Cryotherapy is a supercharged ice bath that stimulates the body’s inherent healing processes by exposing it to severe cold. Cryotherapy for beauty is one of the hottest new trends in health and wellness, and while it is backed by science, it is not yet FDA-approved.
If you want to add a blast of cold to your infrared sauna therapy, there is evidence that cryotherapy is a wonderful complement. However, when opposed to its colder counterpart, cryotherapy, consistent use of infrared saunas may also result in a larger degree of health advantages, favorably addressing very serious illnesses.
This article will guide you in grasping the physiological reaction to this form of thermal treatment and how they work in combination to maximize your health.
Healing Purposes with Cold Immersion
Cryotherapy is at the cutting edge of today’s health therapies. Although the technology is new, the habit of purposely immersing the body in cold water dates back to ancient times. Athletes wishing to shorten their recovery time between exercises frequently utilize ice baths to promote muscle healing. For hundreds of years, yogis have used ice-cold showers to activate and strengthen the immunological response, and the Russian cultural custom of diving into icy pools of water is world-famous.
So why have so many individuals throughout history resorted to cures involving total immersion in freezing waters? It is claimed that taking ice baths or extremely cold pools of water constricts blood vessels, allowing waste products such as lactic acid to be flushed out of muscle tissue, hence decreasing metabolic activity and thereby reducing edema and tissue breakdown. Micro-tears in the muscles occur during exercise (this is how muscles develop), and by exposing these same muscle regions to cold, mending happens more quickly, allowing the individual to resume exercises sooner.
Ice packs given to damaged ligaments and tendons can aid in rehabilitation by increasing the flow of good, nourishing blood to the wounded area, which reduces inflammation. Cryotherapy employs the same principle as ice compresses and cold water immersion and enhances the experience using state-of-the-art equipment.
Toshima Yamauchi, a Japanese medical expert seeking to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, invented the first cryotherapy tools. Originally, freezing tools were used to target specific areas of the body that were inflamed to inoculate and alleviate unpleasant sensations. The technology has advanced to the point that it may be used to freeze a complete person, referred to as a cryo-chamber or cryosauna.
Today, the majority of cryotherapy clinics feature a vertical metal tube (cryo-chamber) into which patients enter with their heads exposed. Temperatures drop to a range of – 112 to negative 256 degrees Fahrenheit. Each session is only three minutes long, and those undergoing cryotherapy are closely watched by a health care chaperone.
Liquid nitrogen is used to provide the high temperatures required for total body cryotherapy. The person is encased in an upright metal container that looks to be filled with dry ice and has a hazy appearance and feels.
Cryotherapy may be thought of as a supercharged version of the traditional ice bath.
When used in conjunction with cold therapy, cryotherapy increases the advantages of the treatment by basically freezing the outside layers of the body. As a result of the intense cold, blood is forced to flow inside the critical organs to protect them. After all, has been said and done, the vital organs will get an abundance of healthy, nutrient-rich blood.
Cryotherapy’s Physiological Effects
The body is shocked by the intense cold and the autonomic nervous system activates a powerful sympathetic (fight or flight) reaction. As with an elastic band, this reaction ricochets back through the autonomic nervous system as a powerful parasympathetic (rest and relax) as this will just take two to three minutes to initiate a cascade of metabolic changes that will significantly increase circulation, neuromuscular transmission, and immunological response.
As a form of defense, the circulatory system is activated and swiftly pumps blood away from the body’s outer extremities and towards the important organs. Once the subject is removed from the freezing condition and steps out of the cryo-chamber, blood swiftly returns to the body’s peripheral tissues. Blood is replenished following intensive intermixing with essential organs. As blood travels outside to the body’s peripheral areas, it supplies joints and skin with highly oxygenated hemoglobin. This action significantly decreases inflammation and, as a result, uncomfortable symptoms.
Elevated white blood cell counts elevated anti-inflammatory cytokines, and decreased pro-inflammatory prostaglandin PGE2 are all positive immunological responses. By inducing an artificial shock to the system, a variety of physiological reactions occur, with amazing effects on the body’s health.
How To Prepare For Your Initial Cryotherapy Session
You won’t need to schedule much time in your day, as you’ll likely be in and out of the cryotherapy clinic in less than ten minutes. You will be escorted back to the room containing the cryo-chamber and given time to disrobe alone. You will be asked to put on mittens, stockings, and wetsuit booties. Men will be provided with thermo-underwear or another type of clothing that will shield their genitals from the elements. Additionally, it is prudent to protect the nipples, since the intense cold can be rather unpleasant. For this reason, women should consider wearing a bra.
You will enter a chamber that has been pre-adjusted to your height, ensuring that your neck and head stay outside the enclosure. An attendant will enter the cryotherapy chamber once the patient is inside to supervise the session. While cryotherapy is regarded to be safe, a chaperone will be present to provide further safety.
Three minutes will be allotted for the session. When the timer rings, the chaperone will exit the room, and you will exit the chamber and re-dress. Almost certainly, you will have an increase in energy and may experience a brief ‘high.’ Make sure your car’s heater is turned on or that you have a warm jacket on hand, as you will feel cold for several hours afterward. Due to the amount of energy expended throughout each session, you will most likely feel abnormally hungry following each one.
You may anticipate paying between $25 and $35 each session. You are not permitted to possess a cryotherapy device, and all treatments must be delivered by a cryotherapy specialist.
