Whole Body Cryotherapy at Large
What is a whole body cryotherapy? Why should I go to such extreme measures and endure seemingly impossible low temperatures (-184F) on my body? Why is it good for me? Those questions are being asked by people when they hear the word cryotherapy. Since whole body cryo treatments are relatively new in USA the majority of the general population, unless you are a professional athlete, don’t know much about it. It mistakenly believed that plummeting yourself in subzero temperatures to lower your body’s temperature down is beneficial for athletes only, it helps their muscle recovery and enhances athletic performance. But, how is the general population can benefit from it?
To answer this question we will go back in history, when the application of cold locally to specific body areas for relieving physical suffering was applied in the traditional medicine of various ancient cultures. According to traditions, medical schools in ancient Greece, Persia and also Rome propagated the use of cold remedies for treating a range of diseases. At around 1650, arthritis patients were already being recommended to treat their affected joints using very cold water. In the 18th and 19th century the analgesic effect of cold was widely employed in surgery. Postoperative edemas and inflammations in the operated area as well as chronic-inflammatory joint diseases were also treated with local cold.
In 1980 in Japan, T.Yamauchi introduced full body cryotherapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. That was when this procedure was truly born. The German rheumatologist Prof. Reinhard Fricke, who had an extensive clinical experience in the local cryo treatment of inflammatory-rheumatic diseases, recognized very well the importance of full body cryotherapy. In 1984 he ensured the commissioning of the first cryotherapy chamber outside of Japan at the clinic for rheumatology.
In the meantime whole body cryotherapy now enjoys a much more widespread use in Europe, in countries like Germany, Austria, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, France, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, China, Thailand and Dubai.
The therapeutic effect of cold treatments, their clinical uses, the application in competitive sports and their uses for general health improvement have allowed a solid basis to be established for continuing the research started in the 1980s on the mechanism of action of full body cryotherapy and its clinical relevance.
The therapeutic effect of whole body cryotherapy begins when the whole body is exposed to extreme cold temperatures for a short period of time. During the whole body cryotherapy the air temperature in the chamber starts dropping slowly reaching max -184F, insuring that the skin surface temperature is lowered within 3 to 5 min by 40 degrees or lower.
Whole body cryotherapy allows your body to access and release valuable naturally occurring biochemicals that are active in relieving pain, reducing inflammation, increasing metabolism, deoxidizing and ridding the body of detrimental toxins. Before you start the treatment, you will be asked to remove your clothes, shoes, and jewelry while leaving your undergarments on. You will be given a pair of socks, gloves, shoes and a towel to wrap yourself in. Once you get into the chamber you will hand the towel to your therapist. The chamber is cooled with nitrogen gas. You will be asked not to inhale nitrogen gas by keeping your chin up and slowly turn to ensure an even cold distribution on your body. The floor of the cryosauna is adjusted so your neck and head are exposed. The extreme cold sends electrical impulses to the central nervous system indicating the body must prepare to survive. This activates the body’s defense mechanism and the blood rushes to vital organs to protect them from extreme cold. Now that the body has transported the blood to the core, the blood begins to be enriched with oxygen, collagen, erythrocytes and other beneficial nutrients during the hyper-production period. Vasodilation begins once you have exited the chamber. During this time, your body is transporting the new nutrient-dense blood into your skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue, and the healing process begins.
Benefits of full body cryotherapy include: inflammation inhibition, chronic pain reduction, faster recovery after surgery or injury, athletic recovery, anti-aging, better sleep, stress reduction, mood elevation, weight loss, collagen production, and reduction in anxiety and depression. Cryotherapy improves skin conditions associated with eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. Multiple studies suggest that cold treatments prevent cancer and dementia. People who suffer from migraine headaches have noticed a decline in intensity and recurrence of episodes when doing cryotherapy regularly.
It must be noted that whole body cryotherapy is not a cure-all treatment. It should be used as an addition to physical therapy to assist in achieving the therapeutic goal. It is not a substitute for other proven therapies even if, as experience and studies have shown, a reduction in drug consumption can also often be achieved upon its application. Whole body cryotherapy is primarily pain-alleviating and anti-inflammatory. It affects blood circulation and metabolism in the skeletal muscles and has a performance-optimizing effect. Whole body cryotherapy improves general well being as well as general mobility and joint function in up to 60% of the treated cases.
Whole Body Cryotherapy is a safe and very well tolerated physical therapeutic procedure with a low interruption rate. Side effects are extremely rare as long as the indications and contraindications are strictly observed.
