What Is Cryotherapy, and How Does A Chiropractic Office Use It?
As you’ve probably noticed, many chiropractic offices are going beyond treatments that would have been found in clinics of the past. While chiropractic started out as simply adjustments, modern offices will offer a large variety of treatments such as kinesiology taping, ultrasounds, cold-laser therapy, massage, and electrical stimulation. Today we’re going to talk about another way that we can help our patients: cryotherapy.
When we offer cryotherapy to our patients, they are often unsure of what we’re talking about. That’s because, while the effects of cold as a way of treating the human body have been known for a long time, it’s just recently made its way into chiropractic practices. Let’s take a look at how it works and how it might be able to make you feel better.
What Is Cryotherapy?
If you’ve ever used an ice pack to reduce swelling to a sore muscle, or put a cold washcloth on your forehead in order to cool down, you’ve experienced the benefits of cold used to make the body feel better. In short, it’s any form of body cooling for therapeutic purposes.
Clinical cryotherapy goes well beyond cold compresses, though, and uses special equipment to cool specific parts of the body.
How Is It Performed?
There are two popular methods that are most commonly found at some local chiropractors. The first is spot cooling, which is where a canister of super-cooled liquid is used to cool specific areas of the body. (Think of it as a can of compressed air that gets temperatures much lower.)
The second type is a whole-body cryotherapy chamber, which is large enough for a person to step into.
Who Can It Help?
Cryotherapy has three very distinct ways in which it can help those who visit a chiropractic office.
Reduced Pain
Those who undergo cryotherapy, whether it’s because of muscular or skeletal pain, often see a reduction in pain. That’s often due to…
Reduced Inflammation
Cryotherapy reduces inflammation and swelling, which can actually speed up the healing process after an injury. This is most likely brought about thanks to…
Increased Blood Flow
The body redirects blood flow to areas of the body that are cold. Using cryotherapy to cool parts of the body ensure that blood (including the oxygen and nutrients it carries) is directed to the parts of the body that are coldest.
Is Cryotherapy Right For You?
Cryotherapy might sound uncomfortable at first, but most patients actually feel very invigorated by it. Still, it’s not for everyone, as the invigoration it offers can affect those with certain medical conditions. Before we offer it as an option for you, we’ll be sure to ask you about your medical history.
Let’s Talk About Cryotherapy!
We’ve seen some excellent benefits for those who have sought cryotherapy out, and we’d love to talk to you about how it might help. Whether you’ve recently experienced an injury or are simply looking to increase blood flow to painful areas, we’re ready to discuss this wonderful treatment. Contact your local chiropractor in Columbia or Lexington and discover the benefits of cryotherapy!
Chiropractic Medicinechiropractic, chiropractor, cryotherapy, family chiropractic
