What Is Cryotherapy?

Basic Definition  The basic definition of cryotherapy is the use of cold temperatures in medical therapy procedures. This can be anything from using ice packs to bring down swelling and numb the pain in a sprain or other deep injury, to stepping inside of a cryotherapy chamber at a local spa to reap the many benefits that whole body cryotherapy (WBC) offers. Cryotherapy spas have become much more popular lately, and people who use them swear by these benefits. In fact, many famous people are among those who endorse cryotherapy, including names like Will Smith, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Daniel Craig. The entire New York Knicks team uses and endorses it as well, even advertising the purchase of 2 machines of their very own. So what are all these people using it for? Let's talk about some of the benefits. 

Benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) There's no shortage of benefits to whole body cryotherapy, or WBC, at least according to those who actually use it. Most every single star named above, claims that it has anti-aging qualities, and that they use it to maintain their youthful looks and figures. Often, men use it after workouts instead of icing down their muscles. It is also said to improve the mental state of mind and improve the quality of life, especially with disorders such as depression and anxiety. It is said to help athletes with a variety of benefits after exercise and workouts. It has been credited with helping those fighting obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, neuromuscular and rheumatic diseases and conditions, and the list goes on. There is a ton of information on clinical studies to support the benefits that cryotherapy and WBC can have. At places like NuWave Cryotherapy Skin & Light Spa, you will step inside the chamber that lets your head remain free but where the rest of you is subjected to temperatures far below freezing for a couple of minutes at a time. But WBC is not all they offer in the ways of cryotherapy treatments. 

Cryo T-Shock Treatments  You can also opt for a service called Cryo T-Sculpting, said to be better than Coolsculpting, which works in tandem with Isolated Cryo and Light Therapy. Faster results from deep tissue and surface repair are just some of the benefits here. Localized or isolated cryotherapy exposes a portion of the body to ultra-low temperatures ranging between -30° F to -34° F for short amounts of time. Much more efficient than using an ice pack! This method helps to reduce pain and inflammation, reduce cellulite, and rejuvenate the skin, among other things. Cryo T-Shock therapy uses both hot and cold temperatures and is done in 60 minute sessions. It is an anti-aging and fat reduction technique that comes from a revolutionary device designed for localized fat reduction, cellulite smoothing, anti-aging and as a safe alternative to cool sculpting. It uses a small pad for massaging the area instead of a cold vacuum, and achieves better results overall. 

Cryo Facials At NuWave Spa they specialize in Cryo Facials, as well. In this procedure, it is safe and non-invasive. Cryogenically cooled air has many benefits, including the stimulation of collagen production and reducing the signs of aging. The skin regains elasticity, and it reduces inflammation, tightens and tones, reduces wrinkles, blemishes, puffiness and dark circles, while increasing blood flow and decreasing pore size. For this procedure, NuWave uses electric cryotherapy over Nitrogen, so you can receive the same benefits but without risk of harmful gases and tissue damage. These specialized facials are credited with restoring youthful appearance and vitality by way of rejuvenating the skin. 

Clinical Studies And Cryotherapy  Though there has been a lot of controversy over cryotherapy treatments, there have actually been many clinical studies performed which support the claims of the benefits people are experiencing. Psychology Health and Medicine published results of a study in 2013 done on 55 patients from 20 to 70 years old with varying degrees of diagnosis, some with spinal pain syndromes and others with peripheral joint diseases. After just 10 sessions of WBC, patients reported a significant improvement in enhancing their mood and well-being, resulting in an overall better quality of life. Another study published in 2008 states that: "Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) is currently used to alleviate inflammation and pain in arthritis and osteoarthritis and for pain relief in fibromyalgia. WBC has been found useful in neurological diseases in reducing spasticity, as a method of kinesitherapy in rheumatic diseases and multiple sclerosis, and for its sedative effect in psoriasis and neurodermatitis." A third study published in 2018 in the Journal of Obesity states their results as finding single sessions of tissue cryotherapy lead to significant loss of tissue volume in the time frame of hours and multiple daily procedures lead to a cumulative decline in AT, as assessed by waist circumference, body weight, and BMI, confirmed by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric scanning. 

In Conclusion These are only a few of the multiple different studies that have been done which clearly show hard data and results that support the myriad of benefits claimed by different cryotherapy procedures. There is an overwhelming amount of information on collective studies that prove the positive effects are very real. Just over the past decade or so, places that provide these cryotherapy treatments and services have gained popularity and fame. Cryotherapy is becoming more and more known for its effectiveness as an anti-aging treatment, as well as its many other benefits. It was originally discovered, believe it or not, back in 1978 by a Japanese doctor named Toshima Yamauchi who was looking for a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. However, the history of cryotherapy goes all the way back to 2500 B.C. Many books and articles were written about cryotherapy in the early 19th century. Dr. James Arnott, back in 1845, observed the local cold application on numerous conditions from headaches to tumors, and reported back the benefits. He is often referred to as the father of cryosurgery. If you are interested in experiencing the multiple benefits of cryotherapy, visit Nuwave Cryotherapy Skin and Light Spa today.