Sports medicine physicians and physiotherapists commonly use cryotherapy (eg, ice application) postinjury to decrease tissue temperature with the objective of reducing pain, limiting secondary injury and inflammation, and supporting healing. However, besides the analgesic effect of cryotherapy, a literature search revealed no evidence from human studies that cryotherapy limits secondary injury or has positive effects on tissue regeneration. Thus, our current understanding of the potential mechanisms and applications of cryotherapy largely relies on the results from animal studies. Importantly, treatment should not aim at obliterating the inflammatory and regeneration processes but instead aim to restore an adapted/normal regulation of these processes to improve function and recovery. However, some animal studies suggest that cryotherapy may delay or impair tissue regeneration. With the translation of laboratory animal studies to human sport medicine being limited by different injury and muscle characteristics, the effect of cryotherapy in patients with musculoskeletal injuries is uncertain. Thus, pending the results of human studies, cryotherapy may be recommended in the first 6 hours following an injury to reduce pain (and possibly haematoma), but it should be used with caution beyond 12 hours postinjury as animal studies suggest it may interfere with tissue healing and regeneration.

中文翻译：

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冷冻疗法治疗运动医学中软组织损伤：批判性综述


运动医学医师和物理治疗师通常在受伤后使用冷冻疗法（例如，冰敷）来降低组织温度，目的是减轻疼痛、限制继发性损伤和炎症并支持愈合。然而，除了冷冻疗法的镇痛作用外，文献检索显示，人类研究中没有证据表明冷冻疗法限制了继发性损伤或对组织再生有积极影响。因此，我们目前对冷冻疗法的潜在机制和应用的理解在很大程度上依赖于动物研究的结果。重要的是，治疗不应旨在消除炎症和再生过程，而应旨在恢复这些过程的适应/正常调节，以改善功能和恢复。然而，一些动物研究表明，冷冻疗法可能会延迟或损害组织再生。由于实验动物研究向人类运动医学的转化受到不同损伤和肌肉特征的限制，冷冻疗法对肌肉骨骼损伤患者的影响尚不确定。因此，在获得人体研究结果之前，可能建议在受伤后的前 6 小时内进行冷冻疗法以减轻疼痛（可能还有血肿），但受伤后 12 小时后应谨慎使用，因为动物研究表明它可能会干扰组织愈合和再生。