Cryotherapy is a therapeutic technique used in physiotherapy that uses thermal bags, ice or special devices to treat inflammation and pain in the body, reducing symptoms such as swelling and redness.
The use of cold with cryotherapy can also be done for aesthetic purposes, through the use of specific devices, fighting localized fat, cellulite and sagging, or removing warts, for example. If you want to know about the indications and how aesthetic cryotherapy is performed, see: Aesthetic Cryotherapy.
In addition, cryotherapy is also a method for the treatment of warts in the intimate region, by HPV, by the gynecologist and with specific material. See more at: Cryotherapy for HPV treatment.
Ice pack indications
Therapeutic indications of low temperature include:
- Muscle injuries, such as sprains, blows or bruises on the skin; Orthopedic injuries, such as ankle, knee or spine; Inflammation of muscles and joints; Muscle pain; Slight burns.
Cryotherapy and thermotherapy, which uses heat instead of cold, can be used together according to the injury. Learn in the following video how to choose between hot or cold compresses to treat each injury:
How to use
Cryotherapy should be used with the guidance of the physiotherapist, and can be in several ways, such as with crushed ice or stone, wrapped in a cloth, or with special thermal bags. These bags are found in pharmacies, and can be of various types and sizes, and can be flexible or with velcro, for example, which facilitates their use.
You can also do an immersion bath with ice water, use of spray or even with liquid nitrogen. Whichever technique is chosen, the use of ice must be stopped in case of severe discomfort or loss of sensation, the time of contact of the ice with the body should never be longer than 20 minutes, so as not to burn the skin.
Against cryotherapy indications
As it is a method that interferes with blood circulation, metabolism and nerve fibers of the skin, the contraindications for the use of ice must be respected because, when the technique is used inappropriately, it can harm the person's health, aggravating diseases of skin and poor circulation, for example.
Ice should not be used when:
- Skin wounds or diseases, such as psoriasis, as excessive cold can further irritate the skin and impair healing; Poor blood circulation, such as severe arterial or venous insufficiency, because this procedure decreases the circulation of the body in the place where it is being applied, and this can be harmful for those who already have an altered circulation; Immune disease associated with cold, such as Raynaud's disease, cryoglobulinemia or even allergies, for example, because ice can trigger a crisis; Situation of fainting or coma or with some kind of delay in understanding, as these people may not be able to inform when the cold is very intense or causing pain.
In addition, if the symptoms of pain, swelling and redness in the treated limb do not improve with cryotherapy, the orthopedist should be consulted, so that the causes can be investigated and the treatment directed to each person, and the use can be associated. anti-inflammatory drugs, for example.
