Should I try it?
The name cryotherapy comes from the Greek word ‘cryo’, which means icy cold. But this cold therapy originates from 1970s Japan where doctor, Toshima Yamauchi, invented it to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Polish scientists then embraced it to help relieve chronic pain, and it’s now spread far and wide as a complementary therapy used by everyone from celebs to professional athletes. The thinking is that by standing in freezing temperatures for a couple of minutes your body goes into ‘survival mode’, so blood rushes to vital organs to deliver oxygen and nutrients. You also get an enormous rush of endorphins that apparently lasts for hours. It supposedly helps with everything from pain to depression, injuries to skin conditions.
What’s involved?