In this blog post, we will review a published paper, "Is cold therapy really efficient after knee arthroplasty?", in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery (London), published in 2015.
Total Knee Replacement Recovery: What is the role for Cryo Cuff and cold therapy?
After a serious orthopedic surgery like arthroplasty, the control of the edema and the pain are critical.
The cooling effect of the cryotherapy has been used in fighting the pain and edema for a long time [2]. Although some studies of acute sports injuries have reported less pain and less pain-medication use with cold therapy [4], [8], there is no clear consensus on its efficiency after major surgeries like knee arthroplasty.
Cold Therapy After Knee Replacement
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of cold therapy after knee arthroplasty.
Sixty (60) patients were randomized into two groups: Group 1 received cryo cuff therapy and Group 2 did not. The authors reported differences in pain and knee scores between the groups, and the cryotherapy group used less pain medication. Blood loss between the two groups was not different. Results from one study may not apply to you.
The authors concluded that, in their study, cryotherapy before and after surgery was linked to better pain control and knee function scores, with no significant change in surgical blood loss.
Aircast Cryo Cuff IC Cooler with Knee Pads
Talk to your doctor before beginning cold therapy and make sure you choose the right cold therapy unit for your specific pain.
Source: Annals of Medicine and Surgery (London), 2015, "Is cold therapy really efficient after knee arthroplasty?" (PMC4685204). Bracketed numbers refer to that paper's reference list.
For more resources for injury prevention and recovery, read on:
Top Benefits of Cold Compression
What Is Cryotherapy? Benefits, How to Do It At Home or a Clinic
