How Cryotherapy is Helpful for Pain Management?

Nov 07, 2023 By Madison Evans

Did you just start going to the gym, party all night, or simply because of weakness, your muscles are aching? Then we think you can just be on the right page. If muscle achiness has made it hard for you to live your life, it is time to try cryotherapy.

The literal meaning of cryotherapy is cold treatment. This means the person needs to be in a cold temperature, which will help with the pain. Now the question comes: how is this really possible? This article has all the information that you need when it comes to cryotherapy. So, let's jump into the article and look at how it can help you with your body pain.

What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is very famous, and many people, especially athletes, do it to relax their muscles. In this type of therapy, the person must step into a cold room with gloves, protective headbands, socks, and shoes. Now, this cold room is just not cold, but it needs to be freezing cold. In most places, the temperature of these rooms is about -148°F to -220°F.

This might sound strange and weird to some people; however, this treatment is becoming very popular. Other than athletes, many celebrities have also tried using this therapy for their bodies and to relieve the pain.

It is essential to know that this therapy is not a medical treatment, and you don't need any kind of prescription to get this done. Cryotherapies are readily available in gyms, spas, and even different wellness centers. Also, it is crucial to keep in mind that this is not an FDA-approved treatment.

How Does Cryotherapy Work?

Cryotherapy has been used for many years. Before, it was simply used for inflammation and localized pain to reduce it. In this situation, the ice cube was wrapped in a cloth and kept off the area that needed relief. But as technology advances, this concept also becomes a lot bigger and more advanced. Now, there are rooms and tanks that are used for this treatment.

The tanks and rooms are cooled off to very low temperatures. They can go as low as -200°F. Most of these tanks are made in such a way that your face remains out of it, and if it is a room, then you need to wear protective gear so that the low temperatures don't affect your brain too much.

When you enter these tanks, you only need to stay in for 2 to 4 minutes and immediately come out. This helps in many different ways, as it reduces swelling, lowers the skin temperature, and allows more blood circulation.

Benefits of Using Cryotherapy:

The next thing you need to know is the benefits of using cryotherapy. Cryotherapy has been used in many fields, especially it has been used by athletes. Fowling is some of the main benefits that athletes are getting after using this therapy.

  • Runner's Knee.
  • Reducing the inflammation if there is tendonitis.
  • Pain caused due to sprains.
  • Arthritis pain.
  • Swelling and inflammation caused after hip or knee replacement.
  • To treat inflammation and itchiness after the removal of the cast.
  • Lower back pain.
  • It also increases the blood circulation by constricting the blood vessels.
  • Reduces the nerve activity that, eventually, helps with reducing the pain.
  • Reduces the inflammation.

Other than the muscle and bone issues, it is also seen that cryotherapy has been helpful for other health conditions. Following are some of those:

  • Asthma
  • Anxiety
  • Migraines
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Depression
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Fibromyalgia

Is Cryotherapy Effective?

You might be curious to know if this therapy actually works. Even though this treatment is commonly used, nowadays, there is no research done by the FDA to confirm its effectiveness. Therefore, according to the FDA, it is essential to try this treatment with caution. There has been no real evidence when it comes to helping with health conditions.

However, other studies and scientists have seen effective results when it comes to different health problems. Following are some of the injuries and problems in which cryotherapy treatment has been effective.

According to the research, this therapy has been most effective for inflammation, soreness, or tenderness of the muscles and different joint conditions.

Risks of Cryotherapy:

Even though there have been excellent benefits that people got from using the cold treatment, there are some risks as well. Exposure to very low temperatures can cause severe injuries to the skin. Other than this, frostbite is one of the most common problems that people get when they are trying this treatment.

Other than this, other health conditions might aggravate if you try this treatment without any caution. Following are some of the things that you need to be cautious of.

  • If you have high blood pressure, then take precautionary measures before trying this treatment as it can increase the blood pressure.
  • People with heart conditions are not suggested to do this treatment as it can cause the blood vessels to constrict, leading to heart failure.
  • If you are someone with lung conditions, then be cautious before going into the cryotherapy tanks.
  • If you have poor blood circulation, then these cold treatment tanks might be dangerous for you.
  • Many people have allergies that are triggered by cold temperatures, so if you are one of them, then this treatment is not for you.
  • People with Neuropathy in their legs and feet should also not be doing the cryotherapy.

Final Words:

There are a lot of treatments that people don't know of, and one of them is cryotherapy. This is something not a lot of people know about, but it has a lot of unique benefits. Cryotherapy is basically a cold treatment that majorly helps with muscle aches and other muscle conditions. Therefore, we hope this article was beneficial for you in understanding more about this cold treatment.

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