Cryotherapy in Sport Injury Management

Cryotherapy is the most prevalent modality used to treat sport injuries. But when and how should you apply cryotherapy for the best results? In this book, Kenneth L. Knight—a veteran athletic trainer, sports medicine researcher, and athletic training educator—presents the most extensive and up-to-date resource available on understanding and using cryotherapy to treat and rehabilitate injuries.

Cryotherapy in Sport Injury Management gives you clear "how-to" instructions for both immediate and long-term care of a wide variety of injuries. Athletic trainers, physical therapists, sport physicians, and other sports medicine specialists will find the numerous clinical applications and accompanying illustrations especially useful. The book also presents the theoretical basis for cryotherapy, along with subject and author indexes and more than 800 references, making it a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners alike.

Part I introduces readers to the concept of cold injury treatment and examines the cold versus hot treatment controversy. Knight traces the development of cryotherapy from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the present day.

Part II, The Scientific Basis of Cryotherapy, reviews in depth the physiological response of bodily tissues to cold treatment and provides a theoretical basis for the cryotherapy techniques used in dealing with acute musculoskeletal conditions. Throughout this section, Knight includes specific, direct applications of the principles being discussed. He also introduces precautions and caveats on when not to use the technique.

Part III, Clinical Techniques Involving Cryotherapy, discusses the most common (and some not-so-common) cryotherapeutic techniques, and is abundantly illustrated for direct application. This section provides clear instructions for administering both immediate and long-term care of a variety of injuries. Pre- and postsurgical applications of cold treatment are evaluated, including cold packs, ice immersion, cold whirlpool, and sprays. Knight also describes the role of cryotherapy in rehabilitation.

Whether you're looking for clear, illustrated instructions on how to use cryotherapy to treat injuries or want a resource that explains the scientific basis underpinning the technique, you'll find everything you need to know in the only book dedicated to the history, science, and applications of cold treatment: Cryotherapy in Sport Injury Management.

Kenneth L. Knight, PhD, ATC, has dedicated his professional career to understanding cryotherapy. He is a professor of athletic training at Indiana State University, where he is chair of the Athletic Training Department. He is also director of ISU's Sports Injury Research Laboratory, which is recognized as the world leader in sport injury cryotherapy research. Nationally recognized in athletic training education, Knight has served as a trainer for high school, junior college, and college teams for over 25 years and as an athletic training educator since 1973. The National Athletic Trainers Association recognized Knight as the Educator of the Year in 1995.

Knight has published two books and numerous articles on sports medicine and serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Athletic Training, the official journal of the National Athletic Trainers Association. He and his wife Shari live in Terre Haute, Indiana.