Physical Therapy Online

Cold Therapy refers to use of local or general body cooling for therapeutic purpose.
Cooling the body surface leads transfer of energy away from the tissue & thus reduces local tissue temperature.
THERAPEUTIC USES OF COLD THERAPY
oAcute Inflammation
Cold Therapy minimizes swelling,relieves pain,minimizes secondary tissue damage.
Because ofAlternation period of vasoconstriction & vasodilation affects the capillary blood flow.
Vasoconstriction of blood vessels limits extravasation of blood & tissue fluid in tissue spaces. Vasodilation, then, washes out chemical irritants from damaged part and provides nutrients. As a result, swelling minimizes.
Relief of Pain
Cold receptors effectively reduce excitability of nociceptor cells (in lamina of spinal cord) to pain generating stimuli. As a result, segmental inhibition occurs.
qCold stimulation itself could be noxious and causes stimulation of area in the mid-brain, releases endorphin or enkephalin at spinal level to cause inhibition of transmission of nociceptives.
oRelief of Muscle Spasm
It is a normal protective mechanism to pain.Cold application relieves spasm by decreasing sensitivity of muscle spindle. As pain relieves, spasm reduces.
oReduction Of Spasticity
qCooling can affect spasticity by operating at two different sites - skin & muscle.
Muscle strengthning
Chronic inflammatory Conditions
METHODS OF APPLICATION
Local Immersion.
Cold Packs –
Ice Packs.
Commercial cold Ice Packs.
Ice Towel.
Ice Massage.
Evaporating Spray.
DANGERS OF COLD THERAPY
Ice Burn - subsides in a day.
More severe ice burn with fatty necrosis showing bruises - subsides in 3 weeks.
Frost Bite - if body suffers extreme exposure.
Rapid ice crystal forms in cells, freezing extracellular fluid - cell death occurs
CONTRAINDICATIONS OF COLD THERAPYCardiac Conditions.
Vasospastic Diseases –
Raynaud’s Disease.
Sensory Deficiency.
Peripheral Vascular Disease.
Cold Sensitivity –
Cold urticaria.
Cryoglobinaemia.