the effect of cryotherapy on proprioception and knee extensor torque in healthy volunteers

Objectives: this study was done to investigate the influences of cryotherapy on the joint position sense (jps) and extensor muscles torque of the knee.methods: forty healthy volunteers (20 men, 20 women; age range, 21 – 30 y) participated. two cooling pads were applied to the knee and anterior thigh for 15 minutes at 4°c. the accuracy of the knee jps was evaluated before and after cooling in two angles, including 45° and 60° flexion. extensor muscles torque of the knee was obtained in two velocities of 30°/s and 120°/s. results: the effect of time and the interaction between the group and time were not significant for both active and passive repositioning error tests of the knee joint angles (p ≥ 0.05). the knee extensor’s muscle torque increased significantly during both velocities of 30°/s and 120°/s, immediately and 30 minutes after the cryotherapy in the experimental group (p≤0.01). cooling for 15 minutes made a higher knee extensor muscle torque and did not change the jps. conclusions: these findings should be considered for therapeutic programs that involve exercise immediately after a period of cryotherapy.