The Effect of Cold Spray on Reducing Pain Levels in Acute Sports Injuries: Case Report

Ayu Prawesti Priambodo; Gita Cahyani; Nathasa Handayani

doi:10.24198/mkk.v8i2.62875

The Effect of Cold Spray on Reducing Pain Levels in Acute Sports Injuries: Case Report

Ayu Prawesti Priambodo, Gita Cahyani, Nathasa Handayani

Abstract

Evidence suggests that cold therapy (cold spray) may be recommended with low confidence for reducing swelling in acute soft tissue injuries among athletes. However, the effect of cold therapy on the mechanical function of muscles remains unclear. This study aims to explore the effects of cold therapy application as a treatment strategy to reduce pan in acute sport injuries. Data collection was conducted in April 2024. We present a case of an acute knee injury in a 16-year-old male during a football tournament. He reported pain with a VAS score of 8 (on a scale of 1 to 10). The patient received cold spray as first aid for his knee injury. However, reassessment revealed that the pain level did not decrease. Several factors may influence the effectiveness of cold spray in reducing pain, including the type of affected nerve fibers, duration of the intervention, history of repeated injuries, size of the injured area, and improper spraying technique. Cold spray is effective in reducing pain and inflammation in superficial tissues. However, in acute injuries involving deeper tissues, cold spray does not significantly alter the pain level. Its effectiveness in reducing inflammatory responses in deeper tissues remains uncertain and warrants further investigation.

Keywords: acute pain, cold therapy, foot injury

Full Text:

PDF

References

Alaca, N., & Kablan, N. (2022). Acute effects of cold spray application on mechanical properties of the rectus femoris muscle in athletes. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 30, 100–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2022.02.010

Bahrudin, M. (2018). PATOFISIOLOGI NYERI (PAIN). Saintika Medika, 13(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.22219/sm.v13i1.5449

Barzegar, M., Babakhani, F., Balochi, R., & Hatefi, M. (2021). Effect of Topical Cooling with Ice and Cold Spray on Knee Joint Position Sense of Athletes with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. Journal of Clinical Research in Paramedical Sciences, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.5812/jcrps.109762

Cohen, H. (2006). How to write a patient case report. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 63(19), 1888–1892. https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp060182

Flynn, A., & Barry, R. (2016). Use of Ethyl Chloride in Dermatology Minor Surgery. Dermatologic Surgery, 42(3), 433–434. https://doi.org/10.1097/DSS.0000000000000623

Hartstein, B. H., & Barry, J. D. (2008). Mitigation of pain during intravenous catheter placement using a topical skin coolant in the emergency department. Emergency Medicine Journal, 25(5), 257–261. https://doi.org/10.1136/emj.2006.044776

Hijazi, R., Taylor, D., & Richardson, J. (2009). Effect of topical alkane vapocoolant spray on pain with intravenous cannulation in patients in emergency departments: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. BMJ, 338(feb10 2), b215–b215. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b215

Hotfiel, T., Seil, R., Bily, W., Bloch, W., Gokeler, A., Krifter, R. M., Mayer, F., Ueblacker, P., Weisskopf, L., & Engelhardt, M. (2018). Nonoperative treatment of muscle injuries - recommendations from the GOTS expert meeting. Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics, 5(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40634-018-0139-3

Mueller-Wohlfahrt, H.-W., Haensel, L., Mithoefer, K., Ekstrand, J., English, B., McNally, S., Orchard, J., van Dijk, C. N., Kerkhoffs, G. M., Schamasch, P., Blottner, D., Swaerd, L., Goedhart, E., & Ueblacker, P. (2013). Terminology and classification of muscle injuries in sport: The Munich consensus statement. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 47(6), 342–350. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091448

NIAMS. (2021). Sports Injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries

Park, Y. H., Song, J. H., Kim, T. J., Kang, S. H., Chang, A. S., & Kim, H. J. (2019). Comparison of the use of evaporative coolants and ice packs for the management of preoperative edema and pain in ankle fractures: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, 139(10), 1399–1405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-019-03222-7

Rao, P., Mohanty, C., Singh, N., Mund, M., Patel, A., & Sahoo, A. (2019). Effectiveness of different techniques of ethyl chloride spray for venepuncture-induced pain: A randomised controlled trial. Anesthesia: Essays and Researches, 13(3), 568. https://doi.org/10.4103/aer.AER_103_19

SantAnna, J. P. C., Pedrinelli, A., Hernandez, A. J., & Fernandes, T. L. (2022). Lesão muscular: Fisiopatologia, diagnóstico e tratamento. Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia, 57(01), 001–013. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1731417

Shadgan, B., Med, S., Pakravan, A. H., Hoens, A., & Reid, W. D. (2015). Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Hemodynamics and Oxygenation After Cold-Spray Application as Monitored by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Journal of Athletic Training, 50(8), 800–805. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.6.02

Sun, Z. (2013). Tips for writing a case report for the novice author. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences, 60(3), 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmrs.18

Valle, X., Alentorn-Geli, E., Tol, J. L., Hamilton, B., Garrett, W. E., Pruna, R., Til, L., Gutierrez, J. A., Alomar, X., Balius, R., Malliaropoulos, N., Monllau, J. C., Whiteley, R., Witvrouw, E., Samuelsson, K., & Rodas, G. (2017). Muscle Injuries in Sports: A New Evidence-Informed and Expert Consensus-Based Classification with Clinical Application. Sports Medicine, 47(7), 1241–1253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0647-1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/mkk.v8i2.62875