With summer rearing its ugly head annually, us folks with multiple sclerosis cringe with anticipation. Like breakfast cereal and gravy, warm days and MS just do not mix. We need to stay cool to prevent our bodies from getting angry and plunging us into a seemingly endless malaise along with a list of symptoms that could rival an eight-year-old’s list of wanted presents from Santa.
Why does this happen? The most common hypothesis: the more heat, the more your body’s nerve impulses can escape due to demyelination. Current is moving too fast and the signals become muddied, meaning a rise in MS symptoms. Cooling increases conductivity, prolonging the current available, meaning more current can flow through your nerves and signals are more reliable.
To avoid the heat of summer, one option is to stay indoors and bask in the chilly pleasures of air conditioning. But we are ActiveMSers, desperately seeking pleasure without walls. Now ideally we’d have a portable 2-ounce air-conditioning unit attached to our belt (let’s call it the Apple iCool). Alas, such things do not exist. That said, we do have cooling vests--as well as innovative cooling systems--at our disposal.
Ranging in price from just a few sawbucks to thousands of dollars, cooling vests/systems can help those with multiple sclerosis maintain cooler core temperatures and lessen the severity of symptoms often caused by heat. Personally my eyes go wacky and spasticity becomes an issue, but for others, fatigue, cognitive issues, and a host of other symptoms can be backbreaking.
TIP: Why is it important to stay cool if you have multiple sclerosis? That’s a question for a whole ‘nother website. David Baker, PhD, and Louise Zimmerman have established the Multiple Sclerosis Cooling Foundation and put together a fantastic website, www.mscooling.org. There you will find detailed scientific articles about how heat affects the MSer (both David and Louise have MS) and the benefits of cooling.
If the demyelinated nerve is cooled slightly, more current is available. (From the MS Cooling Foundation)
Picking the Right Cooling Vest So how do you pick the right vest? What’s the best vest for the dollar? Will the dang thing even work? Good questions, all. Every MSer will have different needs, and not everyone will gain the same benefit. There are no guarantees. Indeed one vest may have limited effect while another could be a godsend. We at ActiveMSers want to help you make the best, most educated decision possible.
Cooling technology first needs to be broken down into two types: active and passive. Active cooling vests and cooling systems require some form of power (electricity or battery) to operate. They continually provide maximum cooling--many lower the body’s core temperature--and are usually used in the home although they are portable and can be used in the car, the office, etc. These are the most expensive systems and generally start around $1,000.
Passive vests have no working components and are easily portable. Use them basically anywhere your body can go, whether it be on a jog, to the zoo, or to a ballgame. But their cooling power is short-term (30 minutes to 3 hours) and begins to decline as soon as you put the vest on. While they have limited effectiveness in lowering the core body temperature, passive vests do provide a degree of heat relief helping to abate symptoms brought on by MS. These are the most affordable types of vests, and range in price from $30-$300).
It’s important to note the differences of these types of active and passive cooling vests and systems, as the type of cooling--and the construction of the vest--will drastically affect performance. Additionally, outdoor humidity, ambient temperature, exposure to direct sunlight, and even body temperature of the wearer can influence cooling power.
And lastly, please don’t assume willy nilly that you can’t afford an active vest--insurance may cover it if you have a prescription from your doctor (and the VA typically covers vest purchases, active or passive). Plus, the cost may be worth the added benefits. On the flip side, the pricier the vest doesn’t always mean the best choice for your particular situation. Likewise, going with the cheap fix might result in nothing more than wasted cash and one extra piece of clothing hanging on that exercise bike you should use more often. That said, let’s dive in.
TIP: You can recharge gel/ice packs on the go very fast using this little trick. Fill your cooler with ice. When you want to recharge your packs, add water and a teaspoon or so of salt. Mix it up, and the slurry will super cool those packs faster than even your freezer. The secret is in the salt, which lowers the temp of your slurry to the mid 20s. Please note: you may want to contact your vest’s manufacturer to make sure salt will not damage the gel/ice packs.
The Shafer active cooling suit.
TIP: To get the maximum cooling effect from a vest, it should fit snuggly around your body. If it hangs loose, some of the cooling power will be lost as you’ll only be chilling air and not your body. Zip up vests tend to hug the body better than poncho-style vests, which you wear by putting your head through the center hole and drape over you chest and back. If you purchase a poncho-style vest, make sure you can tighten it up.
Active Cooling Vests ($1,000-$2,000) Most active vests work by recirculating chilled fluid through the vest being worn by the MSer. The vest, which may include a cap, requires a separate cooling unit--a pump to recirculate the fluid and a cooler to hold the ice that chills the fluid--and a power source. Typically these vests run off either A/C or battery power (say D cells or a car battery). By reducing the body’s core temperature and providing a constant level of cooling, these vests have been shown in studies to be therapeutic and to reduce MS symptoms in many (but not all) patients. Usually MSers with heat sensitivity will wear this type of cooling garment several times over the course of a day. The vests themselves range greatly in weight, from as little as 2 lbs to 10 lbs and heavier. While the vests can be worn during exercise--for instance putting the pump/cooler equipment next to the stationary exercise bike--wearing the vest outdoors is impractical. However, the benefits of the cooling vest may continue to last for a period of time (manufacturers say up to an hour or two) after the vest is removed. Examples: Life Enhancement Technologies (www.2bcool.com), Shafer Therapy Vest (www.coolshirt.net), Jenkins Therapy (www.jenkinscomfort.com). MSolutions (www.mssolutions.com) + Maximum cooling benefit, no question + Best of any vest type at dropping core body temperature + Effectiveness proven in studies - Due to power/fluid needs, vests are not very portable - Vest complexity ups price 10 fold - Not practical for outdoor activity
The active vest of Life Enhancement Technologies.
Active Cooling Systems ($3,000+) Relatively new to the market, active cooling systems like those made by CoreControl are not vests at all. Unlike cooling vests, which cool the body from the outside, cooling systems work to extract heat from the blood as it moves through the body. This technology is pricey (typically $3,000 or more) and is most often used by those who can afford the price tag: professional sports teams, big-time college sports programs, private hospitals, and the military. But it has found an audience with MSers for its potential effectiveness and convenience. Simply insert your hand into the system, a light vacuum seal is created around the wrist (to keep blood vessels from constricting with the cold) and lightly grip the cooling handle for a period of time. That’s it. A pump, power, and fluid are still required. According the CoreControl, their system works by using the “specialized blood vessels [that] exist in the palms of your hand for heat dissipation purposes. These structures--your body’s radiator--allow large amounts of blood to flow directly beneath the skin when the body needs to dissipate excess heat. CoreControl enhances the blood flow to those surfaces through a combined application of temperature and a slight vacuum.” It’s important to note that the system works best to cool someone who is experiencing heat stress (blood vessels wide open), and only has limited effectiveness at cooling the MSer who is relaxing at home or has done only mild activity (blood vessels already relatively constricted). Examples: CoreControl (www.avacore.com) + Newest cooling technology on market + Convenient to use, relatively lightweight + Extremely effective after heavy exercise - Eye-poppingly pricey ($3,200 or so) - Limited effectiveness after light/no activity - Hard to use during activity, limited portability
The innovative Core Control system.
Passive Gel/Ice Pack Cooling Vests ($150-$300) These vests are among the most popular and basic in design but tend to provide the most cooling power among passive vests. The user pre-freezes gel/ice packs, which are then dropped into pockets on the garment prior to wearing. Most gel packs can be recharged in ice water, making it a decent option for travel. Examples: Steele Suits (www.steelevest.com), Stacool Vest (www.stacoolvest.com), Heat Relief Depot/ Biochem (www.heatreliefdepot.com), MSolutions (www.msolutions.com) + Maximum cooling power among passive vests + Convenient and relatively comfortable + Maintains cooling charge longer than other vests - Typically heavier than other passive vests - Vests tend to look industrial due to the gel pockets - Must have access to a freezer/ice water to recharge
The sleek vest from Stacool.
Passive Phase Change Cooling Vests ($150-$300) Unlike ice packs, which chill to below freezing, phase change packs maintain much higher temperatures. These phase-change packs contain liquids that solidify typically between 55 to 65 degrees and hold that temperature for 1-3 hours. Due to the higher temps, these vests are comfortable worn directly against the skin. Phase change packs can be recharged in the refrigerator, freezer, or in ice water. Typical weight: 4-5 lbs. Examples: Life Enhancement Technologies (www.2bcool.com), First Line Technology (www.firstlinetechnology.com), Cool Sport (www.coolsport.net), MSolutions (www.msolutions.com) + Recharges quickly, in as little as 20 minutes + Good for those with cold sensitivity + No condensation on packs - Limited cooling capacity - Not terribly lightweight - Phase change packs may be flammable/toxic
The passive vest from Life Enchancement Technologies.
Passive Hybrid Cooling Vests ($75-$200) These vests are combination ice-pack/evaporative vests. To charge the vest, you soak the entire vest in water to activate the crystals. Towel dry (or put in the spin cycle of your washer) and it can be worn immediately with moderate effect--in arid climates--as an evaporative vest. To get maximum cooling, you can freeze the vest, which will freeze the gel ribs and provide 1-2 hours of cooling relief. Examples: Arctic Heat (www.arcticheatusa.com), Body Cooler by Akemi (www.bodycooler.com) + Easy to recharge, in ice water, fridge, or freezer + Can be extremely lightweight (Arctic Heat vest 2.2 lbs) + Best vest for athletics (applies to Arctic Heat vest only) - Limited cooling capacity, only 1-2 hours when frozen - Entire vest must be chilled; takes up room in freezer - Vest can be damp, less practical for day-to-day use
The Arctic Heat vest weighs just over 2 lbs charged, and is as light (and as small) as a t-shirt uncharged.
Passive Evaporative Cooling Vests ($30-$80) Just soak the vest in cool water, then towel or wring dry, and you are ready to go. You’ll likely get a little damp, but that’s to be expected as these vests are essentially portable evaporative coolers that chill the human body. To be effective, the vest should only be worn in low humidity (arid/desert) environments. These are the most affordable passive vests but also typically the least effective. Note: if your home/gym is cooled by an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler), using the vest while the cooler is running will result in little benefit. Examples: Silver Eagle Outfitters (www.silvereagleoutfitters.com), MSolutions (www.msolutions.com) + Most affordable style of passive vests + Quite lightweight, good for sports + Easy to recharge (just add water) - Not effective in humid environments - Limited cooling capacity - Vest is damp, could breed bacteria if stored incorrectly
The women's vest from Silver Eagle Outfitters.
ActiveMSers Recommendations As it will take at least several months to test the full range of these vests (meaning summer will be long over), ActiveMSers has prepared some general vest recommendations, based mostly on research NOT testing. After we complete testing, these recommendations will likely need to be tweaked. Please keep that in mind.
There is no one single best cooling vest. They all have their plusses and minuses--in an ideal world you’d have more than one type. Use an active vest at home (and get your insurance to pay for it), and have a passive vest for the outdoors, exercise, and travel. You’ll need to decide what is most important to you in a vest. If one vest doesn’t work for you, try another. NOTE: There are many more vests than those listed below. If you have a favorite vest and would like it to be included, write me at dave@activemsers.org.
Best for maximum therapeutic effect: Life Enhancement Technologies’ ISOPRO Personal Cooling System (www.2bcool.com) has been tested by NASA. Also consider the Shafer Therapy Vest (www.coolshirt.net), very popular with motorsport professionals. The innovative cooling system by CoreControl (www.avacore.com) has potential, especially for quick cool down if you are overheated.
Best for convenience/general use: The drop-in gel/ice packs and simple design make the vests by Steele Suits (www.steelevest.com) a good option. Also consider the passive vest from Life Enhancement Technologies (www.2bcool.com) with its cooling panels or the gel-pack Stacool Vest (www.stacoolvest.com).
Best for travel: If you don’t have easy access to a freezer, the passive phase change vests from Life Enhancement Technologies (www.2bcool.com) or one of those from First Line Technology (www.firstlinetechnology.com) are good options. When uncharged, the Arctic Heat (www.arcticheatusa.com) vest packs away as small as a t-shirt. The gel-pack Stacool Vest (www.stacoolvest.com) is another option.
Best for athletics: The snug, lightweight vest by Arctic Heat (www.arcticheatusa.com) is our favorite (previously reviewed). Also consider the lightweight evaporative vest from Silver Eagle Outfitters (www.silvereagleoutfitters.com), the athletic phase-change vest from First Line Technology (www.firstlinetechnology.com), and the heavier but still snug-fitting gel-pack Stacool Vest (www.stacoolvest.com). Although not terribly portable, the gee-whiz cooling system by CoreControl (www.avacore.com) is geared to cool after a workout, and the active cooling vest by Life Enhancement Technologies’ ISOPRO Personal Cooling System (www.2bcool.com) can be effective before (and after) you exercise.
Best for those with cold sensitivity: Consider the passive phase change vests from Life Enhancement Technologies (www.2bcool.com) with its cooling panels or one of those from First Line Technology (www.firstlinetechnology.com). Also in the mix: the phase change vests by Cool Sport (www.coolsport.com).
Best looking vests: We really like the looks of the Stacool Vest (www.stacoolvest.com). If donning for athletics, the sleek looks of the vests by Arctic Heat (www.arcticheatusa.com) and Silver Eagle Outfitters (www.silvereagleoutfitters.com) are hard to beat. The phase change vests from Life Enhancement Technologies (www.2bcool.com) are simple and clean. For the industrial look, the vest by Steele Suits (www.steelevest.com) is tops.
Best for those on a budget: The $35 evaporative cooling vest from MSolutions (www.msolutions.com) is among the least expensive vests on the market. Also consider the $83 hybrid vest from Body Cooler by Akemi (www.bodycooler.com).
