Therapeutic modalities are used to treat athletic injuries. Various ways in which they treat pain are by decreasing pain, decreasing swelling, reducing inflammation, and decreasing muscle spasms. One must also be provided with a proper environment where the healing process can take place to its highest degree.

Therapeutic modalities can be divided into four general categories:

• cryotherapy (cold)
• thermotherapy (heat) 
• electrotherapy
• mechanical modalities