Immediate Comparative Effects of Cryotherapy ...

Immediate Comparative Effects of Cryotherapy and Thermotherapy on Pain, Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion and Swelling in Adults with Acute Grade I Lateral Ankle Sprain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Author Name : Aniket Naman, Huma Siddiqui

ABSTRACT Background: Acute ankle sprain is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries, and cryotherapy and thermotherapy are both used as early conservative treatment despite their opposing physiological mechanisms and differing levels of evidentiary support. Objective: To compare the immediate effects of cryotherapy and thermotherapy on pain, active ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, and swelling in adults with acute Grade I lateral ankle sprain. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 60 adults (age 18–43 years) presenting 24–72 hours after acute Grade I lateral ankle sprain, allocated into a Cryotherapy group (n = 30; single 15-minute cold pack application) and a Thermotherapy group (n = 30; single 15-minute moist hot pack application). Outcomes — Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), active dorsiflexion range of motion, and Figure-of-8 swelling — were recorded immediately pre- and post-intervention and analyzed using paired and independent t-tests (p < 0.05).