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Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, is a treatment that exposes parts of the body to extremely cold temperatures using liquid nitrogen in order to reduce pain and inflammation. The extreme code temperature restricts blood flow to vessels in the area, which reduces swelling.
Cryotherapy is often used to treat conditions such as sports injuries, arthritis, and other types of chronic pain. It can be used to reduce pain and inflammation in the muscles, joints, and tendons. It’s also commonly used in rehabilitation after surgery or an injury.
What Areas of the Body Can Have Cryotherapy Applied?
Cryotherapy can be used on various parts of the body to reduce pain and inflammation, including:
- Muscles: Cryotherapy can be used to reduce pain and inflammation in the muscles, particularly in the case of sports injuries and strains.
- Joints: Cryotherapy can be used to reduce pain and inflammation in the joints, particularly in the case of conditions such as arthritis.
- Tendons: Cryotherapy can be used to reduce pain and inflammation in the tendons, particularly in the case of conditions such as tendinitis.
Cryotherapy can also be used on other areas of the body such as the head and face to reduce pain and inflammation associated with headaches, migraines, and facial pain.
It's important to note that cryotherapy should not be used on areas of the body with poor circulation, such as in people with peripheral artery disease, or on areas with injuries such as frostbite or open wounds. Also, people with certain conditions such as Raynaud's disease, cold urticaria, or cryoglobulinemia, should avoid cryotherapy. Be sure you tell the chiropractor about any such conditions before being treated with cryotherapy.
Benefits of Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy allows your body to accelerate its natural healing stages and helps strengthen muscles and joints. It’s a great partner with spinal adjustments. After using cryotherapy to reduce swelling, adjustments can be easier and more effective. You’re not feeling so much pain which means you’ll be more relaxed as the chiropractor adjusts your spine. When you’re more relaxed, the results are better.
When used before an adjustment the chiropractor specifically targets the cryotherapy on inflamed joints in the spine.
It can also be used separate from a spinal adjustment for knee pain, hip pain or other areas of the body. By using cryotherapy as part of an overall treatment plan, healing can go faster for many patients.
Are there Side Effects of Cryotherapy?
There are minimal to no side effects for most patients. As with any treatment, there are some risks involved. There can be some soreness after treatment or sensitivity due to the cold exposure. Those with specific health conditions, such as diabetes, should be particularly careful with cryotherapy to avoid any potential nerve damage. There may also be some skin irritation or redness, but they should resolve within a day. If you notice anything abnormal, contact the treatment provider within 24 hours. Follow your chiropractor's guidelines for maximum benefit and minimal side effects.
Whole Body vs Localized Cryotherapy
Have you heard about the cryo chambers that have you sit in them several minutes while exposing the whole body to extreme cold temperatures? It cools your entire body to the point that it goes into survival mode. This causes more blood to flow into essential organs and supplies required oxygen as well as nutrients to your body. This type of cryotherapy is not used at Village Chiropractic. Rather, we use localized cryotherapy for a specific area of the body.
By using a device that focuses on just one area of the body, the results will be in that area that needs relief most. Also, for those who need cryotherapy for migraines, localized therapy allows the treatment to be focused on the head. Quite often the head is left out of the cryo chamber when performing whole body therapy.
Localized Cryotherapy for Pain Relief in The Woodlands
Village Chiropractic in The Woodlands, Texas, offers cryotherapy as part of a full set of chiropractic services that can help with pain management and healing the source of your pain.
As a patient, you will receive customized, individualized care that caters to your needs. We will look at the root cause of your pain and work to resolve key concerns.
Village Chiropractic aims to make your experience and treatment as comfortable as possible. Whether this is ongoing pain or something new, we can help assess the source and discuss pain management options with you. To schedule your appointment, contact our office at 281-292-4777 or send us a request online.
