Cryotherapy Application

Do you know what cryotherapy is? This therapeutic application has actually been in use for decades, but it has recently gained popularity and has been included in the 2021 spa trends.

Cryotherapy or in other words “cold therapy” is a method that helps the regeneration of cells by exposing the body to extreme cold for a couple of minutes. Let’s take a look at what you should know about cryotherapy. 

What is the Source of Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy, created out of the words “cryo” meaning cold and “therapeia” meaning “therapy” in Greek, is not a new technique as one might think. It is observed in the old Egyptian papyruses that people made use of the cold to cure infection after trauma. In addition, it is a known fact that Hypocrite made use of cold therapies to cure swelling and pain. Throughout history, doctors and dermatologists have made use of cold therapies in the cure of various illnesses from muscle pain to psoriasis. The rebirth of cryotherapy goes back to the 19th century and is usually used in reducing pain, eliminating muscle spasms, curing inflammation, slowing down the cell aging and improving general health. Cryotherapy is not only applied in spa and wellbeing applications but is also applied as an alternative treatment method in modern medicine. This method which is also called cryosurgery plays an effective role in the treatment of skin tumors, warts and some other skin diseases. 

How is it Applied? 

Deeply cooling the body using cryotherapy triggers our “fight or run” reaction. This situation helps release the endorphin hormone that increases the body’s own regeneration skills. Sudden cold, transfers blood to our cells and thus provides re-oxygenation in the muscles and skin tissues. There are two different applications of cryotherapy: whole body and local cryotherapy. 

Whole Body Cryotherapy

In whole body cryotherapy, clients stay in a small cabin that surrounds the body and only the head is outside. This cabin that is called the cryo room holds the pressured air that is cooled with liquid nitrogen, at -100°C- 300°C. In this cabin that is at ultra-low temperatures, staying for only 2 to 4 minutes is enough. Whole body cryotherapy helps eliminate toxins from tissue, repairing muscle damage, reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia by cooling the skin. 

Local Cryotherapy 

Cryotherapy can also be used in treating regional problems. During the therapy, the specialist applies cold to the problematic area and cells that are subjected to this extreme cold lose their functions. Thanks to this our immune system helps in removing the tissue from the body. In the local therapy components such as; liquid nitrogen, azote and argon gas are used to apply cold. Even though the results obtained after cryotherapy depend on the problem in the body, it is usually recommended to have at least five to six sessions. 

What are its effects?

Today’s cryotherapy was developed in the 1970’s in Japan to especially ease the symptoms of pain and rheumatoid arthritis. The modern use of cryotherapy in massage therapy or in other treatment types is mainly focused on injury treatment and rehabilitation. The slowing down of blood circulation in the body increases the feeling of numbness and eases the infection in the area. This way the risk of pain and infection can be reduced. Some of the benefits of cryotherapy for our bodies are as follows: 

• Reduces the symptoms of migraine.
• Calms the nerves. 
• Supports the treatment of mood disorders. 
• Supports the weight loss process. 
• Contributes to immune functions.
• Accompanies the treatment of various skin diseases. 

Before experiencing cryotherapy, we recommend that you consult with a medical professional to see whether or not this method is appropriate for you. 

Where Can You Find Cryotherapy? 

From which center we would get cryotherapy treatment might vary in accordance with our needs. For instance, local treatments regarding skin problems are applied by dermatologists. In physical therapy and rehabilitation centers cryotherapy is applied in the treatment of muscle traumas. In addition, there are alternatives to this method in spa and wellness center menus. In the world London’s Ice Health Cryotherapy Spa, Haikko Manor Spa and The BVLGARI SPA London are among the most popular centers. Even though this method application in spa centers is not yet that common, we recommend visiting Cryo Turkey and Gloria Sports Arena.

With cryotherapy application, it is possible to achieve a healthier body and feel better about yourself. We talked about how this treatment method is applied and what its effects are on any injury, pain or skin problem, once the medical professional sees fit.  For more content on therapy and treatments keep following Spatopia.