Cryotherapy in Sports Injury Management

Injuries are common, and whether the injury is mild or severe, immediate recovery from muscle injury is a chief concern for both athletes and sports physicians. According to many top strength coaches who work with pro athletes, cold therapies can make a big difference in the way your body recovers. Cold Play Cryotherapy systems cover more area and cool at a consistent temperature to provide a deeper, longer-lasting therapeutic effect.

Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) or Localized Cryotherapy (LC)

Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) or Localized Cryotherapy (LC) provide two options for minimizing muscle tear and injury as well as pain and discomfort. Following a cryotherapy session, there is a significant decrease in inflammation which leads to optimal recovery times for any soft tissue injury. In addition to sports injury recovery, WBC sessions speed up muscle recovery from intense workouts and may reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, (DOMS) leading to enhanced training the following day.

How Does Cryotherapy Work For Athletes?

Professional athletes and professional teams have been turning to this all-natural and non-invasive treatment, which takes only 2-3 minutes for a Whole Body Cryotherapy treatment, and approximately 5-10 minutes per area for Localized Cryotherapy treatment.

During this time inside the Cryotherapy chamber, the muscles against the cold cause blood vessels to tighten. This helps drain the lactic acid out of your tired muscles. When you get out of the cryotherapy chamber, your muscle tissue warms back up, causing a return of oxygenated blood to help your muscles recover – fast!

Cryotherapy is a consistent and deeper cold, which allows this therapeutic cold to penetrate deeper. This means that more of your recovering muscle will benefit from less swelling, pain, and edema. It also means that the advantages of the cooler temperatures will last longer because the cooling effect remains after the therapy session has been completed, so you will continue to benefit from cryotherapy even after the application of the cold has stopped. The cold “shock” of the muscles in cryotherapy is safe and efficient, unlike cold baths which are not monitored and can, in turn, cause more harm to your muscles.

Other sport-related benefits of Cryotherapy include:

  • Decreases inflammation

  • Reduces pain

  • Speeds nutrients to the area

  • Promotes healing

  • Decreases swelling

  • Reduces tissue damage

  • Moderate muscle spasms

Whole Body Cryotherapy, particularly in Europe, has been available for nearly 40 years to athletes, wellness enthusiasts, and celebrities. WBC has gained in recognition and practice in the US with athletes who are looking for help with record muscle recovery and injury management, pain management, immunity, fitness ability, and overall energy output.

Cryotherapy has been available to professional athletes in the United States for over a decade with the NBA, NFL, MMA, UFC, as well as used in boxing and other sport-related areas such as Jiu Jitsu and tennis. Cryotherapy is very effective for the healing and recovery of the “tennis elbow.”

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