UTA and UT Austin researchers are designing safer cryotherapy devices to minimize risk of tissue and nerve damage
Cold therapy has long been prescribed for those recovering from orthopedic surgery, muscle inflammation and sports-related injuries, with treatments ranging from ice baths to immersion in whole-body cryotherapy chambers.
Yet the risks to exposed skin and blood vessels constricted by temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below can be severe, leading in some cases to nerve and tissue damage, neuropathy and more serious impacts on the treated limb. Between 1,500 and 2,000 cases of such injuries are reported in the U.S. each year.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington and