Sports Med: Whole-Body Cryotherapy for recovery from muscle injury in athletes. Cutting Edge therapy for patients as well?
March 31, 2013
Whole-Body Cryotherapy (WBC) is a form of cold therapy, which exposes the patient to very cold air (-110 degrees C to -140 degrees C) in a special chamber, usually for two minutes. It is generally used to relieve pain and inflammatory symptoms caused by conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and ankylosing spondylitis. Currently, this form of therapy is also being employed in athletes to enhance recovery from muscle injury. This study in particular did not only support the positive effects on athletes’ muscle recovery but also demonstrated cardiac (heart) safety. It was concluded that WBC is safe and does not lead to any negative effects in athletes undergoing this therapy. Additionally, WBC does not alter any blood markers that are used to test athletes suspected of cheating. Many professional NBA teams are using this technology to accelerate recovery from games and to facilitate healing of persistent injuries.