Cryotherapy and the Ice Massage

Cryotherapy has become hugely popular thanks to many sport personas who are sharing their health care habits. It is no secret that professional runners use the Cryotherapy Chambers to increase respiratory flow volumes and rates.

How does it work?

Cryotherapy has been originated in Japan in 1980’s The patient protected with socks, gloves and mouth mask enters the special, cold room for no longer than 3 minutes. The temperature is this chamber should be no lower than -184 °F. During the treatment, the skin temperature drops to 57 °F. The temperature of the interior organs should remain normal but after the treatment, it may slowly drop to compromise for the skin temperature.

Thanks to short Cryotherapy session, endorphin are released in vast amount resulting in immediate pain relief and minimizing the inflammation in the body. The Cryotherapy is non-invasive and non-medical health treatment and it can be recommended to pretty much anybody who suffers from muscle and joint pains, stress, insomnia and many more. The cold air shocks the body stimulating the hormones. What’s more, the vain vessels constrict rapidly to preserve body’s normal temperature pulling blood to the vital organs in a protective mode. When the patient leaves the chamber, the opposite occurs and the skin temperature rises. Thanks to this change, the blood circulates three times faster providing body cells with more oxygen and nutrients than normally. The healing process will last for many days after the cold room session. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with heart failure cannot use the Cryotherapy Chambers.

It is true that this treatment can cure not only the body but the mind as well. People who have completed a few series of Cryotherapy are more optimistic and have the blurry ‘vail’ lifted from their minds. Their thinking is sharper and they can focus on one issue for longer. The treatment with freezing air balances the hormones in the body. Therefore, many diseases such as thyroid is cured completely after undergoing a few Cryotherapy sessions.

Ice massage

Now you can treat yourself with the Cryotherapy but at lower scale at your own home. You can use ice cubs or even larger chunks of ice to treat areas of the body that are painful. You can pour the water to the paper cup and freeze it. Then, place towel under the area that you are going to treat with ice to avoid dripping water. Rip the paper to expose the ice and then rub the ice directly on the skin in small overlapping circles. It may not be very pleasurable but it is recommended to rub the ice onto the skin for 3-10 min. This method is great to treat Golf/Tennis player’s Elbow pain. The ice reduces the inflammation and it also numbs the soft skin tissue resulting in the nerve impulses between tissues being slowed down. This interrupts the pain spasm and the patient feels a great relief from the suffering. When using home version of Cryotherapy it is important not to apply the ice on the skin for more than 20 min otherwise the skin can be damaged.