Objective To conduct a visualization map analysis of literatures related to cryotherapy research on skin and muscle temperature using bibliometrics based on the Web of Science database. Methods The retrieval of subject term fields in the Web of Science Core Database was completed on October 18, 2023, and the number of publications, journals, authors, publishing institutions, countries and keywords were visually analyzed by using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Results A total of 359 articles were included, and the number of publications from 1997 to 2023 showed a steady upward trend. Visual analysis revealed four dominant author clusters—Gregson W, Abbiss CR, Selfe J and Howatson G—characterized by strong inter-team collaboration. The 13 most prolific institutions were located chiefly in Australia, the UK, the USA and Canada, with research strength concentrated in universities. The top three institutions accounted for 11.69% of all publications. Relevant studies had been published by 45 countries, with the USA contributing the most (104 papers, 28.97%), followed by the UK and Australia. A total of 29 clusters were formed in this study. The top three clusters were "thermoregulation", "rehabilitation" and "pain".In terms of emergent words, "skin temperature" had the strongest emergent intensity (5.12), "intramuscular temperature" and "human leg" had the longest emergent time, and "muscle" was a future research direction. Conclusion Paying attention to skin and muscle temperature during the application of cryotherapy can effectively improve related symptoms and prevent complications, and the exploration of scientific evidence should be emphasized in clinical application. Meanwhile, research in this field is strongly supported by national and local funds, with promising development prospects. Researchers and clinical practitioners need to pay attention to domestic and international research progress and cutting-edge disciplinary knowledge, and carry out more high-quality experimental studies to provide favorable guidance for subsequent research.