A Review of Cryotherapy

Abstract

The authors’ purposes are to 1) discuss the physiologic effects of cold on the body, 2) review the literature on cryotherapy, 3) examine the benefits and the limitations of the use of cold, and 4) stimulate interest in further clinical and laboratory research.

The results of this literature investigation suggest that cold can be beneficial in the treatment of patients with a wide variety of neurologic and musculoskeletal conditions, although uniform guidelines have not yet been established.