[Objective] : To evaluate the analgesic effects of hyperbaric CO2 cryotherapy in the elderly inpatients.
[Methods] : An open-label prospective study was conducted in two geriatrics departments in patients with a broad range of pain characteristics.
Each patient underwent a physiotherapist evaluation followed by hyperbaric CO2 cryotherapy sessions. whose spacing and number were at the discretion of the physiotherapist. Patients completed a 100-mm visual analog scale for pain severity before and after the sessions.
[Results] : We included 51 patients, who were treated between May 2 and June 30. 2005. Mean age was 83.7 years. and the female to male ratio was 4/1. Tje patients had acute or chronic pain whose origin was usually musculoskeletal (80.3%) or neurological (18.6%). Pain scores decreased significantly after four sessions. from 52mm to 13 mm (P<0.001) in patients with acute pain and fron 45mm to 13mm (P<0.001) in those with chronic pain
[Conclusion] : Hyperbaric CO2 cryotherapy is an inovative tool that should be incorporated within the non-pharmacological armamentarium for achieving pain relief in older patients. |