Cold application to the back of the neck reduced blood pressure in patients with hypertension, with significant decreases in systolic blood pressure during the first 27 minutes and diastolic blood pressure during the first 17 minutes following application compared to placebo and control groups.
Key Findings
Results
Cold gel pack application to the back of the neck produced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients compared to placebo and control groups.
The significant decrease in systolic blood pressure lasted during the first 27 minutes following cold application
Comparison was made against both a placebo group and a control group (p < 0.05)
All patients received sublingual captopril before the intervention was applied
The cold gel pack was applied for three minutes to the back of the neck
Results
Cold gel pack application to the back of the neck produced a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients compared to placebo and control groups.
The significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure lasted during the first 17 minutes following cold application
Comparison was made against both a placebo group and a control group (p < 0.05)
The effect window for diastolic blood pressure (17 minutes) was shorter than for systolic blood pressure (27 minutes)
Results
Cold application to the back of the neck significantly reduced headache severity in the experimental group compared to the control group.
A significant decrease in headache severity was observed during 12 minutes after application
The significant difference was observed between the experimental group and the control group
No mention of significant difference in headache severity between the experimental and placebo groups was noted
Methods
The study was a randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted with 72 hypertensive patients in an emergency department setting.
Total sample size was 72 hypertensive patients divided into three equal groups: 24 experimental, 24 placebo, and 24 control subjects
Patients were admitted to the emergency department of a hospital
Baseline measurements were carried out before administration of sublingual captopril and cold application
The back of the neck was selected as the application site because it is described as 'an area rich in muscles, nerves, and acupuncture points'
Cold application is described as 'an independent nursing intervention to manage hypertension'
Uren Y, Kiyak E, Karadas S. (2026). The effects of cold application on blood pressure in patients with hypertension: A randomized placebo-controlled trial.. Applied nursing research : ANR. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2026.152064