Cryotherapy does not impair shoulder joint position sense.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of a cryotherapy treatment on shoulder proprioception.


METHODS
Crossover design with repeated measures.


METHODS
University athletic training and sports medicine research laboratory.


METHODS
Thirty healthy subjects (15 women, 15 men).


METHODS
A 30-minute cryotherapy treatment.


METHODS
Joint position sense was measured in the dominant shoulder by using an inclinometer before and after receiving 30 minutes of either no ice or a 1-kg ice bag application. Skin temperature was measured below the tip of the acromion process and recorded every 5 minutes for the entire 30 minutes and immediately after testing. Three different types of error scores were calculated for data analyses and used to determine proprioception.


RESULTS
Separate analyses of absolute, constant, and variable error failed to identify changes in shoulder joint proprioception as a function of the cryotherapy application.


CONCLUSIONS
Application of an ice bag to the shoulder does not impair joint position sense. The control of proprioception at the shoulder may be more complex than at other joints in the body. Clinical implications may involve modifying rehabilitation considerations when managing shoulder injuries.
Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8207, USA. gdover@hhp.ufl.edu
Geoffrey
G
Dover
Michael E
ME
Powers
D000328:Adult; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001823:Body Composition; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012399:Rotation; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000502:physiology; D012677:Sensation; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013997:Time Factors