During cryotherapy, which statement best describes the direction of metabolic activity in treated tissue?

• A. Metabolic activity decreases
• B. Metabolic activity remains unchanged
• C. Metabolic activity increases
• D. Metabolic activity fluctuates

Answer: (A)

Cooling tissue slows biochemical reactions, so metabolic activity drops during cryotherapy. When the temperature falls, enzymes work more slowly and cellular processes grind to a slower pace, reducing ATP use and overall oxygen demand. This means the treated tissue’s metabolic rate decreases rather than staying the same or increasing. As rewarming occurs, metabolism gradually returns toward normal, but during the cooling phase the downward trend is what’s observed.