Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) is a treatment that may be offered at medical facilities or spas. The process involves stepping into a machine or chamber where you cool your entire body. There are several reasons people choose WBC as a form of treatment.
1. Post-Workout Recovery
Many athletes or people who work out regularly use some form of cold therapy, such as icing their body by sitting in a bathtub full of ice or using ice on a specific area. You can achieve similar benefits with WBC, but the process is easier since you walk into a cryotherapy machine to receive treatments. One of the major benefits of WBC after physical activity is the reduction of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
DOMS is a common problem in people who are physically active and can make it harder to work out the next day, especially if you must adhere to a strict training program. Even having a few minutes of WBC can be beneficial. WBC may not be necessary for people who work out occasionally, especially if they allow several days between workout sessions.
2. Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
Some people use WBC as a way to manage chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since RA destroys joints and causes pain due to underlying inflammation, WBC can help reduce the inflammatory process temporarily. Using WBC for RA can be difficult for some people since the cold may reduce inflammation and swelling, but the cold may also cause the joints to ache.
If you are going to try WBC, you likely want to try a short session and see how you feel before trying a lengthier session. For people who have RA and take pain medications, you may want to schedule your treatment session around the time when your pain medication is most effective to help you tolerate the cold better.
3. Metabolism Boost
It is well-known that colder temperatures are more effective at boosting your metabolism than comfortable or warm temperatures. Although you cannot expect WBC to help you shed weight, especially if you are not physically active and eating a healthy diet, it can help you burn extra calories with each treatment session.
Ideally, you should have WBC after a workout, so you have the benefit of helping with muscle recovery and increasing the calories you burn post-workout. Some people also notice they become more cold-tolerant by having regular WBC treatments. Better cold-tolerance is generally associated with a higher metabolism, meaning you can burn more calories at rest and during exercise.
WBC is a useful treatment for several problems people face. A major benefit of WBC is it a non-medication tool to help with various types of pain.
Share25 August 2018
I am a mother of four wonderful children, and like other parents, I have been to my fair share of health care clinics. It seems like my children are always getting scrapes and coming down with colds. When I was a new parent, I never knew whether I should take my injured or ill child to the emergency room or local urgent care facility. I received some simple advice from a seasoned parent that made my decisions easier that I want to pass onto all new parents, along with other health tips I've learned. he told me that she tended to take her children to the ER when they were bleeding or had very high temperatures and took them to the local urgent care for any other problem. I have followed her advice ever since, and my children remain healthy and happy!
