Cryotherapy reduces muscle hypertonia, but does not affect lower limb strength or gait kinematics post-stroke: a randomized controlled crossover study.

Background: Based on the premise that spasticity might affect gait post-stroke, cryotherapy is among the techniques used to temporarily reduce spasticity in neurological patients. This effective technique would enhance muscle performance, and ultimately, functional training, such as walking. However, understanding whether a decrease in spasticity level, if any, would lead to improving muscle performance and gait parameters is not based on evidence and needs to be clarified.

Cryotherapy Reduces Muscle Spasticity But Does Not Affect Proprioception in Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Crossover Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the immediate effects of cryotherapy (using an ice pack) on ankle joint position sense and the degree of spasticity after chronic hemiparetic stroke.

Design: We used a sham-controlled crossover design. Sixteen chronic hemiparetic patients were randomly assigned to two groups: (1) those who received cryotherapy followed by a control intervention 15 days later (cryotherapy group) and (2) those who received the control intervention followed by cryotherapy 15 days later (control intervention group).

Lower limb strength and flexibility in athletes with and without patellar tendinopathy.

Objectives: To compare the hip, knee and ankle torques, as well as knee and ankle flexibility between athletes with patellar tendinopathy and asymptomatic controls.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Laboratory setting.