Application of Cryotherapy
Ice packs
- Wrapped in dry or moist toweling.
- Applied for 10-15 minutes for more superficial areas and 15-20 minutes for areas of deeper tissue.
Cold gel packs
- Kept in cooling unit at temperatures of 0-10°F.
- Improper use may cause frostbite.
- They do not lower skin temperature as much as ice; thus, patients may not reach point of anesthesia.
Ice immersion
- Used to treat distal extremities.
- Container big enough to hold extremity is filled with ice and water. Body part is then immersed.
- Temperatures range between 13-18 C for treatment, which may last 10-20 minutes.
Ice massage
- Involves rubbing plastic or foam cup (with edges peeled back) of ice over body part to be treated.
- Used mostly for small areas of inflamed tissue or acute muscle guarding.
- Direction of application should be parallel to muscle fibers.
- Application is continued for 3-10 minutes until anesthesia is reached.
Vapocoolant sprays (e.g., fluoromethane, ethyl chloride)
- Vaporized liquid nitrogen.
- When sprayed on skin, it produces significant cooling through evaporation.
- Container should be held about 2 feet from body part and sprayed in one direction only at rate of 4 inches/second,
using 1-2 sweeps while maintaining passive stretch. - Ethyl chloride is flammable and may freeze skin on contact; therefore, fluoromethane is preferred.
- Effective in reducing painful muscle guarding and desensitizing trigger point areas.
Knight K: Cryotherapy Theory: Technique and Physiology. Chattanooga, TN, Chattanooga Corporation. 1985