Lower-Extremity-Joint Cryotherapy Does Not Affect Vertical Ground-Reaction Forces during Landing
in Journal of Sport RehabilitationClick name to view affiliation
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Context:
Cryotherapy is commonly used in the care of acute and chronic injuries. It decreases pain, reduces swelling, and causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels. Its detrimental effects on motor activity might predispose physically active individuals to further injury.
Objective:
To examine the effects of cryotherapy on vertical-ground-reaction-force (VGRF) during a 2-legged landing from a 2-legged targeted vertical jump.
Design:
2 × 4 MANOVA with repeated measures.
Setting:
Biomechanics laboratory.
Participants:
10 men, means: 22.40 ± 1.26 years, 76.01 ± 26.95 kg, 182.88 ± 6.88 cm.
Intervention:
VGRF during landing from a targeted vertical jump (90% of maximum) was measured before and after four 20-minute cryotherapy treatments.
Results:
There were no significant differences in VGRF as a result of cryotherapy.
Conclusion:
Under the constraints of this study there is no evidence that returning to activity immediately after cryotherapy predisposes an athlete to injury because of a change in VGRF.
Jameson is with the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549. Kinzey and Hallam are with the Exercise Science Division at the University of Mississippi, University, MS 38655.
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