Difference in skin temperature variation between whole-­ and partial-­body cryotherapy devices : A new approach to optimized treatment protocols.

Abstract

Whole-­ (WBC) and partial-­body cryotherapy (PBC) are today highly developed treatment methods used in several domains like pain relief, sport recovery and well-­being. In recent years, there are more and more device manufacturers. However, although more and more studies are published on WBC and PBC, the two technologies are not always well demarcated in the literature. In several articles, the technology used is not indicated. It is very important because it appears that these two technologies have different effects on human. In this context, it is difficult to standardized precisely the exposure protocols according to the desired effects. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a 3-­min exposure in WBC and in a PBC on skin temperature variation. Skin temperature of four healthy men was measured 5 minutes before, immediately after (post 10 s) and within 5 minutes after the exposure with a VarioCAM® hr head thermal camera (Jenoptik, Jena, Germany) and connected to the IRBIS3® Infratec software. The whole-­body mean temperatures after exposure are significantly different (p = 0.001) between the cryotherapy technologies (PBC: 23.17 ± 0,35 °C; WBC: 26.70 ± 0.49 °C). The temperature decrease after WBC session was -­24.17 ± 1.67 % and after PBC exposure -­15,03 ± 0,74 %. The skin temperature variation of upper and lower limb had the same results. The decrease was higher with WBC than PBC. These results highlight the interest of adapting exposure protocols. It demonstrates the interest of adapting the duration of exposure in function of the cryotherapy device used.