NCT01740661

Cryotherapy and Joint Biomechanics During Running

Effects of Cryotherapy on Lower Extremity Joint Biomechanics During Running in Healthy Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 26 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Calgary · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the immediate effects of cryotherapy on the lower extremity biomechanics during running.

Detailed description

Cryotherapy or cold therapy has widely been used as a treatment modality in both acute and chronic injuries. It is believe that the application of cryotherapy can help to decrease pain, muscle soreness, soft tissue swelling, and cause vasoconstriction of blood vessels reducing heat loss. The nerve conduction velocity and muscle-spindle firing rate also decreases with cryotherapy, which results in changes in proprioception acuity. Cryotherapy has also been used prior to exercise (pre-cooling) to improve endurance activities. However, given the possible detrimental effects of cryotherapy on proprioception acuity, the use of this treatment modality prior to exercise could pose an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. The effects of cryotherapy on lower extremity biomechanics during athletic movements is poorly understood despite the wide use among physiotherapists, athletic therapists and clinicians. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to determine the effects of cold water immersion on lower extremity biomechanics during running. The investigators hypothesize that cryotherapy as a form of treatment can increase the load in the lower extremity joint during gait biomechanics.

Conditions

• Musculoskeletal Injury

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Cryotherapy	The subjects will be exposed to a cold (\~ 12° C) water immersion tub at the umbilical level for 20 minutes.
OTHER	Control	The subjects will be exposed to a non-cold (\~ 26° C) water immersion tub at the umbilical level for 20 minutes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-11-01
• Primary completion: 2012-12-01
• Completion: 2013-01-01
• First posted: 2012-12-04
• Last updated: 2014-04-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada