What is whole body cryotherapy?

07/12/2020

So Why Whole-Body Cryotherapy At Coyne Medical?

We have always believed that there is more to health than pills and prescriptions. It is also about striving to be being as healthy and happy as we can be. To enable our patients to achieve that, we have launched a new range of wellness services. These will support our medical team to create our very own Healthcare Ecosystem. 

What Is Whole Body Cryotherapy?

Cold therapies have been used since ancient times to alleviate pain and to invigorate participants. However, it wasn’t until 40 years ago go that whole body cryotherapy was introduced into clinical practice. Professor Toshiro Yamauchi recognised that the combination of cold and physical exercise his Rheumatoid Arthritis patients experienced on their winter holidays had a beneficial effect on their symptoms. Prof. Yamauchi constructed the first cryochamber and successfully used it to treat patients with rheumatism.

These days whole body cryotherapy is performed in a special Chambers which have strict control over the temperature and humidity. Participants are usually dressed to allow maximum exposure to the cold. Usually, participants must stay in the chamber no longer than 4 minutes at a temperature from – 85 to – 140 degrees Celsius. Whole-body cryotherapy should only be performed under the supervision of trained personnel. The door of the cryotherapy Chamber is closed with a magnet and therefore participants are free to leave the chamber at any time. 

What To Look For In A Cryotherapy Chamber To Make Sure That It Is Safe?

Cryotherapy is now in much more widespread use. There are several different types of cryochamber that people can use. Some of them are in medical clinics but many are in gyms or medi-spas. 

The medical research that has been done in whole body cryotherapy is in just that. Whole-body cryotherapy. Treatments that are undertaken in cryo saunas, also called cryo cabins, are often not in the medical research as the whole body is not inside the cabin. In cryosaunas, the head is outside the cabin. The cooling is delivered through direct exposure to liquid nitrogen in a cryosauna. This allows free nitrogen vapour into the cryosauna which could potentially be very hazardous causing asphyxia.

In contrast to a cryosauna, there is no exposure to liquid nitrogen in a whole-body cryochamber.  Instead, the chamber is cooled either through electricity or by liquid nitrogen which is pumped into to pipes inside the walls of the chamber. This is used to supercool the surrounding fresh air which is then pumped into the chamber.

Before you get in a cryochamber, the specially trained supervisor should ensure that you are appropriately dressed, have completely dry skin, have checked your blood pressure and ensured it is normal and ensure that there are no contraindications for you to enter the chamber.

Why not experience cryotherapy for yourself today?