Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent and costly chronic musculoskeletal condition. People with the condition experience pain and disability. Clinical guidelines recommend a combination of non-pharmacological treatments, including patient education, exercise and some other physiotherapy interventions, together with pharmacological treatments, to improve pain and symptoms.

Cryotherapy (that is, the application of cold as a treatment) is widely applied using ice packs in various rheumatic joint diseases for its effects on pain, inflammation and oedema. However, the evidence is not very clear about its effects in osteoarthritis.