Br J Sports Med. Published Online First: 15 January 2007. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2006.031237
Paper |
The effect of cryotherapy on nerve conduction velocity, pain threshold and pain tolerance
1 Qatif Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia
2 Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: k.george{at}ljmu.ac.uk.
Accepted 4 December 2006
Abstract
Objectives: To determine the impact of the application of cryotherapy upon nerve conduction velocity (NCV), pain threshold (PTH) and pain tolerance (PTO). Design: A within subject experimental design; treatment ankle (cryotherapy) and control ankle (no cryotherapy). Setting: Hospital-based physiotherapy laboratory.
Participants: A convenience sample of adult male games players (n=23).
Main Outcome Measures: Nerve conduction velocity of the tibial nerve via EMG as well as PTH and PTO via pressure algometer. All outcome measures were assessed at two sites served by the tibial nerve; one receiving cryotherapy and one not receiving cryotherapy.
Results: In the control ankle NCV, PTH and PTO did not alter WHEN REASSESSED. In the ankle receiving cryotherapy NCV was significantly and progressively reduced as ankle skin temperature was reduced to 10oC by a cumulative total of 32.8% (p<0.05). Cryotherapy led to an increased PTH and PTO at both assessment sites (p<0.05). The changes in PTH (89 and 71%) and PTO (76 and 56%) were not different between the iced and non-iced sites.
Conclusion: The data suggest that cryotherapy can increase PTH and PTO at the ankle and this was associated with a significant decrease in NCV. Reduced NCV AT THE ANKLE may be a mechanism by which cryotherapy achieves its clinical goals.
Key Words: ice application, pressure algometer, tibial nerve
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Knobloch, K., Spies, M., Busch, K. H., Vogt, P. M., Schaser, K.-D., Disch, A. C., Mittlmeier, T.
(2007). Letter to the Editor * Authors' Response. Am J Sports Med
35: e1-e3
[Full Text]
eLetters:
Read all eLetters
- The myths of RICE: Crucial issues of intermittent cryotherapy and compression in sports traumatology
- Karsten Knobloch, et al.
- BJSM Online, 16 Jan 2007 [Full text]
- Full Text (Rapid PDF)
-
All Versions of this Article:
bjsm.2006.031237v1
41/6/365 most recent - Submit a response
- Read responses to this article
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
