Introduction:
Ice recommended as the first thing to be applied on a muscle-related injury as it reduces any swelling also improving blood flow in the related tissue. A health and fitness expert can advise to use ice on the affected area to decrease discomfort in a sore muscle.
There exists an even intense form of cold therapy called cryotherapy, that helps in curing the whole body and supports their efforts to get better. Most clients are extremely active sports professionals viz. athletes.
Cryotherapy is especially done to athletes for the reduction of core temperatures and promotes recovery from a tough workout or even a competition. It involves sitting in an ice bath or a tub full of ice. The tubs are also seen in the rooms of the athletes or the sports team.
These ice baths are supposedly very effective and promotes speedy recovery. The treatment reduces swelling and soreness. As the person comes out of the ice bath, the circulation improves. This may be slightly uncomfortable as the person has to stay in the almost freezing water for around 10 to 20 minutes.
To obtain the benefits of whole-body cryotherapy in a short duration, the sport scientists have come up with a different type of cryotherapy which includes application of the cold temps with the help of gas.
The cryotherapy chambers look like a cabinet that has a place for the head to stick out of the chamber. The cryotherapy has become extremely popular for competitive athletes. Nowadays, unique studios are coming into picture that offer cryotherapy services to not only athletes but also any person apart from these professionals.
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Everything about cryotherapy:
The facts suggested below can help one to determine if cryotherapy is appropriate for you.
- Research suggests that whole-body cryotherapy (both with ice bath and using air in the cryotherapy booth) helps in the reduction of inflammation and helps in the restoration of functional capacity of muscles even after difficult exercises.
- The cryotherapy booths infuse liquid nitrogen in air that makes the air chilled; this reduces the temperature of air to around -110° C; whereas, ice baths use water that is at a temperature of 4-10° C. 2-3 minutes in a cryotherapy booth is like being in an ice bath for 10-20 minutes. Being exposed to cold temperatures for only a few minutes is tolerable than being seated in cold water for more time.
- Be it the bath or the booth, being exposed to cold promotes recovery as low temperatures shrink the capillaries and blood vessels. The body maintains blood in the core region that protects the vital organs which is like the survival mechanism. When the temperature of the surrounding goes back to normal, the heart pumps blood back to the extremities, which brings back oxygen and nutrients that repairs the damaged tissues.
- Exposure to extremely low temperatures for a short period initiates the nervous system as the flight or fight response. This prompts the release of adrenaline and epinephrine, accelerating the heart rate to pump blood to the extremities.
- The use of a cryotherapy booth can pose us with some risk of injury. The body has to be completely dry because if there is any moisture on the body that may freeze to the skin and may result in frostbite.
- Cryotherapy is not only recommended to extremely active people or athletes but also individuals dealing with arthritis or any chronic musculoskeletal issues as it reduces inflammation and soreness.
- For people working in an extremely hot environment, an extremely strenuous outdoor workout followed by cryotherapy (bath or booth), can help in the reduction of core temperature, which is an important part of recovery. Getting back the core temperature of the body to homeostasis is important for the speedy recovery; speedy recovery helps the person come back to track as soon as possible.
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Safety Measures:
- Cryotherapy is safe; however, it is always advised to seek advice from a general physician before starting the therapy.
- Children, people with high blood pressure, pregnant women, and people with heart conditions are not advised to try cryotherapy.
- Cryotherapy treatment done for more than a few minutes may be fatal.
- A person should not sleep during cryotherapy; they should schedule each session earlier to ensure it does not take longer than the recommended time.
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Bottom line:
The use of cryotherapy is dependent on the comfort zone of an individual and his or her ability to afford the cryotherapy treatment in booths. The expense of an ice bath involves picking up a couple of bags of ice at our convenience. So, the cost is negligible. The only downside to this is being seated in freezing water for 10 to 20 minutes. The cryotherapy booth costs more and the exposure is for just a few minutes.
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