Cryotherapy
Local Cryotherapy
The wide range of applications and benefits of cold therapy has long been recognized for thousands of years. Localized cryotherapy is geared towards facilitating recovery from injuries as well as reducing fine lines and cellulite formation. This is further supported by the results of research studies showing the benefits of cryotherapy in both acute and rehabilitative phases of soft tissue injury which proved its ability to decrease the inflammatory reaction and induce local analgesia (Galiuto, 2016). Aside from treating sports injuries, cryotherapy also offers promising benefits in fat reduction and body contouring. This procedure is referred to as cryolipolysis or cool sculpting. Cryotherapy is a safe treatment, which is considered a compelling alternative to other invasive methods of reducing localized adiposities.
Local Cryotherapy uses a small handheld device that applies a fine mist of chilled air to a specific body part or facial. Local cryotherapy is used to reduce pain/inflammation/swelling, repair tissue damage, enhance blood circulation, and improve skin tone. Cryotherapy also uses cold laser to stimulate the release of special proteins that speed up recovery. In a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, prolonged superficial cryotherapy reduces post-traumatic microvascular dysfunction, inflammation, and structural impairment secondary to closed soft tissue injury. These effects were due to the effect of cryotherapy in restoring functional capillary density, repairing tissue damage, decreasing intramuscular pressure, and reducing the number of adhering and invading granulocytes (Schaser, Disch, Stover, Lauffer, Bail, & Mittlmeier, 2007).
Local Cryotherapy for Injury and Rehabilitation is commonly used if one has a sprained, strained, or pulled muscle, is recovering post surgery, or is an athlete who has sustained an overuse injury. Local cryotherapy penetrates past the top layers of the skin to provide an efficient, powerful, more comfortable treatment over traditional applied ice treatments. This type of cryotherapy can be applied to any specific injured part of the body such as ankles, shoulders, feet, elbows, knees, and necks. The severity and chronicity of the injured area will dictate the number of treatments necessary.