The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of short-time cold pack cryotherapy in thermoreceptors, therefore, proprioception via deep sensation receptors and sense of balance on ankle joint in healthy adults. In the subject, I refer to other studies using the word proprioception when measuring the cold effect in the balance of the ankle joint. Mainly, cold therapy is affecting to the thermoreceptors but there might be input also to change neuromuscular transmission. The aim of the experimental process is to identify if the cold application on the ankle joint for 20 minutes is decreasing dynamic postural stability and the sense of balance in laboratory environment. Short term cryotherapy effect is measured within 12 participants divided into two groups: control and study group. Both groups went through the first measurement, 20 minutes rest with or without cold application and second measurement directly after the rest period. The dynamic posturography machine SMART Balance Master System (NeuroCom) was used to evaluate somatosensory outcome in the experiment. In the systematic review the previous studies are investigated within same settings as on experimental process, short time cold application on ankle joint measuring the effect on ankle proprioception and joint position sense. The...

In the last few years researchers have more and more focussed on the possible use of cryotherapy as an acute and long term recovery facilitating technique by sportsmen and women. Barnette (2006) did, however, state that research supporting cryotherapy as a recovery facilitating technique, is not convincing and that the majority of research show that it has a negative impact on the recovery of subjects after exercise. It is against this background that the aim of the study was firstly to critically analyse the available literature of the past fifteen years (1992-2007) with regard to the study subject; die nature of the cryotherapy technique that was used as well as the findings with regards to the effects of these types of techniques on a wide variety of physiological variables, physical and motor performance; secondly, to provide guidelines for the use of cryotherapy as a recovery facilitating technique and thirdly to determine the effect of cryotherapy on the acute recovery of University netball players' lower leg muscles in an isokinetic ankle exercise. Firstly, it was shown that ice water immersion and ice pack application are the most common techniques that are used in cryotherapy studies. The results in the majority of articles indicated that cryotherapy had a non-significant acute effect on isokinetic, eccentric and concentric peak torque as well as time to reach peak torque and the angle at which the peak torque was reached; isometric, maximal and sub-maximal strength and accuracy of strength execution; normalized, average vertical ground reaction force as well as time of reaching peak power and vertical jump height; baseball pitching accuracy, proprioception, ankle joint range of movement, positioning and speed during execution of a movement; blood lactate removal and blood flow speed as well as muscle soreness after completion of an exercise. With regard to the long term effects of cryotherapy research showed that isotonic hand grip strength and endurance, plasma adrenaline, non-adrenaline, dopamine, renine, aldosterone, heart rate and blood pressure after 6 weeks; respiratory gas exchange ratio, heart rate, muscle glycogen concentration, plasma lactate, glucose and free fatty acids after 8 weeks or brachial artery cross-section and vascular endothelial growth factor after 4 weeks of exercise and cryotherapy did not experience any significant changes between the cryotherapy and control group. Other physical, motor performance and physiological variables did not show a certain trend with regards to the way they were affected by cryotherapy. In some cases variables were affected significantly negatively while the opposite was true in other cases where variables were significantly positively influenced. With regard to the results of the study on the acute recovery of University netball players' lower leg muscles due to cryotherapy, it was found that the acute recovery of only four isokinetic variables were significantly influenced (p = 0.05) by cryotherapy, namely: left leg relative total dorsiflexion work, average peak dorsiflexion torque, right dorsiflexion and plantar flexion endurance. The acute recovery of the first mentioned strength endurance related variable was significantly negatively influenced by the cryotherapy. In contrast with this result the acute recovery of the three last mentioned isokinetic muscle relative peak torque and endurance related variables were significantly positively influenced by the cryotherapy. The overall conclusion that can therefore be drawn from the above-mentioned results show that the majority of isokinetic plantar- and dorsiflexion torque variables (12 out of 16, 75%) as well as other physical, motor performance and physiological variables experience no significant effect with regards to acute and long term recovery due to cryotherapy. The research did, however, show that the effectiveness of cryotherapy was influenced by the adiposity thickness, nature of the cryotherapy application, type of medium that was used for cryotherapy application and the length of time during which cryotherapy was applied. The recommendation for the use of cryotherapy as a recovery facilitating technique can be summarised as follows: the temperature of the cryotherapy medium that is used, must vary between 5°C and 10°C; the duration of cryotherapy between 15 and 20 minutes; the most general application area: for ice water immersion - immersed up until the level of the gluteal fold or crista ileac and the whole arm or forearm; for ice pack application - on the thigh, ankle and peripheral of the shoulder; the most common and effective ice pack application is direct on the skin surface by means of a bag filled with between 500 g and 1 500 g cubic formed ice. For long term use more that 2 consecutive days of cryotherapy application is recommended. / Thesis (M.A. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

In the last few years researchers have more and more focussed on the possible use of cryotherapy as an acute and long term recovery facilitating technique by sportsmen and women. Barnette (2006) did, however, state that research supporting cryotherapy as a recovery facilitating technique, is not convincing and that the majority of research show that it has a negative impact on the recovery of subjects after exercise. It is against this background that the aim of the study was firstly to critically analyse the available literature of the past fifteen years (1992-2007) with regard to the study subject; die nature of the cryotherapy technique that was used as well as the findings with regards to the effects of these types of techniques on a wide variety of physiological variables, physical and motor performance; secondly, to provide guidelines for the use of cryotherapy as a recovery facilitating technique and thirdly to determine the effect of cryotherapy on the acute recovery of University netball players' lower leg muscles in an isokinetic ankle exercise. Firstly, it was shown that ice water immersion and ice pack application are the most common techniques that are used in cryotherapy studies. The results in the majority of articles indicated that cryotherapy had a non-significant acute effect on isokinetic, eccentric and concentric peak torque as well as time to reach peak torque and the angle at which the peak torque was reached; isometric, maximal and sub-maximal strength and accuracy of strength execution; normalized, average vertical ground reaction force as well as time of reaching peak power and vertical jump height; baseball pitching accuracy, proprioception, ankle joint range of movement, positioning and speed during execution of a movement; blood lactate removal and blood flow speed as well as muscle soreness after completion of an exercise. With regard to the long term effects of cryotherapy research showed that isotonic hand grip strength and endurance, plasma adrenaline, non-adrenaline, dopamine, renine, aldosterone, heart rate and blood pressure after 6 weeks; respiratory gas exchange ratio, heart rate, muscle glycogen concentration, plasma lactate, glucose and free fatty acids after 8 weeks or brachial artery cross-section and vascular endothelial growth factor after 4 weeks of exercise and cryotherapy did not experience any significant changes between the cryotherapy and control group. Other physical, motor performance and physiological variables did not show a certain trend with regards to the way they were affected by cryotherapy. In some cases variables were affected significantly negatively while the opposite was true in other cases where variables were significantly positively influenced. With regard to the results of the study on the acute recovery of University netball players' lower leg muscles due to cryotherapy, it was found that the acute recovery of only four isokinetic variables were significantly influenced (p = 0.05) by cryotherapy, namely: left leg relative total dorsiflexion work, average peak dorsiflexion torque, right dorsiflexion and plantar flexion endurance. The acute recovery of the first mentioned strength endurance related variable was significantly negatively influenced by the cryotherapy. In contrast with this result the acute recovery of the three last mentioned isokinetic muscle relative peak torque and endurance related variables were significantly positively influenced by the cryotherapy. The overall conclusion that can therefore be drawn from the above-mentioned results show that the majority of isokinetic plantar- and dorsiflexion torque variables (12 out of 16, 75%) as well as other physical, motor performance and physiological variables experience no significant effect with regards to acute and long term recovery due to cryotherapy. The research did, however, show that the effectiveness of cryotherapy was influenced by the adiposity thickness, nature of the cryotherapy application, type of medium that was used for cryotherapy application and the length of time during which cryotherapy was applied. The recommendation for the use of cryotherapy as a recovery facilitating technique can be summarised as follows: the temperature of the cryotherapy medium that is used, must vary between 5°C and 10°C; the duration of cryotherapy between 15 and 20 minutes; the most general application area: for ice water immersion - immersed up until the level of the gluteal fold or crista ileac and the whole arm or forearm; for ice pack application - on the thigh, ankle and peripheral of the shoulder; the most common and effective ice pack application is direct on the skin surface by means of a bag filled with between 500 g and 1 500 g cubic formed ice. For long term use more that 2 consecutive days of cryotherapy application is recommended. / Thesis (M.A. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the life style, regeneration, and relaxation with the focus on the application of cold to treat the elderly. The work explains the use of cryotherapy from both historical and scientific points of view. The aim is to introduce the method of cryotherapy as a popular method which postpones the beginning of dependency and motion impairment with people aged over 50 and thus enables them to keep active much longer. Although the 21st century medicine has reached an extraordinary success, the number of illnesses does not decrease. There is a wide variety of civilisation illnesses resulting from the wrong life style. For such illnesses drugs with frequent side effects are prescribed. The work introduces cryotherapy as one of the methods which can serve the health protection, prevention, the treatment of traumatic injuries, and the supportive therapy of different health problems with relatively no side effects.

The purpose of this study was to measure flexibility at the hip joint under four techniques of stretching, passive stretch-concentric contraction-passive stretch (PCP), passive stretch-three seconds isometric contraction of hip extensorsconcentric contraction of hip flexors-passive stretch (3-PIeCP) and passive stretch-three seconds isometric contraction of hip flexors-concentric contraction of hip flexorspassive stretch (3-PIfCP) based on proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and passive static stretch (P). Further, this study was designed to ascertain the effect of cold application (ice) in joint range of motion of the hip extensors measured with the Leighton Flexometer.

Title: Efficiency of cold treatment of locomotive system dysfunctions Objectives: The theoretical part should provide an overview of effects of cold on the human organism. The practical part reports a pilot study in which local cryotherapy was applied to painful areas of dysfunctional locomotive system. Methods: After measuring local painfulness using an algometer, the Cryogen 2 device was used for local cryotherapeutic treatment; after the treatment, algometer was used again. Subjective state of the patient was monitored throughout the process. Cryotherapy was applied within normal individual physiotherapeutic treatment to patients of varying age, sex, and locomotive system dysfunctions. Results: We have shown that local cryotherapy, using the Cryogen 2 device, did decrease painfulness in measured areas. Although significant differences in pain perception were found between male and female patients, the efficiency of cryotherapy did not depend on sex. Some correlation was found between treatment efficiency and age. No evidence was found for establishing that repeated application decreases pain perception measured before the next treatment. The results are influenced by a smaller sample of patients and measurements, and by inhomogeneity of patients. Key words: pain treatment, cold, local cryotherapy,...

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:22:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3198.pdf: 3159049 bytes, checksum: 5e8ac93b5a62ff5a959370c795dac4e9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-03 / This thesis presents three manuscripts derived of two research projects that were developed during the doctorate program. Project 1. Purpose: To determine the interand intra-rater reliability of nerve conduction studies (NCS) of superficial peroneal, sural and medial plantar nerves. Methods: Two raters performed the bilateral NCS twice in 20 healthy participants (23.5±3.5 years). Reliability was analyzed by the Bland- Altman method and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The Bland-Altman method showed a good level of intra- and inter-rater agreement for all parameters nerves. The amplitude and latency of the medial plantar nerve (rater 1), as well the amplitude of the sural nerve (rater 2) had an intra-rater ICC &#8805;0.75. Inter-rater analysis showed concordance levels between moderate and very low. Project 2. Purposes: a) To compare the effects of three cold modalities on the nerve conduction parameters of the sural (sensory) and tibial (motor) nerves during cooling and post-cooling phases b) To analyze the effect of exercise on recovery of sensory and motor nerve conduction velocity (NCV). Methods: Thirty six healthy young subjects (20.5±1.9 years) were randomly allocated into three groups: ice massage (n=12), ice pack (n=12) and cold water immersion (n=12). Each group received 1 of the 3 cold modalities on the right calf region for 15 minutes. The subjects of each modality group were again randomized to perform a post-cooling activity (30 min rest or walk 15 min followed by rest 15min). Nerve conduction parameters of sural and posterior tibial nerves were evaluated. Results: All 3 modalities reduced amplitude and increased latency and duration of the compound action potential. Ice massage, ice pack, and cold water immersion reduced NCV by 20.4, 16.7, and 22.6 m/s and motor NCV by 2.5, 2.1, and 8.3 m/s, respectively. Cold water immersion, as applied in this study, was the most effective modality in changing nerve conduction parameters. The walk accelerated the recovery of sensory and motor NCV, regardless of the modality previously applied (p<0.0001). Conclusions: The NCS provides quantitative measures that contribute to the objective analysis of neural physiological effects of cryotherapy. All 3 modalities were effective in altering sensory and motor nerve conduction. However, the magnitude and duration of these effects depend on the method applied and the activity after cooling. / Esta tese apresenta três manuscritos derivados de dois projetos de pesquisa que foram desenvolvidos no doutorado. Projeto 1. Objetivo: Avaliar a confiabilidade intra e interavaliador dos testes de condução nervosa (TCN) nos nervos sural, peroneal superficial e plantar medial. Métodos: Dois examinadores realizaram duas vezes os TCN bilaterais em 20 participantes saudáveis (23,5±3,5 anos). A confiabilidade foi analisada pelo método de Bland-Altman e o coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (ICC). Resultados: O método de Bland-Altman indicou um bom nível de concordância intra e inter-avaliador para todos os parâmetros dos TCN. Foram observados ICC intra-avaliador &#8805; 0,75 para amplitude e latência do nervo plantar medial (avaliador 1) e para a amplitude do nervo sural (avaliador 2). A análise inter-avaliador mostrou níveis de concordância entre moderados e muito baixos. Projeto 2. Objetivos: a) Comparar os efeitos de três modalidades de crioterapia sobre os parâmetros de condução dos nervos tibial posterior (motor) e sural (sensorial) durante as fases de resfriamento e pós-resfriamento b) Analisar o efeito do exercício físico na recuperação da velocidade de condução nervosa (VCN) sensorial e motora. Métodos: Trinta e seis sujeitos jovens e saudáveis (20,5±1,9 anos) foram alocados aleatoriamente em três grupos: criomassagem (n=12), pacote de gelo (n=12); imersão em água gelada (n=12). Cada grupo recebeu uma das 3 modalidades de resfriamento na panturrilha direita, durante 15 min. Os sujeitos de cada grupo foram novamente aleatorizados para realizar uma atividade pós-resfriamento (30min de repouso ou 15min de marcha seguido de 15min de repouso). Avaliaram-se os parâmetros de condução nos TCN dos nervos sural e tibial posterior. Resultados. As três modalidades reduziram a amplitude e aumentaram a latência e duração do potencial de ação composto. Criomassagem, pacote de gelo e imersão em água gelada reduziram a VCN sensorial em 20,4, 16,7 e 22,6 m/s, e a VCN motora em apenas 2,5, 2,1 e 8,3 m/s, respectivamente. Imersão em água gelada, como usada neste estudo, foi a modalidade mais eficaz para alterar os parâmetros de condução nervosa. A marcha acelerou a recuperação da VCN sensorial e motora, independente da modalidade previamente aplicada (P<0,0001). Conclusões. Os TCN fornecem medidas quantitativas que subsidiam análises objetivas e úteis na avaliação dos efeitos fisiológicos neurais da crioterapia. As 3 modalidades de resfriamento foram eficazes para alterar a condução sensorial e motora. Contudo, a magnitude e duração desses efeitos dependem do tipo de modalidade usada e da atividade que se realiza após o resfriamento.