Comparison of the effects of standard and intermittent cryoimmersion on stability, pain threshold and tolerance in the ankle region in healthy individuals

Abstract Introduction: Cryotherapy is a technique that involves the application of low temperatures in the treatment of acute injuries, with ice being the simplest and oldest therapeutic modality for this. Objective: To compare two different cold water immersion protocols (standard and intermittent) on the ankle region of healthy volunteers, we analyzed changes in static postural stability, threshold, and pain tolerance immediately after application. Method: This is a quasi-experimental study, controlled clinical trial, and non-probabilistic sampling. The total sample consisted of 40 male patients aged 18 to 30 years. Two different cold water immersion protocols (standard and intermittent) were compared for their effects on pain threshold, tolerance, and static postural stability. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups with regards to the stabilometric variables after the application of both protocols (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in the threshold and tolerance of the two groups after the application of cold water immersion (p < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Both cold water immersion protocols proved to be safe for static postural balance, without showing deficits in stabilometric variables. Regarding the analgesic effect, both were effective and significantly increased the threshold and tolerance of ankle pain after cryoimmersion, without any differences between groups. Thus, intermittent 10-minute cold water immersion is sufficient to generate the same analgesic effect as the standard 20-minute pattern, with no change in static postural stability.

摘要：冷冻疗法（Cryotherapy）是一种借助低温治疗急性损伤的技术，其中冰敷是该疗法中最简单且应用历史最悠久的治疗手段。
研究目的：为比较两种不同的冷水浸泡（cold water immersion）方案（标准方案与间歇方案）对健康志愿者踝关节的影响，本研究分析了干预后即刻的静态姿势稳定性、痛阈及痛耐受力的变化。
研究方法：本研究为类实验性对照临床试验，采用非概率抽样方法。总样本包含40名年龄在18至30岁的健康男性受试者。研究对比了两种冷水浸泡方案对痛阈、痛耐受力及静态姿势稳定性的影响。
研究结果：两种方案干预后，两组间的姿势稳定测量变量（stabilometric variables）无显著差异（p > 0.05）。经冷水浸泡干预后，两组的痛阈与痛耐受力均出现显著变化（p < 0.05），但两组间无显著差异（p > 0.05）。
研究结论：两种冷水浸泡方案对静态姿势平衡均具有安全性，未对姿势稳定测量变量造成不良影响。在镇痛效果方面，两种方案均有效，可显著提升冷冻浸泡后踝关节的痛阈与痛耐受力，且两组间无显著差异。由此可见，10分钟间歇冷水浸泡即可达到与20分钟标准方案相同的镇痛效果，且不会对静态姿势稳定性产生影响。