Cryotherapy and Joint Biomechanics During Running

Musculoskeletal Injury Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Cryotherapy on Lower Extremity Joint Biomechanics During Running in Healthy Adults

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01740661
• Other study ID #: IS-HPL-01
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: November 20, 2012
• Last updated: April 15, 2014
• Start date: November 2012
• Est. completion date: January 2013

Study information

• Verified date: January 2013
• Source: University of Calgary
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Canada: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the immediate effects of cryotherapy on the lower extremity biomechanics during running.

Description:

Cryotherapy or cold therapy has widely been used as a treatment modality in both acute and chronic injuries. It is believe that the application of cryotherapy can help to decrease pain, muscle soreness, soft tissue swelling, and cause vasoconstriction of blood vessels reducing heat loss. The nerve conduction velocity and muscle-spindle firing rate also decreases with cryotherapy, which results in changes in proprioception acuity. Cryotherapy has also been used prior to exercise (pre-cooling) to improve endurance activities. However, given the possible detrimental effects of cryotherapy on proprioception acuity, the use of this treatment modality prior to exercise could pose an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. The effects of cryotherapy on lower extremity biomechanics during athletic movements is poorly understood despite the wide use among physiotherapists, athletic therapists and clinicians. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to determine the effects of cold water immersion on lower extremity biomechanics during running. The investigators hypothesize that cryotherapy as a form of treatment can increase the load in the lower extremity joint during gait biomechanics.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 26
• Est. completion date: January 2013
• Est. primary completion date: December 2012
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• males or females (18 - 40 yrs)

• no injuries of the lower extremity in the past 6 months prior to participation

• recreationally active

• in good health upon entry into the study

• willing to volunteer for the present project.

Exclusion Criteria:

• lower extremity injury within the last 6 months

• circulatory, vestibular or any contradiction to cryotherapy including Raynaud's disease

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Investigator), Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Musculoskeletal Injury

Intervention

Other:
• Cryotherapy
The subjects will be exposed to a cold (~ 12° C) water immersion tub at the umbilical level for 20 minutes.
• Control
The subjects will be exposed to a non-cold (~ 26° C) water immersion tub at the umbilical level for 20 minutes.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	Human Performance Laboratory, University of Calgary	Calgary	Alberta

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Calgary

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Knee frontal plane moments	Knee frontal plane loading will be calculated using inverse dynamics based on the ground reaction force data from a force plate and with kinematic data recorded by high speed cameras. Kinematics and kinetics data will be taken during running at 4m/s from each participant prior and after the intervention.	20 minutes	No