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Quirky wellness techniques come and go over the years but there are a few that have managed to stand the test of time, and that tends to deliver a level of credibility to the science behind their often eyebrow-raising methods. Over the past few years, treatments utilising cold temperatures have been appearing more and more in mainstream society, and we wanted to take a look at the potential health benefits that cold therapies can allegedly provide.

Pain Relief
The first use of cryotherapy was back in the 70s where Toshima Yamaguchi, a Japanese rheumatologist developed the cryotherapy chamber. The main goal of this device was to enclose part or the entirety of the body from the neck down and expose the patient to ‘freezing dry air’ which is staggeringly below -100°C. After a few minutes of this therapy, blood vessels narrow in the patient causing less blood to flow to areas of swelling. Once the patient leaves the chamber and warms up, certain proteins with anti-inflammatory properties are created within the blood in increased amounts. Whilst this method was initially developed for pain relief, it led the way for others to find different practical uses.

Weight Loss
During cryotherapy use, it was realised that long-term exposures to cold-related therapies reduced the body mass of some patients. This process is called cold-induced thermogenesis. There are some methods that are done in a more controlled environment. A clinic such as Pico Clinic, which can be found in London targeted specific areas on the body with a similar process. CoolSculpting which is sometimes referred to as “fat freezing” kills off fat cells in the targeted area of the body and then those dead cells are removed by the body’s normal daily biological processes. When we are normally exposed to colder temperatures, our body tries to counteract the negative effects of this by warming us up. Our bodies will either do this by shivering to stimulate movement and kinetic energy, or to use what is known as brown fat to break down glucose and white fat (which is harmful in larger quantities and leads to obesity). This process produces more heat in the body, which maintains our body temperature and helps to remove excess white fat, thereby leading to weight loss.

Improved Mental Health
The shock of plunging into a cold lake or sea, or even stepping under an ice-cold shower in the morning is enough to increase your alertness and boost both beta-endorphins and noradrenaline in your brain. Beta-endorphins are said to reduce bodily stress and regulate certain neurological functions. Meanwhile, noradrenaline is also used in anti-depressants, meaning that this is a potentially natural way of managing mental health disorders. Finding ways in which we can boost our mood naturally is an ideal situation, but of course, you should always consult your doctor before choosing to partake in any activities involving cold therapy over any prescribed remedies. A medical professional should inform you of whether any of these treatments or practices are right for you.