A common intervention on orthopaedic units not often seen on general surgical floors. Exploring the benefits of cryotherapy on surgical patients. Benefits include: improved recovery, reduced inflammation, reduced pain. Used in conjunction with analgaesic therapy. Conclusion: cryotherapy is effective for surgical patients as an adjuvant to analgaesic therapy, and can be implemented by nurses without a physician's order. In the study, nurses thought that ice packs could relieve patient pain moderately or significantly. Patients stated they were more inclined to use cryotherapy in the future. Cryotherapy is effective through patient teaching and understanding.
