Cold compression therapy

Cold compression therapy, also called hilotherapy, combines cryotherapy with static compression to reduce pain and swelling from an injury, following the same rest, ice, compression, and elevation principle used for sports and activity injuries. Cooling the tissue lowers its metabolic rate, while compression limits swelling by increasing external pressure, and the two together cool the area more effectively than ice alone because compression improves skin contact and increases tissue density. It is commonly recommended after surgery and for soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, and ligament damage, and research has found it helps reduce swelling and improve pain control after procedures including knee replacement and arthroscopic surgery.