Emergency care. How baro- and cryotherapy can help protect against the virus

When fighting viral infections, the best thing we can do for ourselves and our loved ones is not to panic and take care of our health. In addition to basic safety measures and personal hygiene, experts recommend complex immunity strengthening, including vitamin intake, hardening and the like. However, all these measures have a long-term cumulative nature and require a long time to manifest the effect. When you need prompt action to help come modern hardware methods, such as baro- and cryotherapy.

Specialists say that a course of only 10 procedures can significantly improve your physiological performance, increase the body’s resistance to external negative factors and improve the immune system. Together with the doctor of LabRehab recovery center and professional athletes we find out if it is true and what is the secret of this magical method.

What is barotherapy?

Barotherapy is a physiotherapeutic procedure, thanks to which the body is saturated with oxygen under increased pressure. In case of its shortage can develop oxygen starvation – hypoxia, which leads to malfunctions in the work of cells, then tissues. Barotherapy treat diseases of the nervous system, heart and blood vessels, endocrine diseases, immunodeficiency, pregnancy pathologies.

Life without oxygen is impossible. However, every day we feel the deterioration of the environment. Our body feels the lack of this element, which is manifested by deterioration of well-being, headaches, dizziness, sleep disorders, decreased efficiency and disorder of internal organs. And if a person has any chronic diseases, their course worsens, there are exacerbations. Oxygen deficiency leads to the progression of diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, central nervous system, endocrine glands and others.

All these processes can be prevented or minimized by hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO). Oxygen is directed with the blood stream, reaching every, even the farthest, cell of the body. This helps the cells to repair themselves and not deteriorate further. And those cells that cannot be repaired will be destroyed and begin to be replaced by new cells.

How does barotherapy work?

The principle of action of HBO is that when the external pressure decreases (so-called vacuum therapy), the difference between it and the internal pressure in the body causes a rush of blood to the surface tissues and skin, their hyperemia and, as a consequence, the improvement of cellular nutrition and stimulation of metabolic processes.

When increasing external pressure (in conditions of compression barocamera) from the blood are displaced dissolved gases, including those toxic to the body.
Under the influence of hyperbaric oxygen in the body normalizes the energy balance and regulates the functional and metabolic activity of the cell, which helps to maintain the function of organs within acceptable limits and increase the body’s resistance in response to extreme influences.

After treatment in the barocamera, the body “works”, spending energy more economically, bioenergetic processes are triggered, the activity of the immune system is normalized and stimulated.

Why do I need barotherapy?

Barotherapy will help if you need to adjust certain processes in the body. For example, to correct sleep, improve immunity, boost metabolism, cope with fatigue, improve healing of wounds and injuries.

Also:
– during seasonal acute respiratory diseases, including influenza and pneumonia
– in psycho-emotional disorders
– in chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system – osteochondrosis, arthrosis, arthritis, muscle-fascial pain syndrome
– vegeto-vascular dystonia
– in recovery after intensive training and competition
– overtraining

Nikolay Kruglov, biathlete: I have a very specific task. At the end of last year I got an injury, had an operation, and now I would like to recover sooner and return to my usual way of life. That’s why I turned to procedures. There are modern technologies that allow you to accelerate certain internal regeneration processes. I have quite a lot of mountain experience, but objectively it is harder to breathe in a barocamera and it makes my ears pop. You can compare it to an airplane taking off or landing. In general, it is absolutely calm.

Are there any contraindications?

Yes, but fortunately there are not many. Among them:

– Epilepsy (or any other convulsive seizures)
– The presence of residual cavities (caverns, abscesses and air cysts) in the lungs
– severe forms of hypertension
– colds, polyps and inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, middle ear, developmental anomalies, etc.
– claustrophobia
– presence of hypersensitivity to oxygen

What is cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a unique physiotherapeutic method based on short-term contact of the skin with a mixture of atmospheric air and liquid nitrogen vapors cooled to -130 °C … -160 °C.

Why does the body need low temperatures?

Poor ecology, fast pace of life, constant stress and many other factors have a negative impact on our immunity. As a result, we become more susceptible to colds and viral diseases, neuroses.

Cryotherapy “wakes up” our immunity, launching a complex complex of natural defenses. All protective and restorative processes are activated, natural anesthetic substances are released, increasing blood circulation, microcirculation and metabolism, nutrition of bone, cartilage, muscle tissue. As a result, many diseases recede, increases the overall tone of the body, performance.

Scientists have proved that cold is able to restore normal immunity, so cryotherapy is actively used in regenerative medicine (after diseases), as well as to stimulate immunity in frequently ill people.

How does it work?

The therapeutic effect is based on the fact that under the influence of cold there is a stimulation of the body’s defense systems. As a result, to avoid hypothermia, it mobilizes all its resources. After a 2-minute treatment, the number of red blood cells in the blood increases, carrying oxygen to the cells. Due to the stimulation of nerve endings by air blowing, muscle tone is regulated, which has a positive effect on the well-being of the person. Such a course helps to protect against seasonal diseases or avoid their complications.

By the way, which is especially relevant now, cryotherapy will help to cope with the disease and its initial stages (it is shown at a temperature not higher than 37.5!). The procedure helps to mobilize the immune system to fight already in the first visit.

By the way, it is also an effective “antidepressant”. After the session in response to temperature stress is a powerful release of “pleasure hormones” – endorphins, which are our internal anesthetic and sedative.

Anna Sidorova, curler: Since I am a professional athlete, I understand very well the meaning of the whole recovery and not only when something happened, but in order to prevent it from happening. In terms of sensations, of course, you feel renewed. I can’t say it’s some kind of magic wand. If you have serious problems, nothing will happen from coming once. But it’s nice to have a sense of peace of mind in itself, considering the current situation with the virus that makes everyone afraid to leave the house.

What are the contraindications to cryotherapy?

– pregnancy
– under 16 years of age
– hypersensitivity to cold
– general serious condition of the body
– high blood pressure
– claustrophobia
– epilepsy
– malignant neoplasms

How often do I need to do procedures?

To achieve positive results, it is necessary to undergo a course of 10-15 procedures every six months. The interval between them should not exceed 2-3 days. The optimal course of treatment is daily procedures.