Introduction: A sudden inversion of the ankle loads the structures around the joint, causing a lateral ankle sprain, which is more frequent that medial ankle sprain. The consequences are pain, swelling, joint instability and loss of function. Cooling is one of the therapeutic procedures in the treatment of acute soft tissue injuries. By lowering the temperature of the tissue, pain, swelling, and muscle spasm can be reduced, leading to earlier inclusion in rehabilitation of acute ankle sprain. In the management of ankle sprain, cooling is therefore an accepted clinical practice, despite the fact that the parameters of use differ from each other. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis was to determine the effects of cooling on ankle sprain treatment. Methods: In thesis we used a descriptive method with a literature review. The literature was searched in English with following keywords: cryotherapy, ice therapy, ankle sprain, and ankle, using the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct, DiKUL and PEDro and time frame from 1976 to 2020. Results: Eight articles were included in the analysis. Authors were comparing the efficiency of different cooling techniques, how time between injury and beginning of cooling affects recovery, different durations of cooling and effectiveness of cooling with other established therapeutic methods. In six studies, authors have reported positive effects of cooling on reducing pain, swelling and improving ankle function after a sprain, despite differences in parameters. Discussion and conclusion: Analysis of results showed that cooling improved the results of measurements selected to assess the effectiveness of therapy. Based on the results, in case of an ankle sprain, cooling with ice pack should last 20 minutes and should be started within the first 36 hours after the injury. The number of cooling therapies in one day varies between articles, so further research is needed in this area. In most studies, subjects received additional therapies, which may have affected the outcome of treatment. It is necessary to perform more studies with uniform definitions of individual injuries and to determine the optimal parameters, specific to an individual ankle injury.
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