ReviewFundamental research2025
Cryotherapy and thermotherapy in the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive review.
Review in Fundamental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Does cryotherapy associated with physical exercise add benefits to pain, function and quality of life in knee osteoarthritis? A randomized controlled trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyTrial
- Prospects for Physical Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Literature Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Gouty arthritis and cryotherapy in a manual practitioner: an imaging case review.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2026Article
- Emerging trends in the management of difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis: targeted treatments and non-pharmacological interventions.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Review
- A Nursing-Focused Quasi-Experimental Study on Compressive Cryotherapy for Postoperative Recovery in Knee Arthroscopy Patients.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Effects of Cryotherapy and Thermotherapy Using an E-TEET on Pain, Stress, and Satisfaction Among Patients and Healthcare Providers During Intravenous Catheterization: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Article
- Therapeutic outcomes of cryotherapy plus Graston Technique on pain and activities of daily living in individuals with knee pain.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Toward function-oriented, neuroscience-based spine care in older adults: a structured narrative review and translational synthesis.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Physical biomedical science.Fundamental research · 2025Article
- The impact of exercise therapy on rehabilitation outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a network meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Unraveling the Scientific Landscape of Osteoarthritis: Dynamics of Publications over Five Decades.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Recent advances in injectable hydrogels for osteoarthritis treatments.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Review
- Effects of whole-body cryostimulation on spinal and shoulder range of motion in individuals with obesity.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
As non-pharmacological options for osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cold and heat therapies manipulate local temperatures to improve symptoms and promote functional recovery. Cryotherapy reduces acute pain and inflammation by lowering temperatures, while thermotherapy elevates body temperature to enhance blood circulation and tissue repair. Contrast therapy combines the benefits of cold and heat treatments, alternating between them to boost blood flow and relieve pain. This review analyzes the existing literature, highlighting the potential benefits of these treatments in alleviating symptoms of patients with OA and RA, while emphasizing the importance of developing personalized treatment plans in clinical practice. Although specific recommendations for the application of cold and heat therapies vary across major clinical guidelines, their cautious use tailored to individual patient circumstances is generally considered beneficial. Further, with the emergence of new cold and heat therapy devices and materials, such as wearable devices and applications of nanotechnology, more possibilities for physical therapy in arthritis are available now. These innovative technologies are expected to enhance the precision, safety, and convenience of treatments. However, current research on cold and heat therapies still has limitations, including small sample sizes and a lack of long-term follow-up data. Future research needs to further validate the efficacy and safety of these treatment methods through large-scale, high-quality clinical trials, and probe their role in the comprehensive management of OA and RA.
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Registered trials
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