Cryotherapy or Cold water therapy includes ice massage, cold-water immersion, ice or cold gel pack application for medicinal purposes. It is a kind of treatment method which is being used to provide speedy recovery from conditions such as stressful exercises, muscle sprain, pain and inflammation.
The cold water therapy benefits diminishes with time, therefore, it is being used as a direct treatment method in cases such as pain and swelling while in others, it is used as post-operative management, in conditions which are further related to orthopedic procedures. Following are the health benefits of cryotherapy.
Recovery from heavy intensity exercise
High-intensity exercise causes mechanical, metabolic, or both kinds of stress on the body further leading to a decline in skeletal muscles performance, heat generation, inflammation, and soreness. Cold-water therapy helps in speed-recovery by reducing swelling, improving the blood flow, and normalizing the temperature.
Reduces oedema
As per the study cold water therapy is very effective in treating oedema which is related to episiotomy which is a surgical tear or the cut formed in the vaginal area of a person during childbirth. Cryotherapy helps in reducing the itching sensation, distress, and pain in the area.
Improves the condition of heart
As per the study, exposure to cold water or cold weather reduces the heart disease risk such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure in healthy adults. The therapy may further help in improving the coronary blood flow when it is supported by the regular exercise.
Relieves the pain
Cold water immersion helps in relieving the chest pain in people suffering from heart diseases. For pain related to sprain, applying the instant cold packs can help in relieving the pain by causing a reduction in the blood flow in the area of sprain.