Short-term effect of cryotherapy on knee joint proprioception and quadriceps isometric strength in healthy young females

Abstract

Background Cryotherapy is one of the essential modality in physical therapy being used since the time of the ancient Greeks. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of cryotherapy on knee proprioception and isometric strength of quadriceps muscle. Participants and methods A total of 54 normal healthy female participants participated in this study, with an age between 19 and 28 years. They were divided into two equal groups, control and study, consisting of 27 participants in each group. The active knee joint position sense and isometric strength of quadriceps were tested by Biodex Multi-joint System 4 Pro Isokinetic Dynamometer. These measurements were taken before and after 20 min of resting period for the control group, whereas cryotherapy was applied for the study group instead of resting. Results After 20 min of cryotherapy application, the study group showed significant reduction in the proprioceptive error of the knee joint (P≤0.05) and no significant difference in isometric strength of quadriceps (P=0.686). For the control group, there were no significant differences for both proprioceptive accuracy of the knee joint (P=0.469) and isometric strength of quadriceps (P=0.121). In addition, there were no significant differences between the two groups for both proprioceptive accuracy of the knee joint and isometric strength of quadriceps (P>0.05). Conclusion The findings of the study show that cryotherapy does not impair the proprioceptive accuracy of the knee joint or isometric strength of quadriceps muscle, so cryotherapy can be used safely during physical activities and training programs.