Everything you need to know about this ancient therapy that’s become the latest sports recovery treatment.
The wellness industry is booming with new techniques. From Ayurvedic eating, intermittent fasting and cryotherapy – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about what works and what doesn’t.
Our founder Phil Goodwin is always on the hunt for the best alternative therapies to complement a yoga and reformer Pilates practice. After years of personal treatments and study, he’s found cryotherapy and infrared sauna sessions are leading the pack when it comes to options to shift energies, and heal.
What is Cryotherapy?
Quick, painless and effective, cryotherapy can be used to heal tissue damage and injuries, manage stress, improve skin, aid weight loss and relieve pain – in less than 3 minutes.
Sometimes referred to as “cold therapy”, cryotherapy is a therapeutic application used to bring body temperature lower at the tissue and cellular level.
At our Bondi Beach studio, the cryotherapy chamber is designed as a whole-body treatment. When you step into the pod, a nitrogen mist cools the skin with a temperature drop to approximately -130 degrees celsius.
This provides an instant stimulation of the body’s natural healing process, and you’ll walk out of the chamber with a euphoric feeling that feels like you’ve had a coffee and massage at the same time!
The benefits
Injury recovery + pain management
Whether it’s a sporting injury or mishap that led to nerve damage, cryotherapy can help. Although the human body is a marvel, healing nerves can be a lengthy process, especially if you are experiencing pain regularly.
Cryotherapy cools down the area of pain, numbing afflicted nerves and increasing the healing process of athletic injuries. The theory is that this is also a healthier way to manage pain compared with taking painkillers every day.
Migraine deterrent
Busy lifestyles and stress can lead the way to excruciating migraines. Depending on the pain level, migraines can have a negative effect on your daily functioning and energy levels.
Cryotherapy can be useful in these instances. With its non-invasive technique, it cools down the blood flow and has a numbing effect on nerves, which can reduce pain and support healing with longer-lasting effects.
Arthritis relief
As we age, our bodies become more prone to muscle and joint pains, and bones can weaken.
Arthritis is one such example, and it can become debilitating as it worsens – affecting one’s quality of life.
Cryotherapy can reduce inflammation, swelling and pain related to arthritis. While the treatment is not a cure, it can help relieve the symptoms of arthritis and similar ailments.
While cryotherapy appears to be the latest in alternative healthcare (HDC), it’s actually an ancient technique that’s been used in Chinese medicine for years. In the western world, it’s also been common practice to use an ice pack to relieve sports injuries and cooling sprays for tender joints.
Skin rejuvenation + weight loss boost
Cryotherapy is painless, but it makes the bodywork hard to stay warm! The treatment burns calories and it instantly soothes itchy, sore, dry or reddened skin – helping manage symptoms of skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.
For those with normal skin, it’s been touted for the ability to minimise pores, reduce puffiness and give a healthy glow.
Interested in Cryotherapy? Chat to one of the BodyMindLife team here or drop into our Bondi Beach studio for more details.