The traditional decreased blood flow theory states what?

The traditional decreased blood flow theory states what?

• A. Cold limits swelling by decreasing blood flow
• B. Cryotherapy increases the risk of infection
• C. Cold raises metabolic rate at the injury site
• D. Cold completely stops all swelling

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that cold application causes vasoconstriction in the injured area, which decreases blood flow to the tissues. With less blood flow, there’s less fluid and inflammatory mediators leaking into the surrounding tissue, so swelling is limited rather than eliminated. Cooling also lowers tissue metabolic rate, which helps slow the inflammatory process and reduces secondary tissue injury. Because edema is driven by multiple factors, cold doesn’t stop swelling completely. The other statements don’t fit this mechanism: cold therapy doesn’t inherently raise infection risk, it actually lowers metabolic rate (not raises it), and swelling isn’t fully prevented.

The main idea is that cold application causes vasoconstriction in the injured area, which decreases blood flow to the tissues. With less blood flow, there’s less fluid and inflammatory mediators leaking into the surrounding tissue, so swelling is limited rather than eliminated. Cooling also lowers tissue metabolic rate, which helps slow the inflammatory process and reduces secondary tissue injury. Because edema is driven by multiple factors, cold doesn’t stop swelling completely. The other statements don’t fit this mechanism: cold therapy doesn’t inherently raise infection risk, it actually lowers metabolic rate (not raises it), and swelling isn’t fully prevented.