The Effects on Knee Swelling, Range of Motion and Pain using a Commercially Available Hot/Cold Contrast Device in a Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Setting.
Kevin E Wilk, Robert E Mangine, James Tersakjs and 1 others
PMID 35949385WHAT IT FOUND
A single 18-minute hot/cold contrast treatment using a commercial device reduced knee pain, swelling, and stiffness in active patients.
Pain dropped from 2.59 to 1.68 on a 10-point scale. However, without a control group, it is unclear if the device or time caused the improvement.
Key findings
01Pain scores significantly improved from a mean of 2.59 to 1.68 on a visual analog scale after a single treatment.
02Knee circumference decreased significantly at the mid-patella and 5 cm below, but not above the patella.
03Active range of motion for both knee flexion and extension improved significantly following the treatment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
There was no control group, so natural fluctuation or placebo effects cannot be ruled out. The study only measured immediate effects, with no follow-up to see if benefits lasted. The population was limited to active individuals, so results may not apply to older or less active patients. Subjects had mixed diagnoses and rehabilitation stages, making it hard to generalize to specific conditions.
Declared interests
One author is on the Medical Advisory Board for Hyperice, the company that makes the device.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the device caused the improvement. Without a control group, the reduction in symptoms could be due to natural variation, the passage of time, or the placebo effect of receiving treatment.