Cryotherapy:
low temperatures to fight pain and inflammation

Cryotherapy comes from the Greek word “cryo”, meaning “cold”. Cryotherapy therefore refers to the use treatments involving cold temperatures. The term is used as an umbrella term for various forms of cold therapy. Cryotherapy is one of the so-called thermo-therapies, which use the temperature difference between the body and its environment or between the body and a cold object for health and well-being purposes. Due to the rapid reducation in body temperature caused by the exposure to low temperatures, a thermal shock reaction occurs in the body which actives the body’s defensive reflex responses. These, in turn, have a positive effect on various complaints and diseases.

The cold termperature during cryotherapy causes blood vessels to constrict, thus reducing blood supply to treated areas. This reduces the retention of fluid and reduces the formation of oedema. In addition, cryotherapy causes the metabolism to slow down and shift to the core of the body, which in turn inhibits inflammatory processes. The cold also reduces the sensitivity of nerve cells, which decreases the sensation of pain. At a skin temperature of 15°C, the largest human organ doesn’t feel any pain. Even muscle tone changes through cryotherapy: After a brief increase in muscle tension, it decreases continuously in case of longer periods of exposure, which relaxes the muscles and relieves pain.

Generally speaking, we differentiate between local cryotherapy and whole-body cryotherapy. Local cryotherapy is used on small areas, which means that only certain parts of the body (e.g. joints or small areas of the skin) are treated. This can be done, for example, with ice packs, cold compresses, cold sprays, or liquid nitrogen. Local cryotherapy is used to treat skin problems such as warts, acne nodules, or pigment disorders as well as inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, rheumatic complaints, and sports injuries.

During whole-body cryotherapy, on the other hand, the entire organism is exposed to low temperatures for a few minutes in a cold chamber or during an ice bath. Its primary aim is to inhibit inflammatory processes and pain control after surgery, but also to treat joint, ligament, and muscle injuries, degenerative or rheumatic diseases of the joints and spine, as well as other ailments such as fibromyalgia, neurodermatitis, or psoriasis.

When used correctly, cryotherapy has very few side effects. If, however, it is not performed by professional therapists observing certain precautions and rules, frostbite and other cold injuries can be the result. For this reason, cryotherapy should only be carried out by professionals with special training, such as our team at Belvita Leading Wellnesshotels Südtirol.