The Benefits of Doing Cryotherapy

Body pain is something commonly experienced by everyone. Unless you are Superman or some kind of a mutant immune to pain. But Mr. Kent still experiences pain, so that’s not really a good excuse for you to ignore pain.

It does not choose a specific age, gender and socio-economic status. You can be in high school and experiencing severe back pains or an elderly whose having problem with mobility due to leg pains. When it hits you, it does have the power to make you unproductive and waste some of your time.

However, there are multiple breakthroughs in pain research. Many are focusing on better understanding the phenomena in order to provide the perfect treatment for it.

Cryotherapy is one of those procedures medical professionals recommend as an effective way of beating pain and other health issues. This medical technology might be familiar for us, science fiction fans. It basically follows the same ideology of freezing one’s body for preservation.

In this article, we will be exploring what is cryotherapy, the benefits and disadvantages it offer, and how it can be used in everyday life.

What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is the process of applying ice on a certain part of your body. It is a practice followed in various cultures around the world. Its effectiveness, low-cost and convenience are driving reasons why many still uses the method until now.

Ice is used as it mimics the effects of local anesthesia. In other words, it has the ability to control the pain. It has been proven to be effective in decreasing edema, improve local blood flow and cellular metabolism.

An ice pack applied to the body part is the how cryotherapy is done back in the days and even in some homes when it is used as a first aid. Physicians recommended using wet ice packs when going for this method of cryotherapy. They explained it is a better method to lower surface temperature during treatment and even during recovery.

Modern medicine also took notice of the use of ice in traditional medicine and how it is commonly used as a treatment in many cultures. The use of cryotherapy for recovery is one of those modern uses of this medical approach. It was proven that athletes who underwent cryotherapy after an intense session are able to recovery faster and reduce significant level of pain.

Pros of Cryotherapy

Like every treatment available out there, cryotherapy has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let us first look into how it can help your body overcome several issues.

Cryotherapy offers several benefits. First, it helps in relieving pain and aids in muscle healing. A study found that the use of cryotherapy helped significantly in relieving pain among patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Next, the method is also effective in fighting inflammation. In addition to back pain in the lower back, as well as a calf injury, this is my focus and reason for starting this treatment.  It has been proven effective in reducing inflammation, which I talked about yesterday caused by the overly reactive immune system.

Third, it was found to be effective in keeping dementia away. A study discovered that the use of cryotherapy can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress associated with the condition and other forms of the decline of cognitive function.

Fourth, cryotherapy can help people battling with depression and anxiety. Researchers have found a link between inflammation and the development of mental illness. With this, they are using cryotherapy to relieve inflammation among people diagnosed with mental illness to help them move out of their depressed and anxious state.

Fifth, it can help patients suffering from the condition more popularly known as frozen shoulder. While studies are still ongoing for this use of cryotherapy. Early results point that it can help people refrain from developing more injuries caused by their frozen shoulder.

Lastly, it can aid in managing your body weight. Obesity is becoming one of the world’s leading health issue. Cryotherapy was found to be effective in making the body work overtime in order to keep it warm. This process is what cryotherapy advocates is claiming as the driving factor why it helps with weight management. A small study done in 2010 revealed that individuals who underwent the treatment were observed to weigh less after the procedure.

Dangers Associated with Cryotherapy

While many studies proved the usefulness of cryotherapy, there are also some disadvantages with this treatment method. The following are some of its negative consequences:

First, it could trigger allergies caused by extreme cold temperature. Cryotherapy makes use of the cold to relieve pain as well as other benefits it offers the body. People who have known allergies might suffer consequences if they choose to undergo this procedure.

Second, it might not be advisable for people with pre-existing health issue. If you are diagnosed with major heart or lung illnesses, nerve diseases in the feet or legs and those suffering from poor circulation of the blood, make sure that you have your physician’s clearance to undergo cryotherapy.

Next, cryotherapy requires that a clinic have a certain technology to offer the service. Accessibility might be a problem for some. Many of those that offer this procedure might be out of town or worst, out of state.

Lastly, cryotherapy delivers the best result when coupled with another treatment. While it might an inexpensive solution to treating pain and other health issues, there are claims that better outcome is achieved when combined with another procedure. If you are looking at a modern way of cryotherapy, it might cost much than simply applying an ice pack to a certain body part.

How You Can Take Advantage of Cryotherapy

If you are an athlete, you gain big with the growing popularity of cryotherapy. Studies have established that the use of ice and cold significantly helps in reducing pain and helping the muscles recover from fatigue. It is a helpful method for athletes whose bodies are constantly put under pressure.

People with health issues can also benefit from this procedure. If you have been having issues with your body, cryotherapy can help you big time. It was proven as a great tool in managing body fats and was even supported by a study that found its participants with lower weight after 10 sessions of cryotherapy.

It can also help ordinary people like you and me. Like the benefit it offers athletes, ordinary individuals can also take advantage of the speedy recovery offered by cryotherapy. It will allow you to do more even when starting the day with a heavy exercise routine.

Is It For You?

Cryotherapy offers a lot of benefits. It has been proven to help with various issues through studies conducted over the years. Its continuous observance as a treatment in various parts of the world also is a testament to its effectiveness.

However, precaution is still strongly advised. It is best that you work with your physician before trying out this procedure.

Like many treatments offered by modern medicine, it also comes with its own set of disadvantages. It can trigger allergies and could even worsen the condition of those already diagnosed with a serious health issue. So, if you have a major cardiovascular or respiratory disease, has abnormal blood flow and allergies, be warned and stay cautious when trying out cryotherapy.

But all in, cryotherapy do present more opportunities waiting to be explored. Its evolution through the years can someday lead us to a day like those we see in science fiction movies. The use of cold temperature can preserve us to see what the future, literally, holds for this world.