Cryotherapy Flashcards
4 main uses of cryotherapy:
- decrease inflammation/swelling
- decrease pain
- decrease muscle spasm
- decrease neurological spasticity
Management of swelling and inflammation:
- vasoconstriction to superficial tissues
- reduces the amount of chemical irritants to injured tissue
- “reflex” vasodilation: increase in blood flow with prolonged application
Often used in conjunction with ____
PRICE
PRICE:
- Protection
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
inflammation peaks __ to __ hours after injury
24-72
increase resistance to passive stretch; associated with abnormal “tone”
spasticity
low grade cold application applied # minutes for management of spasticity
30 minutes
cold gel packs: depth of cold #-# cm after # - # minutes
1-2 cm
10-15 minutes
temperature of cold pack machine:
0-10 degrees F
4 stages of cold:
- intense cold
- burning
- aching
- numbness
CONTAindication: 3 vasospastic conditions
- cryoglobulinemia
- paroxysmal cold hemoglobulinemia
- raynaud’s disease
result of abnormal blood proteins which forms a “gel” when exposed to cold
cryoglobulinemia
with exposure to cold, hemoglobin gets broken down and excreted by kidneys and out in urine. “blood in the urine”
hemoglobulinemia
sudden pallor cyanosis (B), even when cold is only applied to 1 side. Numbness, tingling, burning may also occur
raynaud’s disease
4 other CONTRAindications:
- cold hypersensitivity or intolerance
- infection
- over regenerating nerves or with absent sensation
- peripheral vascular disease with poor circulation
1 first question to ask for before cold pack:
Do you have any unusual responses to cold?
if yes to #1 question, ask the following 7 questions:
- Do you develop a rash with cold?
- Do you experience any severe pain, numbness or color changes to your skin with cold?
- Do you ever have blood in the urine after cold?
- Do you have nerve damage/impaired sensation?
- Do you have any numbness and tingling?
- Do you have any issues with circulation?
- Have you had any recent infections?
precautions:
- over superficial nerve branches
- over open wounds
- high BP
- impaired sensation
- impaired cognition
- very old or very young
normal responses to cold pack (2):
- redness or dark pink
- decrease in tissue temp
abnormal responses to cold (2)
- c/o of pain
- erythema with wheal formation with itching
