Changes in forearm blood flow during single and intermittent cold application

Study Design: Two-factor repeated measures design. Objectives: To compare the effects of a 20-minute cold application to the e ffects of a 20-minute cold application followed by 20 additional minutes of intermittent cold on forearm blood flow over a 60-minute period. Background: The appropriate duration of cold application as a therapeutic m odality following soft tissue trauma is an important clinical question beca use the goal of using this modality is to limit edema, decrease pain, and p roduce effective muscle relaxation without causing cold-induced reactive va sodilatation or nerve damage. Methods and Measures: Thirteen subjects (mean age, 21.46 +/- 4.01 years) vo lunteered to participate in this study. A bilateral tetrapolar impedance pl ethysmograph was used with venous occlusion to measure changes in local lim b blood volume at the forearm for a period of 60 minutes under 2 conditions : Condition 1: Prolonged intermittent cold application (20 minutes ice appl ication; 10 minutes off; 10 minutes ice on; 10 minutes off; 10 minutes ice on); Condition 2: Cold followed by application of a room-temperature pack o f equal weight to the ice bag (20-minute ice application; 10 minutes off; 1 0 minute room-temperature pack on; 10 minutes off; 10-minute room-temperatu re pack on). Results: A significantly lower blood flow was noted during the last 10 minu tes of Condition 1 compared with Condition 2. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that blood flow is reduced when a prolonged intermittent cold application (Condition 1) is used compa red to a single cold application.