Tired of migraines and arthritis pains? Or seeking remedies to treat anxiety or ways to prevent Alzheimer's disease? We may have a suggestion or two for you.

But if just the thought of being inside a neck-high chamber, with temperatures down to at least -120°C, gives you the chills, then you may want to brace yourselves for this because it’s ice, ice baby!

What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy (“cold therapy”) is a treatment that exposes your body to low temperatures, anywhere from -120°C to -150°C, for 3-5 minutes. This treatment allegedly provides multiple benefits to the body, mind and holistic health. The benefits include stress relief, increased mental clarity and focus, improved mood and an enhanced sense of well-being.

How does it work?

Cryotherapy begins once you step into the Cryosauna — a cooled neck-high chamber — for 3-5 minutes. When you’re inside the chamber, the low temperature will chill the epidermis (the top layer of skin), sending the body into a natural fight-or-flight response. To avoid damaging the internal organs, blood vessels constrict and redirect, diverting blood from the extremities to the core. The blood is then filled with anti-inflammatory proteins and expels excess white blood cells. At this point, you will feel like you've just had a metabolism boost.

Health and Wellness Benefits of Cryotherapy

Now that we’ve got a bit of background on Cryotherapy let’s take a closer look at its benefits. 

1. Mood Disorder 

During Cryotherapy, your body experiences frigid temperatures. These temperatures can cause the body to produce adrenaline, noradrenaline and endorphins - all the good things! This can bring a positive effect on those who have anxiety and depression. 

2. Migraine 

Imagine cooling the blood that passes through the intracranial vessels in the neck carotid. Since the carotid arteries are close to the skin’s surface, cooling and numbing the nerves around the neck area will reduce migraine symptoms.

3. Arthritic Pain

Cryotherapy shows that it reduces pain in those suffering from arthritis. The success of the treatment allowed more challenging physiotherapy and made rehabilitation programs much more effective. 

4. Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Although this is yet to be scientifically proven, it's thought to be an effective treatment for those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects could help fight against the inflammatory and oxidative stress responses of Alzheimer’s. 

5. Low-Risk Tumors 

Just a slight difference here - when we use Cryotherapy against tumors, we refer to it as cryosurgery (a cancer treatment). Unlike the full-bodied treatment, it is targeted and localized. Cryosurgery works by freezing cancerous cells and surrounding them with ice crystals. 

It’s breezy, we know. A quick fun fact here for you to take home is that cryotherapy is actually one of the oldest treatments used in physiotherapy. We’re talking about dating back to the 19th century. Though there’s been a long history of cryotherapy, it’s still a good idea to consult your doctor before trying a new treatment!