The Science Behind Targeted Cryotherapy: Does It Really Work?

Cryotherapy is one of the most effective methods of getting faster relief from pain in your body. It is also known as cold therapy as it works in extremely low temperatures.

The affected areas of your body are exposed to intense cold and provide instant relief. For better results, therapists use localized cryo or targeted cryotherapy on your body. Let’s discuss in detail about these therapies.

Targeted Cryotherapy

This therapy is also known as localized cryotherapy or localized cryo. In this therapy, extreme cold is applied to the painful part of your body. It is different from whole-body cryotherapy because in whole-body therapy, the entire body is exposed to extreme cold, even those areas that are not affected.

In targeted cryotherapy, only the problem area, such as painful knees, muscles, or tissues, is exposed to cold. During this process, the local cryotherapy machine is used to release a controlled flow of cold air for a few minutes, which is often –160°C.

It makes the area numb and narrows the blood vessels, which helps in reducing the swelling and pain. When the area comes back to normal body temperature, blood flow increases and helps in faster recovery. 

Over the years, this therapy has become popular among sportspersons, athletes, and gym enthusiasts as they are more prone to getting injured. It is also recommended for those people who cannot handle extreme cold on the whole body.

This process does not require any medication or injections. Within a few minutes of rest, you can restart your daily routine if your injury is small. Another reason for its growing popularity is that there are no to mild side effects of this therapy. Only the skin might turn red, which will naturally go away.

Working of Targeted Cryotherapy

Often called local cryotherapy, it is based on the concept of applying cold therapy to numb. The process lasts for 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the affected area and reason for pain. Let’s see how it works.

Applying Cold

The therapist starts by releasing controlled air flow through a local cryotherapy machine on the affected area. People with sore muscles, injured tissues, or painful joints generally seek the help of these therapists.

Immediate Physiological Effects

When the extreme cold is applied to the targeted area, the blood vessels in that area constrict for a temporary period. With this, the blood flow reduces, and swelling or pain is minimized.

Rewarming of the Area

After the treatment is done, the treated areas start coming back to their normal temperature. The narrowed blood vessels start opening up and allowing a fresh flow of oxygen-rich blood in the vessels. 

Effect on the Nervous System

The localized cryo treatment helps in releasing endorphins, which help in boosting the production of the anti-inflammatory proteins in the body. It ultimately assists in getting relief faster.  

Does Targeted Cryotherapy Really Work?

Are you still wondering if the localized cryo really works or not? Then the answer is, Yes, it works especially for pain in a particular area, swelling, and inflammation. It is not a cure-all treatment.

It is a support therapy that helps with faster healing. If a complete rest and medical guidance are taken care of, you can recover within a short time. During localized cryotherapy, various physiological responses occur, which include:

• Constriction of blood vessels, which controls the swelling after a minor injury.
  
  

• Extreme cold slows down the pain signals to the nervous system.
  
  

• It controls the spindle activity by the muscles and allows a better motion of the body.
  
  

• After a trauma, it helps in controlling the secondary damage to the body by reducing local metabolic needs.

When is Targeted Cryotherapy More Effective?

• After you have an acute soft tissue injury, you can visit a cryotherapist within 48-72 hours of injury. It will help you in controlling swelling and pain.
  
  

• Those athletes, sportspeople, or gym goers who have been injured during workouts or exercises can get relief with spot cooling.
  
  

• It is also helpful during the physical therapy process. They can achieve better results by combining manual therapy with cryotherapy.
  
  

• The local cryotherapy machine is lighter and easier to carry, making it available every time.
  
  

• It can be combined with compression therapy and manual therapy to enhance overall results.
  
  

• Some of the advanced cryo machines have app connectivity, which allows the user to track session duration and history.
  
  

• Manufacturers are focusing on using natural cooling therapy on these machines to maximize safety.  

Conclusion

It should be noted that local cryotherapy cannot treat all problems. For long-term recovery, this therapy should be combined with other therapies. For buying an affordable and high-quality cryotherapy machine, people are opting for various trustworthy sellers like America Cryo.

Targeted Cryotherapy is widely being adopted by various medical centres, wellness centres, physiotherapists, gym instructors, chiropractors, and sports medicine experts.