Cryotherapy - Muscle Recovery the Frozen Way
Have you ever experienced a deep-set pain or tension that just won’t quit with normal massage? A discomfort that just needs something extra. Trust us… we have, so we dug to the bottom and found a simple massage method that helps to take that edge off. A bit frosty but definitely worth a try!
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, is the use of frozen temperatures to aid in many aches, pains, and ailments. With targeted placement and pressure, the cold implements an increased blood flow response to an affected area. This helps the body provide more healing elements to the injured site at a faster rate than if you were to let the injury heal on its own. Much like athletes using ice baths for recovery or children using ice packs after a playtime injury, using massage tools at freezing temperatures can stimulate healing as well. Some common ailments may include plantar fasciitis, arthritis, tendonitis, and pain caused by fibromyalgia.
How, When, and Why?
Cryotherapy, while new to many of us, is actually a practice that’s been around longer than any of us can remember. With documentation dating back to early 2000’s B.C., Egyptians used cold therapy to heal themselves well before common western medicine ever set in. From there, ice became a common treatment for diseases and inflammation while also providing anesthetic properties – or numbing painful nerve receptors – in each area. As this idea grew, more variations of the same treatment came to market and have since been so well-improved that ice therapy and the likes are now used for wider treatments, including weight loss. With years of studies and proven benefits, Cryotherapy may be the massage therapy you never knew you needed!
What to Expect
Literally translated, Cryotherapy is cold therapy and because it’s set at a freezing point, the temperature may be off-putting to some individuals. Knowing what to expect in advance can help to alleviate the shock value and can prepare you and your muscles for a new massage experience. Muscles are extremely elastic and make up nearly half of our body weight so with continued, repetitive motion, or with over-stimulation, we’re all bound to need a little muscle recovery. With short spurts of cold treatment, the affected muscle area becomes numb, lessening both inflammation and nerve pain reactions to an injured site. This therapy continued over a period allows the injured site to heal without causing too much discomfort along the way. With cold therapy though, there is a limit to how long one should place a frozen object on a muscle, tendon, etc. Use the proper suggested amount of time (around 15-20 seconds) per usage to see the best results.
Body Back’s Glacier Ball
We know what it is so what do we use for Cryotherapy? Body Back has you covered. Gone are the days when we rely heavily on frozen peas to treat an injury. Instead, we’ve developed a versatile massage roller ball, the Glacier Ball, with a metal core that better retains the icy temperatures… so you don’t have to rush back to the freezer every 10 minutes! A few hours in the freezer and the Glacier Ball can stay frosty for up to 6 hours. The Glacier Ball base is removable as well so if you need more of the rolling sensation, you can use the frozen metal core on its own. With or without, this massage ball allows you to control the speed and pressure on a sore area, so you’ll always feel relieved and refreshed when you’re done.
Not Just Cold Therapy
Love the idea of cold therapy? Some aches and pains also need the exact opposite. The best part of Body Back’s Glacier Ball is that it’s versatile and is a jack-of-all-trades. This tool may be used at room temperature with essential oils for a relaxing, holistic massage experience. Or maybe you need a little heat? Wrap that same metal core in a warm towel or soak it a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes for a personal heat therapy massage. It’s the best of both worlds!
With several massage therapies to choose from, there’s no excuse for sore, achy muscles. Take time for self-care and give yourself the necessary time for a full recovery!