Ice packs and ice baths have been used to reduce swelling and inflammation since – well – the Ice Age. These days there is a faster, more effective way to cool damaged tissue, reduce swelling and inflammation, and speed the healing process. Studies show cryotherapy to be a viable option for pain relief and recovery.
Cryotherapy has a demonstrated ability to decrease or get rid of many types of acute or chronic pain, including:
Rheumatoid/Osteo Arthritis
Cold therapy has a positive effect on the chemical or physical functions in a living system. These functions enhance or suppress normal responses to certain stressors. Cryotherapy can be a factor in decreasing synovial collagenase activity, making it effective for inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Cryotherapy treatment can help with muscle spasm relief, muscle tightness reduction, and control of inflammation in its acute stage.
Fibromyalgia
Clients who seek relief from fibromyalgia through cryotherapy often report a more pronounced improvement of the quality of life. This may be due to cryotherapy’s direct and positive effect on the balance between pro and anti-inflammatory mediators that protect organs from collateral damage.
Neck & Back Pain
Whole body cryotherapy can be an effective treatment for neck and back pain. The benefits include: slowing of pain receptors in the nerves, release of norepinephrine (a substance used by the body to reduce pain) and reduction of inflammation. Over time, users experience longer periods of relief from pain, making activities easier and more comfortable without the risk of medication side effects.
Headaches
Migraines, tension headaches and sinus headaches are excruciatingly painful and often treated with medication. However, cryotherapy can be an effective alternative. For migraine sufferers, symptoms include a pounding headache, nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity. Studies show that at the onset of a migraine, cold applications targeting the carotid arteries at the neck significantly reduce recorded pain.
Improved Sleep
Cryotherapy is a safe and healthy way to treat sleep disorders. Studies indicate that it can treat sleep disorders by correcting certain processes in the central nervous system. Clients achieve a more prolonged period of rest and additional cryotherapy treatments can minimize sleep disturbance and ease the transition into sleep.
Some people experience immediate pain relief after a Cryotherapy treatment. For others, the absence of pain may come hours or days later.
