What is cryotherapy, the concept of cryotherapy

Cryosurgery is the use of intense cold to locally destroy abnormal or diseased tissue. Cryotherapy, on the other hand, does not have any destructive effect, but uses cold as a strong stimulant for various processes in the body.

Derived from the Greek word “cryo” meaning “cold” and “therapy” for treatment, cryotherapy is not as new as we think. The Egyptians used cold to treat injuries and inflammation as early as 2500 BC. Between 1845 and 1851, Dr. James Arnott of Brighton, England, described the benefits of topical application of cold in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including headaches and neuralgia.

Whole-body cryotherapy as we know it was introduced in Japan in 1978. Dr. Toshima Yamaguchi has treated all types of pain, including rheumatoid arthritis, with short ice therapy sessions. Dr. Yamaguchi discovered that a rapid decrease in the temperature of the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) leads to an immediate release of endorphins, making people less sensitive to pain.

T. Yamaguchi’s speech at the congress of rheumatologists in 1984 became a real sensation. From that moment, the development of cryotherapy units began in various countries, and scientists began to seriously research the health benefits of extreme cold.