Cold therapy has become more and more popular over the past few years, and for good reason! Cold therapy has been found to have a wide range of benefits for your recovery and rehab.
Cold Therapy & Muscle Recovery
Studies show cold therapy, such as ice baths, ice packs or cold pools can assist in the removal of lactate from muscles, thus reducing the severity and length of an athlete’s Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Cold therapy has also been shown to lessen discomfort from general soreness, decrease fatigue and improve overall performance, making it pretty useful to include in your recovery.
Cold Therapy & Injury Rehab
Cold therapy has also been shown to enhance the recovery process of certain injuries, and can be effective in the management of chronic injuries and rehab. Studies have shown that injuries treated with cryotherapy within the first 36 hours take approximately only a third of the time to fully heal when compared to those who were not treated with cryotherapy within the first 36 hours.
It’s important to note that you should always go to a medical professional for injury treatment - we are only suggesting cold therapy as a supplemental rehab step if approved by your doctor or physio.
How Does it Work?
When a certain area of the body experiences a drop in temperature, blood flow to the area slows down. This decrease in blood flow reduces the delivery of inflammatory mediators, thus reducing inflammation. Along with this, reducing the temperature of a muscle also decreases it’s activity, preventing further damage.
Cold Therapy at STAR
If you’re looking to try out cold therapy, you’ve come to the right place. Luckily for you, we offer cryotherapy here at STAR, and also have hot and cold plunge pools. You can book in for a session here, or feel free to reach out to us if you’d like some more information!
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