The magnitude of tissue cooling during cryotherapy with varied types of compression.

Context: Certified athletic trainers can choose different types of external compression (none, Flex-i-Wrap, and elastic wrap) when applying an ice bag to the body. However, which type facilitates the greatest magnitude of tissue cooling is unclear.

Objective: To compare the effects of 2 common types of external compression on the magnitude of surface and intramuscular cooling during an ice-bag treatment.