Years after years, people discover more and more things, and little by little, the world if getting filled by those small inventions that are supposed to help in different aspects of life. Some devices help with technology, comfort, and medical advancements. Amongst all of it, medical progress is the most difficult and complicated because it deals with living things. Who would have thought about using cryotherapy twenty years ago?
The everyday activities of a person can affect both physical and mental health. As sophisticated as the human body is, a simple lifting or exercise can already strain the muscles, a little debate or pressure can stress a person out and trigger different illnesses such as migraine and can even lead to insomnia.
Thanks to the bright minds of science, different treatments were introduced to help repair the damaged parts of the body. There is a lot of varying therapy available in the market, and one particular treatment stood out because of the way that is done, and that is cryotherapy.
The Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) was invented in Japan in the year 1978 by Dr. Yamaguchi. It was initially used as a treatment for his patients who had rheumatoid arthritis. In 2000, the concept of Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) was used in Europe by a group of Polish scientists who then used cryotherapy as part of physical therapy in the Olympic Rehabilitation Center.
Cryotherapy is pretty new, and that is why there are still many questions about cryotherapy. There are still many things that need to be known before deciding to go in and get this treatment.
What is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy or also known as cold therapy is any kind of treatment or medical procedure that uses low temperatures, from an ice pack to liquid nitrogen. Cryotherapy helps in relieving muscle pain, sprains, and swelling.
The cryotherapy that started to get round in different social media platforms that was done by athletes and celebrities is the whole body cryotherapy. You will need to put socks and ear protections before going in an enclosed room or machine where your body will be exposed to a cold temperature, which is -200 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three minutes.
There are many health benefits claims by cryotherapy; some of them are increased levels of endorphins, decreased inflammation, increased metabolic rate, relieves stress, and reduced muscle soreness.
How often should you get cryotherapy?
Like any other beauty treatment, cryotherapy can provide instant effects for a few minutes, but before you can get a lasting impact, you will need to do multiple cryotherapy sessions. Depending on the area and the intensity of the pain, you should repeat the procedure between 10-20 times to get a lasting effect.
In the first three sessions, they said that your body il start to detox, and you will start to feel a sense of energy bursting after your sessions. Your pores start to tighten, your adrenaline shoots up, and you think more relaxed. If you will be sleeping after your session, it is also a different experience. You can now sleep better, and amazingly you’ll be able to sleep undisturbed.
Some people are advised to get treatment 3-5 times a week; some were advised twice a week or once a day for a specific number of days. It will be best to have a consultation first so you can give details if there is a particular part of your body that you need the treatment, and doctors will be able to check what can be done.
What are the benefits of cryotherapy?
There have been many claims as to what are the effects and benefits of doing cryotherapy. But, just like any other medical treatment, the result varies from one person to the other, especially that it only triggers and helps your body to repair itself.
- Increased energy – the treatment triggers a surge of hormones such as adrenaline and endorphins, making you feel happy and energetic. These hormones also help in making you feel relaxed and calm.
- Better sleep – because cryotherapy helps relieves bodily pain, it lets your body heal and therefore giving you better sleep. The release of hormones that helped your mind calm down also helped in getting you that long-awaited, well deserved good night sleep.
- Alleviates muscle pain and spasm – Cryotherapy helps to numb the nerves in the muscle and helps in blood circulation, which in effect improves the muscle or joint pain caused by extreme workout or game.
- Weight loss- even though it is not a direct result, it is still one of the benefits of getting the treatment. Experts say that because of the freezing temperature, your body will burn more energy in a short amount of time to keep your body warm. Repeated sessions of cryotherapy are said to have an adjusted metabolism effect resulting in weight loss.
These are just some of the benefits that cryotherapy has to offer. There is a lot more on the list that simply needs further medical research to support it.
While the benefits and might sound exciting, like any other treatments, cryotherapy is not for everyone. As great as it is, some people are not fit to withstand the cold.
Do not try cryotherapy if you have any of these medical conditions:
- If you are pregnant, no matter what trimester you are in, cryotherapy is a big no.
- If you have severe hypertension where your blood pressure is higher than 180/100, you can’t get cryotherapy.
- People with acute kidney and urinary tract diseases should also not dare to enter the cold.
- People with symptomatic lung disorder and bleeding disorder.
- Clients with cardiac disease history from the past six months should get clearance from their physicians.
There are many more diseases, and some are case to case basis. It is always best to have a consultation and be honest with your past and present medical conditions before trying to go in a -200 degree Fahrenheit procedure.
What are the side effects of cryotherapy?
Surprising as it is, cryotherapy’s side effects are minimal to none. Some of the side effects that were observed by the people who have undergone the procedure are as follows;
- One of the possible side effects is a rare case of an allergic reaction to extreme cold temperatures.
- Cold sores can also occur as a result of the freezing temperature.
- There are some rare cases when a blister pops up; if this happens, do not touch the blister with your bare hands.
Bottom Line:
There are a lot of aesthetic clinics offering cryotherapy. Being a new trend and a hot topic in the cosmetic world, you should still check whom you will trust to do the procedure. It would be best if you find the people with experience, credibility, and the heart for passion for doing such procedures.
Utah Body and Soul in Holladay, UT, have a team of professionals that can help you through the entire process. Utah Body and Soul’s team is a group of people with their own set of expertise put together to work to achieve a common goal – provide quality and satisfactory service to every client.
If you ever feel like you want to give cryotherapy a shot, or would like to get a consultation first, Utah Body and Soul is always open to provide you with the best advice. Book your appointment now and experience what the best team has got to offer.
