Trial reportJournal of physiological anthropology2022
Effects of alternating heat and cold stimulation using a wearable thermo-device on subjective and objective shoulder stiffness.
Trial report in Journal of physiological anthropology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exercise therapy for tendinopathy: a mixed-methods evidence synthesis exploring feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of alternating heat and cold stimulation at different cooling rates using a wearable thermo device on shoulder muscle stiffness: a cross-over study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Trial
- Cryotherapy and thermotherapy in the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive review.Fundamental research · 2025Review
- Mechanisms and Efficacy of Contrast Therapy for Musculoskeletal Painful Disease: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Effects of Warm and Cold Contrast Footbaths on Psychological and Physiological Responses in Healthy Adults.Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2025Article
- Investigation of Choroidal Circulation Hemodynamics Using Laser Speckle Flowgraphy After Periocular Skin Warming.Cureus · 2024Article
- Optimal Duration of Cold and Heat Compression for Forearm Muscle Biomechanics in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes: A Comparative Study.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2024Article
- Local alternating heat and cold stimulation affects hemodynamics and oxygenation in fatigued muscle tissue and autonomic nervous activity: a single-arm interventional study.Journal of physiological anthropology · 2024Article
- Comparison of the effects of three different resistance training methods on muscle fatigue in healthy untrained men.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Article
- Parasympathetic Dominance Decreases the Choroidal Blood Flow Velocity Measured Using Laser Speckle Flowgraphy.Cureus · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTechnological innovations have allowed the use of miniature apparatus that can easily control and program heat and cold stimulations using Peltier elements. The wearable thermo-device has a potential to be applied to conventional contrast bath therapy. This study aimed to examine the effects of alternating heat and cold stimulation (HC) using a wearable thermo-device on subjective and objective improvement of shoulder stiffness.
methodsTwenty healthy young male individuals (20.3 ± 0.6 years) participated in this study. The interventions were randomly conducted under four conditions, including HC, heat stimulation, cold stimulation, and no stimulation on their bilateral trapezius muscle, after a 30-min typing task. Each intervention was administered at least 1 week apart. The analyzed limb was the dominant arm. Muscle hardness was assessed using a portable muscle hardness meter, as well as the skin temperature over the stimulated area. After each condition, the participants were asked for feedback regarding subjective improvement in refreshed feelings, muscle stiffness, and muscle fatigue using an 11-point numerical rating scale.
resultsWith regard to muscle hardness, only the HC condition significantly decreased from 1.43 N to 1.37 N (d = 0.44, p < 0.05). Additionally, reduced muscle hardness in HC condition was associated with the degree of skin cooling during the intervention (cold max: r = 0.634, p < 0.01; cold change: r = -0.548, p < 0.05). Subjective improvement in refreshed feelings, muscle stiffness, and muscle fatigue was determined in the HC and heat stimulation conditions compared with the no stimulation condition (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, the HC condition showed significantly greater improvements in muscle stiffness and fatigue compared to the cold stimulation condition (p < 0.05).
conclusionsThe current study demonstrated that HC promoted not only better subjective symptoms, such as muscle stiffness and fatigue, but also lesser muscle hardness. Furthermore, an association was observed between the degree of skin temperature cooling and reduced muscle hardness during HC. Further investigations on the ratio and intensity of cooling should be conducted in the future to establish the optimal HC protocol for muscle stiffness or fatigue.
trial registrationUMIN000040620 . Registered 1 June 2020.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.