Already firmly embedded into the health and beauty regimes of celebrities and sports stars internationally, cryotherapy is a revolutionary, non-invasive treatment taking the health and fitness world by storm. Luke Guanlao, Co-Founder of Cryoclinics Australia, talks about why Cryotherapy is the new wellness tech with many benefits.
As one of the first to bring this phenomenon down under, at Cryoclinics Australia we are passionate about providing clients the opportunity to experience this innovative treatment. With the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Daniel Craig and Jennifer Aniston already firm believers in cryotherapy; we are excited to share its benefits here in Australia.
Cryotherapy is scientifically proven to be of benefit for a variety of reasons including muscle recovery, arthritic pain relief, reduction of joint and inflammation pain, increased metabolism (burn up to 600 calories in one session!), boost your skin’s collagen, as well as having the ability to boost moods through the release of endorphins.
Whole body cryotherapy involves spending short periods of time in a cryosauna – a temperature-controlled cooling chamber with temperatures as low as -150 degrees. When the body is exposed to these freezing temperatures, the body’s natural response is flight or fight mode. As this happens, blood rushes to our vital organs to protect them, and as the blood rushes through our cardiovascular system, the body eliminates toxins and supplies them with nutrients, enzymes and oxygen.
As we age, many of us develop rheumatic diseases, which are characterised by inflammation of joints. This inflammation affects the connecting or supporting structures of the body, however there is now scientific evidence that sufferers of rheumatic diseases can benefit from cryotherapy. A study undertaken by a group of individuals suffering from a range of issues such as chronic back pain, arthritis and autoimmune diseases felt positive results immediately after whole body cryotherapy treatments. Furthermore, these individuals now find cryotherapy to be an essential part of their rehabilitation programme .
A similar study also concerning whole body cryotherapy in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases tested a total of 60 patients over the age of 55. These patients underwent treatment with whole body cryotherapy twice a day and for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a significant reduction in their Disease Activity Score and VAS (visual analog scale) was recorded. This study is another fantastic example of how whole body cryotherapy is an effective option in the notion of treatment in inflammatory rheumatic diseases. All patients who undertook this study noticed a significant reduction of pain over a period of two months, which in turn allowed for an intensification of their physiotherapy treatment.
Another study, which was to test whether significant pain relief could be achieved by means of cold therapy also showed impressive results. This study consisted of 120 patients ranging from 30-67 years of age with a multitude of problems such as arthritis, back pain and trauma related pain. These patients were treated for 2.5 minutes on average in the cryochamber with their pain levels being analysed. It was shown that the pain level after the application of the cold therapy decreased significantly.
This final study is another clear example of how cryotherapy can improve a person’s quality of life. In addition to pain management for joints, whole body cryotherapy is proven to help sufferers of tinnitus – a condition where patients experience noises or ringing in their ears or head although no external noise is present. The aim of this study was to discover the effectiveness of whole body cryotherapy in patients suffering from this condition. Like any individual that comes into a Cryoclinics Australia clinic, all patients involved in the study received an additional consultation to ensure that they qualified for cryotherapy. Post treatment, individuals were evaluated using a points scale assessment to establish the level of tinnitus before and after treatment. Of the 73 women and 47 men involved in this study, four patients indicated complete elimination of tinnitus while 47 stated having a dramatic decrease in the intensity of the condition. Whilst there is no denying that whole body cryotherapy is an effective treatment for a range of physical and non-physical issues, this study concludes that whole body cryotherapy may also be effective for those suffering from tinnitus.
While whole body cryotherapy is widely appraised for its benefits on the body, the improvements it has on the mind are equally as impressive – a topic important to any age group, and most particularly as we get older. Studies undertaken to observe the mental health of patients after whole body cryotherapy show that a state of improved deep relaxation, improved mood and euphoria was recorded following the treatment. This unusual state was reported to last for a long time after ending the cycle of cryotherapy. A similar study focusing on a group of 18-65 year olds who had daily, 2-3 minute cryogenic treatments for 15 minutes, found that they also showed more improvements after three weeks in comparison to individuals who received sporadic treatments.
Whole body cryotherapy provides a multitude of benefits for all types of bodies and all ages. At Cryoclinics Australia, patients step into the chamber with minimal clothing to achieve the greatest effects. Similar to an early-morning swim, whole body cryotherapy is much quicker and efficient and leaves you feeling energised.
Add Comment