Whole body cryotherapy has gained popularity in wellness centers, mainly because of its health benefits. From migraines to skin disorders, cryotherapy indeed does some wonders.
Accurate to its literal translation, cryotherapy or “cold therapy” is a procedure wherein your body is subjected to extremely low temperatures (-200 to -300 F) for a few minutes. Cryotherapy can be done to one area of your body, which is called localized cryotherapy. Or to your whole body, called whole body cryotherapy.
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But in this blog, we will talk more about whole body cryotherapy.
Whole body cryotherapy is done by stepping into a Cryosauna. This one-person chamber uses liquid nitrogen vapor to immerse oneself in the low temperature. By immersing your body in extremely low temperatures for a certain period, your blood vessels will constrict and go back to your body’s core. This event is actually your body’s fight-and-flight response when it is under cold temperatures.
Then, when you are off the cryotherapy chamber, and the temperature is normal, your blood vessels expand, providing blood with endorphins and anti-inflammatory substances. These results of cryotherapy have contributed to treating pains, inflammations, and some diseases.
These cryotherapy benefits may be the reason why national celebrities and athletes love cryotherapy. Therefore, contributing to the sudden boom of this treatment. In fact, some athletes undergo this therapy 1-2 times a day, while some do it daily.
After all, if you are presented with a quick and slightly less painful solution to your problems, why not try it?
What are the 10 Benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy?
1. It can reduce symptoms of migraines.
One of the most known cryotherapy benefits is treating the symptoms of migraine.
Cryotherapy does this by numbing the nerves in your neck. The cold temperature will cool the blood circulating through the intracranial blood vessels, soothing the pain.
2. It numbs irritated nerves
The people who seem to love cryotherapy so much are athletes because the therapy is said to numb the irritated nerves causing pain. Undergoing cryotherapy will also allow them to train more because the pain is not felt as much.
3. It helps improve mood disorders.
The nearly freezing temperature triggers the body to release hormones that improve your mood. Some of these hormones are endorphins, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. In fact, one study has revealed that cryotherapy is an effective short-term treatment in improving depression and anxiety.
Another study found out that in one out of three people with anxiety or depression, cryotherapy has improved their illness symptoms by at least 50 percent.
4. It reduces pain due to arthritis.
Arthritis can be a painful disease even if you are already undergoing rehabilitation treatments. But, researchers found that cryotherapy reduces the pain that people feel due to arthritis significantly.
Cryotherapy also allowed the possibility of patients tolerating more aggressive occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Thus, making rehabilitation treatments easier to handle.
5. It may destroy low-risk tumors.
Your body is composed of a billion living cells. And sometimes, low-risk tumors grow, and we do not even know them yet. The good thing is that the cryotherapy benefits cover mild pains on the surface and inside your body.
Cryotherapy can freeze cells by surrounding them with ice crystals, ultimately destroying the malignant cell. To this day, doctors use this to treat different types of cancers, including prostate cancer.
6. It helps treat skin conditions.
Skin conditions such as eczema are commonly characterized by itchy and dry skin. So, when researchers found out that cryotherapy increases the number of antioxidants in the blood, they have theorized that it may also reduce inflammation and help treat skin conditions.
Aside from eczema, cryotherapy may also treat bad acne breakouts.
7. It may help lessen the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Due to the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of therapy, the treatment was thought to help prevent the oxidative stress and inflammatory responses that happen with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
8. It helps in weight loss
Sitting in the cryotherapy chamber alone won’t cause weight loss. But cryotherapy could help in the process. Some cryotherapy practitioners say that a few minutes in the chamber can increase metabolism for the rest of the day.Also, one indirect benefit of cryotherapy to your weight loss journey would be to reduce muscle pain. Thus, prompting you to work out if body pain is your constant problem.
9. It helps reduce inflammation.
Many health problems stem from inflammation. Examples of these health problems are diabetes, depression, cancer, arthritis, and dementia. Thus, when we remove inflammation, this could also lessen the risk of escalating the said diseases.
Whole body Cryotherapy benefits you by reducing inflammation little by little every session. Remember, prevention is better than cure!
10. It helps improve multiple sclerosis.
Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? That challenge was inspired by cryotherapy! The challenge resembles the feeling of patients with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) whenever they undergo the treatment.
Similarly, cryotherapy may improve the conditions of patients with another disease called Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This disease is characterized by the immune system degenerating its own nerves, partly due to oxidative stress.
By being in the Cryosauna, the cold temperature significantly reduces oxidative stress. Studies have revealed that patients with MS experienced less fatigue after cryotherapy sessions. Cryotherapy has also improved their ability to exercise.
Risks and Possible Side Effects
Although cryotherapy has some incredible benefits, it may also pose risks and induce side effects to people with special conditions.
People with diseases where their nerves are damaged (such as diabetes) should not undergo cryotherapy. This may lead to further nerve damage because cryotherapy numbs their nerves.
After cryotherapy, you may also have redness, tingling, numbness, and skin irritation. However, these symptoms are only temporary because of the extreme cold temperature the chamber subjected to you. If these symptoms still prevail after 24 hours, call a doctor right away.
Remember to always keep in mind what was recommended to you. Never exceed the recommended time, or try to do other cryotherapy techniques unless prescribed by a professional.
Where to have cryotherapy treatment ?
Cryotherapy is available in hospitals, medical spas and wellness centers. These places offer professional whole body cryotherapy treatments with top-notch equipment such as the Cryosauna.
Should you want to have a cryotherapy session booked, you may also contact Blu Ice Med Spa. You may inquire about our services regarding whole body cryotherapy. We also offer consultations with our professionals about our services.