What is Contrast Therapy and how does it help me recover?
I have heard athletes speak of contrast therapy to help them with their recovery? What does that involve and is it good for those of us that are not professional athletes?
Contrast therapy involves alternating between periods of hot and cold temperatures to maximize the benefits of both as a recovery method to treat physical pain, injuries, and soreness. Individually, hot therapy and cold therapy are both popular recovery methods and when applied correctly and together, you can get maximum benefits which can help reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and speed up the healing process.
Cold plunging is one aspect of cold water therapy or cold water immersion, which is a practice that involves immersing oneself in cold water temperatures. Cold therapy is usually used for acute injuries or conditions that are inflamed or swollen. Cold therapy causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) which helps lower inflammation and reduce muscle soreness. It has also been proven to enhance immune system support, improve sleep, and decrease chronic pain.
How is Heat Therapy Provided?
The most effective method to deliver heat into the tissues is via an infrared sauna. Infrared heat can help relieve inflammation, stiffness, and soreness by increasing blood circulation to your muscles. It is also effective in the treatment of sprains, neuralgia, bursitis, muscle spasms, and many other musculoskeletal ailments.
What are Compression Treatments?
Additionally, we offer Normatec compression sleeves for the arms, legs, and hips to further aid in muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, and fatigue/soreness management. When you perform physical exercise, you apply stress to your muscles in a way that breaks down the fibers. This temporarily causes muscle inflammation as well as the production of metabolic waste products (lactic acid, bicarbonate, etc.). With the swelling/inflammation and small tears in the muscle fibers, you will experience soreness, fatigue and decreased muscle strength.
The way compression may help is that it temporarily increases blood flow to the target area. This increased blood flow leads to increased oxygen in the muscles, it helps move blood to the heart, and it helps flush metabolic waste from the body. Our lymphatic and vascular systems naturally help our bodies with this task, but pneumatic compression can do this more effectively.
Whether you are running marathons, playing in a pickleball league, are involved in competitive basketball or soccer, or have aches and pains from work or household tasks, contrast therapies in our Recovery Room would be of great benefit.
How do I begin with improving my recovery?
Biokinetics Rehab offers unlimited-use monthly memberships and single-visit sessions lasting 45 minutes in which one can alternate between the cold plunge tub, infrared sauna, and compression sleeves however they desire. Your first session is always free so you can see how effective these treatments are and determine how you would like to move forward with improving your health. Call us now to see how beneficial our Recovery Room can be for you.
A referral is not required for you to be seen at Biokinetics Rehab; you can call us to make an appointment right now at (828) 528-1222.