Effect of cold air therapy in relieving spasticity: applied to spinalized rabbits

Abstract

Study design: Before-After trial measured prior to cold air therapy, immediately following, after 30 and 60 min. Objective: To determine the eect of cold air therapy in relieving spasticity, the optimal intramuscular temperature, and the duration of spasticity relief attained by cold air therapy. Setting: Clinical research laboratory, Seoul, Korea. Subject: Forty-six spastic paraplegic rabbits with spinal cord injury. Methods: Spastic paraplegia was induced by transection of spinal cord in 46 rabbits. Cold air was applied to triceps surae muscles for 30 min at three dierent intramuscular temperatures (25, 30 and 32.58C). Clinical parameters of spasticity (muscle tone, Babinski's sign, muscle stretch re¯ex and ankle clonus) and electrophysiologic parameters (F/M ratio and H/M ratio) were measured immediately following, after 30 and 60 min. Results: In the 32.58C group, relief in spasticity lasted less than 30 min. In the 30 and 258C groups, the decrease in spasticity lasted for at least 30 min clinically. The spasticity relief was observed only immediately following treatment when measured electrophysiologically. However, six out of 16 cases (37.5%) in the 258C group showed complete motor conduction block. Conclusion: To relieve spasticity with cold air therapy, the intramuscular temperature should be maintained at 308C. The duration of spasticity relief lasted from between 30 ± 60 min after cold air therapy.We certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of animals were followed during the course of this research.

Immediate effects of TENS and cryotherapy in the reflex excitability and voluntary activity in hemiparetic subjects: a randomized crossover trial

“…In addition to the increase in H-reflex amplitude, we observed an increase in the H-reflex latency, caused by nerve conduction velocity reduction due to cooling 16,37,38 . Similar results were found by Dewhurst et al 39 , who assessed the H-reflex after cooling in a sample of 10 young and 10 elderly women.…”

Resistência ao movimento e atividade eletromiográfica dos músculos flexores e extensores de cotovelo em pacientes hemiparéticos espásticos submetidos à crioterapia e estimulação elétrica neuromuscular

“…Segundo Felice e Santana (2009) os efeitos da crioterapia na redução da espasticidade podem perdurar por um período que varia de 30 minutos a 2 horas. Esses resultados também corroboram com os apresentados por Lee et al (2002a), quando afirmaram em seu estudo em coelhos com lesão na medula espinal que a crioterapia foi efetiva na redução imediata da espasticidade e 30 minutos depois da aplicação.…”

“…A fisioterapia tem um papel primordial no tratamento desses pacientes e dispõe de uma gama de recursos que podem ser utilizados para reduzir o tônus muscular, a fim de promover a recuperação moto ra e prevenir complicações secundárias (Dietz e Sinkjaer, 2007), dentre os quais se encontram a crioterapia (Akinbo et al, 2007;Allison e Abrahan, 2001;Chesterton et al, 2002;Lee et al, 2002a;Westerlunda et al, 2003) e a EENM (Estimulação Elétrica NeuroMusucular) (Akinbo et al, 2007;Lima et al, 2008).…”

“…Esta técnica tem sido utilizada recentemente na redução da espasticidade muscular, tanto na prática clínica quanto no meio científico (Allison e Abrahan, 2001;Chesterton et al, 2002;Lee et al, 2002a;Westerlunda et al, 2003). A aplicação terapêutica da crioterapia reduz gradativamente a transmissão dos impulsos nos nervos sensitivos por causa da diminuição da velocidade de condução nervosa.…”

Efecto inmediato de la crioterapia sobre la excitabilidad refleja en personas con espasticidad post-ECV

“…En la literatura [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] se informa que la crioterapia disminuye temporalmente la espasticidad, así como los reflejos tendinosos profundos y el clonus, debido a la disminución en la sensibilidad de los mecanoreceptores cutáneos, el enlentecimiento de la transmisión de las fibras nerviosas sensoriales y motoras (alfa) 21 o la disminución en la sensibilidad al estiramiento del huso neuromuscular (HNM) y consecuentemente, de la actividad del sistema gamma.…”