When we talk about cold therapy, we are dealing with the use of cold to reduce pain and swelling in situations caused by injuries or muscle tension. While the whole body is exposed to the cold, changes occur in the body that have a positive effect on health.
Due to its location, the population of Pohjola has been using a form of treatment that utilizes cold for centuries. In Finnish, an ice bath is called "avanno". Let's make a hole in the ice and take a dip there. Rolling around in the snow, for example in connection with a sauna, is also a favorite hobby of Finns. In this article, we will focus on looking at the differences between ice bath and cryo treatment.
What is Cyro treatment?
Cyro therapy comes from the Greek word "krýo" which means "cold". There are many forms of cyro treatment and equipment. Each method uses low temperatures to refresh the mind and body and reduce swelling and muscle pain. Cold is the most important part of this treatment.
Cyro treatment uses cold locally, which is applied to the skin to speed up the reduction of swelling, for example. Cyro treatment focuses especially on the surface areas of the skin and certain painful parts of the body. The cyro treatment method slows down the blood flow to the injured area. The natural reaction to injuries is inflammation and swelling as the body tries to heal the damaged tissues. Applying cold to the skin slows blood circulation, which in turn reduces swelling and pain.
Cyro treatment can also expose the whole body to cold temperatures in the cold chamber. This method is called "full body cyro treatment". It uses liquid nitrogen or fans that expose the person to low temperatures for a maximum of five minutes. It is possible to take cyro treatments, for example, in specialized treatment centers.
What about ice baths, how and why should you practice them?
In an ice bath, the whole body is exposed to cold water. According to researched information, the best health effects of ice bathing are obtained when the one-time exercise is done regularly and one time in the water lasts from about 30 seconds - to a maximum of 4 minutes at a time.
The cold pool is filled with cold water and the whole body is gladly immersed up to the neck in the water. The cold penetrates quickly and effectively deep into the muscles and nervous system with the help of hydrostatic water pressure.
The body is a whole and cold shock affects it in the same way, holistically. During an ice bath, the cold reaches deep into the body's tissues and bones. Cold shock enables the body to "reset" and "reset". The brain, nervous system and brown fat undergo healthy changes thanks to the cold shock.
Ice baths are also a way to help the body reduce stress levels and strengthen the immune system. Combine the ice bath with conscious breathing and meditation. That way, you can consciously enhance the health benefits of cold shock. Ice baths are especially useful for people living in a busy and stressful life situation, because they bring resilience to the mind and also increase the amount of feel-good chemicals, endorphins.
If you are looking for a comprehensive, quick and cost-effective treatment for your everyday life, an ice bath is your choice!
Ready. set. ICE!