Cryotherapy, also known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical treatment, applied either through whole-body exposure or locally to treat a variety of tissue lesions. It is commonly used to prevent or relieve muscle pain, sprains and swelling following soft tissue damage or surgery, decreasing tissue surface temperature to minimize hypoxic cell death, fluid accumulation and muscle spasms. It is widely used to accelerate recovery in athletes after exercise, and can involve treatments ranging from ice packs and ice bath immersion to the use of dedicated cold chambers.
Facts
Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account FAQs
Is putting ice on an injury still thought to help it heal?
Ice reliably eases early pain but may delay healing; researchers disagree and long-term evidence is limited.
The question is disputed. Ice pack therapy is extensively used, and it is agreed that it alleviates symptoms, but testing has produced conflicting results about its efficacy and its possible undesirable effects. Inflammation after an injury may harm secondary tissue, yet it is also beneficial for the structural and functional repair of the damaged tissue, so some researchers now recommend that ice not be used, so as not to delay the natural healing process. The original RICE method of rest, ice, compression and elevation was rescinded for this reason. Most studies conclude that cryotherapy eases pain within the first 24 hours of a sport related activity, while the evidence on long-term recovery is still limited.
Connections
Treats
Source Cryotherapy (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Cryosurgery (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section of the Cryosurgery article, opening sentenceQuote, History section of the Cryosurgery article, opening sentence
In 1841, English physician James Arnott described therapeutic applications of extremely cold temperatures, namely a mixture of crushed ice and salt applied locally (to skin or mucous membrane).
Cryotherapy (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryotherapy, lead section
Cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy.
Treats: Pain, Lead: treats Pain
Cryotherapy is often used in an effort to prevent or relieve muscle pain, sprains, and swelling after soft tissue damage or surgery.
In Group: Heat and Cold Therapy, Introduction
Cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy.
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