. Following the initial injury, I will have the athlete wear the device as much as he/she can tolerate. This includes during post-game, to sleep, to class and around campus the next day, and so forth. As compared to ankle sprains that aren't treated with the Firefly, ankle injuries with the device have minimal to no swelling, less bruising, less stiffness, and ultimately a faster return-to-play time. Firefly has become a integral part of how I treat ankle sprains and lower leg injuries. Fast and safe recovery from soreness and injury is the most impactful way I can help my athletes as an athletic trainer.
Watching them on the court competing at their highest potential is the most rewarding part of my job and Firefly helps make that possible.
Rutgers Athlete Feedback Kaylene Smikle (B1G Freshman of the Year candidate): "When I put the Firefly on right after spraining my ankle in a game, it relieved the pain and throbbing I would usually experience with an ankle sprain. It took away any pain at rest, I had barely any pain walking to class or during other daily activities and allowed me to come back from my injury much faster."
David Jorge (U25 National Champion/University National Champion Olympic weightlifter): "I wore the Firefly devices after an Olympic weightlifting competition and the following day during my training session. I can definitely feel that I am getting better blood flow and I have less CNS fatigue. I am more energized and less sore two days out. It feels like I was given an extra day of recovery despite not even taking a full day off of lifting after a competition. Big thank you!!”
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Jess Kinder AT, Rutgers University Women’s Basketball