What is the Purpose of Cryotherapy?

"Cryotherapy" sounds like a technical scientific term, but it's as simple as applying a cold compress to your skin. The cold constricts blood vessels in the region, reducing blood flow to ease pain, swelling and inflammation. Cryotherapy is part of home remedies, but doctors use it to treat more serious conditions that you can't cure yourself.

What is the Purpose of Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy treats conditions with cold temperatures to reduce discomfort, invasion and recovery times. The Cleveland Clinic reports that doctors use cryotherapy to treat the following:

• Bone, liver, prostate and cervical cancer

• Precancerous skin conditions, such as squamous cell carcinoma

• Skin cancer in its early stages

• Precancerous cervix cells

• Retina cancer in children

• Warts, skin tags and other growths

• Skin lesions

A National Library of Medicine study noted that athletes use cryotherapy for post-workout recovery. Cryotherapy relieves soreness and swelling, helping athletes recover more quickly and work out for longer time periods. Research suggests that cryotherapy could even assist with weight loss.

People who suffer from sports injuries follow the RICE model: rest, ice, compression and elevation. A cold compress can relieve pain and swelling from minor injuries, such as sprains and overexertion, and speed up your healing time. Cryotherapy may also treat migraines, chronic pain, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and insomnia.

Another National Library of Medicine study suggested that whole-body cryotherapy may prevent Alzheimer's disease by treating inflammation that contributes to the illness. However, scientists need more research to reach a conclusion.

How Does Cryotherapy Work?

Cryotherapy involves exposing your body to extremely cold temperatures. Non-medical cryotherapy simply requires ice or freezing chambers. However, if your doctor prescribes cryosurgery, you'll need a medical procedure with specialized devices. Skin conditions might require local anesthesia, but you may receive general anesthesia if your doctor needs to operate on an internal body part, such as the cervix.

People undergo cryotherapy to treat benign and cancerous growths. Doctors can generally use cryosurgery alongside other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Some use cryosurgery as a preventive treatment to keep new growths from developing.

Internal Cryotherapy

Doctors may perform cryosurgery to treat tumors and other conditions inside the body. According to the National Cancer Institute, doctors cut an incision in the skin, then insert a small device called a cryoprobe. They apply the agent directly to the tumor with the probe, freezing the tissue.

Your doctor watches the procedure on an ultrasound or MRI to ensure that they target the tumor. Afterward, the tumor freezes and your body absorbs the tissue. Many doctors choose cryosurgery because they can target close areas with minimal damage and relatively short recovery times, producing only a small incision.

External Cryotherapy

For skin conditions, your doctor applies the freezing agent directly to your skin with a sprayer or cotton swab. The extreme cold freezes and kills the tissue so that it falls off. Afterward, you'll wait for your skin to heal. Unlike internal cryosurgery, this treatment requires no skin incision.

Whole-body Cryotherapy

When your whole body aches, you could try whole-body cryotherapy. Many gyms and spas offer this treatment because people use cryotherapy to relax and recover after a workout. After putting on safety gear, you'll step into a chamber with temperatures that could reach -300 °F. You'll only stand in the chamber for a few minutes to reap the benefits without developing frostbite.

WebMD states that whole-body cryotherapy may treat the following:

• Weak circulation

• Slow metabolism

• Depression and anxiety

• Post-workout soreness

• Chronic pain

• Asthma

• Locked shoulder

If you don't have time for a spa trip, you can practice whole-body cryotherapy at home. Fill a bathtub with water and ice cubes, then dive in when the water temperature reaches 50 to 59 °F. Submerge your whole body for up to 15 minutes. Avoid staying longer because you might develop hypothermia.

Anyone can try this treatment, but ask your doctor if you have certain medical conditions. The cold temperature could exacerbate issues, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.

Who Performs Cryotherapy?

For minor conditions, you can perform cryotherapy at home with an ice pack. Spa and gym employees assist you with cryotherapy when you visit a health clinic. They'll provide protective gear, maintain the temperature inside the chamber and ensure that you don't stay inside too long.

A specialist performs cryotherapy for medical conditions, such as cancer and skin lesions. You'll visit a clean, sterile office where the doctor performs the surgery with delicate tools. If you don't require general anesthesia, you can ask questions and observe the procedure as it happens.

Talk to your doctor if you think that you could benefit from cryotherapy. They might recommend a procedure at a medical clinic or provide tips on doing it at home, such as applying ice to a sprained ankle.