Cryotherapy is the name given to therapy that is based on the use of low temperatures for the development of a treatment. The technique consists of applying cold to the body to achieve a certain effect.
Cryotherapy is vasoconstrictor, increases blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory, anesthetic and analgesic effects. That is why its use is usually indicated by doctors in certain disorders.
Vascular inflammations and sprains, for example, can be treated with cryotherapy. Also fever, heat stroke and sunstroke. For the application of cold, ice packs, creams or gels that generate cooling in the area can be used.
- Abbreviationfinder: Find definitions of English word – Beauty. Commonly used abbreviations related to word are also included.
Cryotherapy used to destroy diseased or abnormal tissue is called cryosurgery. In this case, the technique is usually used to treat skin problems, whether malignant or benign. Through liquid nitrogen, it is possible to eliminate melanomas, moles and warts. In some cases, argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases are used.
Through cryotherapy, specialists manage to generate a large number of chemical reactions inside the patient’s body that promote cell nutrition, in the same way that they improve and increase blood circulation. The benefits of this type of therapy include the following:
* causes the heart muscle to work and increase its volumes, especially diastolic filling ( diastole is the movement by which the arteries and the heart relax and expand; it occurs when purified blood passes through them). One volume that is not increased by cryotherapy is heart rate;
* promotes the effects of insulin, which improves blood levels of simple sugar. On the other hand, it also increases the secretion of pancreatic and hepatic enzymes, such as insulin and transaminases, respectively;
* favors the circulation and digestion of gastric substances, and also the evacuation of the large intestine. It also helps keep the muscles of the intestines in shape;
* improves the absorption of food substances and B vitamins, two phenomena that take place in the small intestine;
* promotes improvements in the transit and circulation of substances from the portal system, thanks to which the body is able to eliminate toxins that accumulate in soft tissues more easily. The organism has several portal systems, and they are those composed of a conduit, generally transport or irrigation, which branches until it unifies again.
Among the many applications of cryotherapy, since it is indicated for various treatments, its use in the world of sports stands out. This is because it allows sports medicine to be complemented to cure different types of injuries, such as muscle overload, tendinosis, fibrillary microtears and tendinitis, among others.
In addition, the performance of athletes can increase as a result of the improvements that cryotherapy causes in blood circulation and heart muscle, in addition to the elimination of toxic substances. After a very intense exercise session, it can also be used to relax the muscles and recover from strains or bumps.
Beyond the benefits provided by cryotherapy, there are also contraindications and possible adverse effects. Complications can range from hives and allergies to changes in blood pressure or even the development of heart disease.
While cryotherapy consists of the application of cold, thermotherapy is based on the use of heat to treat injuries and illnesses. The heat can be applied by convection, conduction or radiation, both at the superficial level and in tissues located at a deep level.