There is more to whole body cryotherapy than circulation boost and inflammation reduction
When describing the mechanism of how Whole Body Cryotherapy can deliver so many benefits at once, we usually put circulation increase at the centre.
Massive constriction of peripheral blood vessels ensures that more blood is sent to protect the core temperature from falling while inside the extreme cryo cabin environment. Post-session, dilation causes a flash back to the skin and extremities.
At this, biochemical level, circulation improvement creates favourable conditions for cell energy production, cell regeneration, and elimination of cellular waste, leading to better health of all organs.
Most cryotherapy research to date has been focusing on measuring changes in different markers in the blood stream, including pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and leukocytes, among others. This is also how modern Western medicine diagnoses health conditions. So, often, we stop right there, but already in the early years of cryotherapy the pioneer Dr. Yamauchi of Japan and his team concluded that there must be more to the process than just biochemistry – exposure to low temperatures also affects the energy flow through the body and the information exchange between different parts of it via the extensive network of the nervous system.
The energy level of influence may reach beyond cell energy production and muscle stimulation.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a concept of energy meridians - energetic highways in the human body through which the life energy known as Qi circulates. The meridians are dotted with points, called “acupoints,” that are the target of acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture may not be recommended by most medical doctors, but it is becoming more mainstream each year. As per Global Advances in Health and Medicine, “During the past 40 years, acupuncture has become more and more popular, evolving into one of the most utilised forms of complementary integrative medicine interventions in the United States. In fact, more than 10 million acupuncture treatments are administered annually in the United States alone. Its rise in popularity, particularly in the West, can be attributed in part to its effectiveness for pain relief and in part to the fact that scientific studies have begun to prove its efficacy.”
When the energy flow is blocked, the affected organs start malfunctioning, yet it takes time and serious damage before the change can be detected at the biochemical level. Stimulating and restoring a healthy energy flow that whole body cryotherapy is believed to do may be a key to preventing development of many diseases.
Finally, the information level. It is our nervous system that is designed to signal that some part of the body may be in need for repair. And, again, it is likely that whole body cryotherapy can do much more than simply reduce nerve conduction velocity that slows processing of pain signals.
There have been reports on WBC effectively reducing phantom pain and pain memory, suggesting that feedback loops get engaged. In the perceived danger situation, the brain may be requesting information from all corners of the body to establish the condition and determine the need for attention in the extreme circumstances, resulting in a more up-to-date picture and better allocation of the body’s resources.
There is a lot that the modern medicine still does not know or cannot explain, yet empirical evidence is building – nature-based practices can do more for health of the entire organism than isolated treatment using drugs or surgery.
And the benefits don’t stop there. If you want to know more about how whole body cryotherapy can work for you get in touch with our LondonCryo team to set up your free 10 minute consultation with one of our trained nurses.
Our Whole Body Cryo service as well as infrared saunas and lymphatic drainage, red light photobiomodulation therapy, compression therapy, Cryofacials, slimming, toning and double chin services and IV drips are all available to book in our locations – LondonCryo City (located in Liverpool Street) and LondonCryo Belgravia (situated near the suburbs of Chelsea) and coming very soon to St Johns Wood High Street, St Johns Wood.