Cryotherapy is essentially ‘cold therapy’ where the body is directly exposed to extreme cold temperatures for minutes at a time. It can either be focused on one particular area of the body or it can be exposed to the entire body at once depending on the goal of the treatment. Whereas, infrared saunas are a type of heat therapy which is meant to simulate the same effects you would get with direct sun exposure. Thus, it is something that can be very beneficial because it can penetrate human skin/tissue. As a result, Restore Cryotherapy & Hyper Wellness says it can help heat up the muscles to allow for better healing times and decreased inflammation throughout the body. Below, we will be going over some of the benefits of both cryotherapy and infrared saunas.
Benefits Of Cryotherapy:
1. Reduce Arthritic Pain
One of the main benefits that you can get from this type of cold therapy is the ability to reduce pain associated with arthritis. This particular study found that it was effective at minimizing pain level in patients that suffered from rheumatoid diseases [1].
2. Reduce Persistent Migraine Symptoms
This type of cold therapy has shown an ability to help minimize symptoms of migraines by effectively numbing nerves that can be found in the neck area.
3. Helps With Mood Fluctuations
Another benefit of this type of therapy would be its ability to help minimize symptoms of depression and anxiety. Because it can cause physiological responses that can improve hormonal balance, it can have a very good impact on those that suffer from depression or anxiety because the therapy promotes the stimulation and release of endorphins and adrenaline throughout the entire body. This study showed a tremendous improvement in patients that suffered from anxiety and depression [2].
Benefits Of Infrared Saunas:
1. Detoxifying
For one, this type of sauna is going to be great at detoxifying the body. Because it can penetrate so deep, it can detoxify sweat at a cellular level. This is where toxins generally form. Therefore, by being able to penetrate so deep, it will allow for the detox of toxins prior to sweating the toxins out. This can help to improve your body’s immune system tremendously because it works to raise your body’s core temperature implementing a sort of artificial fever to eliminate the ‘bad’ things found in your body.
2. Reduced Inflammation
Another benefit that you can get from using this type of sauna is the ability to reduce inflammation throughout the entire body. This will allow for much better muscle pain relief. Thus, it makes for a very popular recovery treatment for athletes. Because it can improve overall blood circulation throughout the body, it will effectively deliver more oxygen to the muscles to allow for faster recovery times. Along with this, it can warm up the muscles which will help the muscles relax much more effectively allowing for better healing.
3. Weight Loss
Regularly using a sauna like this is a great way to really ramp up your metabolism through increasing sweat production and forcing your heart to work harder. It can provide a great boost to your blood circulation and increase your internal body temperature which will help you burn calories more efficiently.
Overall, there are plenty of benefits to be aware of for each type of treatment. The best option comes down to what your end-goal is with the treatment.