Cryotherapy (Cold Therapy) in Pain Management

Abstract

The term cryotherapy comes from the Greek word “cryo” meaning “cold” and “therapy” means “cure”. Cryotherapy or “Cold Therapy” is a method in which sub-zero temperature is employed in the pain management and the removal of warts, moles, treat small tumors etc. Cryotherapy technique is used to relieve the person from the muscle pain, sprain and swelling of the tissues. This technique starts from basics like using ice packs to high-end therapy treatments like usage of cold chambers. The underlying physiology of this therapy lies in the fact that vasoconstriction occurs in the blood vessels and hence dilation occurs thus there is less blood collection in the affected area and hence helps in healing process. The surgical treatment known as cryosurgery or cryoablation is also in practice nowadays.