Cryotherapy uses cold temperatures to treat injuries. Which effect is described?

• A. It reduces pain and swelling by decreasing blood flow to the injured area.
• B. It raises blood flow to speed healing.
• C. It increases muscle temperature.
• D. It causes permanent tissue damage.

Answer: (A)

Cryotherapy works by cooling the injured area, which causes the nearby blood vessels to constrict (vasoconstriction). This reduces blood flow to the area, leading to less swelling (edema) and a slower inflammatory response. The cooler environment also lowers the metabolic rate in the tissues and slows nerve conduction, so pain signals are dampened. By limiting these early responses to injury, cryotherapy helps control both pain and swelling in the acute phase. Using it correctly is about achieving these protective effects; the other ideas—increasing blood flow, raising muscle temperature, or causing permanent tissue damage—do not describe the intended, therapeutic outcome of cryotherapy.