Massage, Ice baths, and the RecoveryPump System achieve very different outcomes. Massage is primarily a therapy to work a muscle group, to elongate the muscle, force fluid from it, to relax or release the muscle and/or relieve spasm. Ice baths primarily provide a huge inflow to blood into the area along with significant muscle contraction. For injury, this is desirable so as to slow inflammation from occurring. For muscle recovery from daily training, ice slows down the process because of constricting the vessels. The RecoveryPump System treats the soreness and fatigue in the muscle systemically. What that means is we are manipulating the venous system rather than the muscle itself, to remove inflammation in the joint, soft tissue and muscle tissue by applying compression and increasing circulation. We highly recommend that massage be an important part of the recovery process and that using the RecoveryPump System before a massage will only make the therapist’s job easier and more effective by reducing inflammation which causes the muscle to relax before a massage treatment begins.