Anxiety and depression are two dominant mood disorders affecting millions of people around the world. If you suffer from either or both illnesses, you’ve probably tried countless drugs, therapeutic sessions, and lifestyle changes to recover. Even with those, there are still other options to help relieve symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. Cryotherapy is one such recovery tool meant to stimulate the brain and body while relieving anxiety and depression. Read this guide on how cryotherapy can help with anxiety and depression to learn more.
How Cryotherapy Can Help With Anxiety and Depression
Numbs Nerves
The main benefit people associate with cryotherapy is pain relief. If you’re an athlete or fitness enthusiast and suffer from prolonged nerve irritability, cryotherapy can help relieve symptoms. The cold temperature numbs pain sensors, which relieve pinched nerves or acute injuries. While this is a physical benefit, those suffering from chronic pain often experience mental anguish in daily life. Therefore, using cryotherapy as a means of pain relief can help boost self-sufficiency.
Helps Treat Surface-Level Conditions
Cryotherapy is also beneficial for various skin conditions. Dermatitis is a common condition that causes dry, itchy skin. Luckily, cryotherapy can improve antioxidant levels to counteract inflammation. Whole-body cryotherapy thereby reduces anxiety associated with dermatitis or other skin conditions. It can even help control acne breakouts. You’ll feel better overall, given the mental relief gained from healthier skin.
Restores Hormone Balance
Cryotherapy can help restore hormones, aiding in relief from anxiety and depression. Some mental health issues stem from hormone imbalances in the brain. As your body fights to maintain equilibrium, this can exacerbate hormone imbalance. Luckily, cryotherapy can restore your body back to homeostasis. This can lessen anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as other mental disorders like OCD or PTSD. Cryotherapy can also release endorphins, or feel-good hormones, to counteract levels of anxiety and depression.
Reduces Headaches and Migraines
Lastly, cryotherapy helps reduce headaches and migraines. One of the worst symptoms of mental health issues is a pulsating headache. Stress, anxiety, and nervousness worsen these headaches, possibly turning them into a migraine. Many people apply an ice pack to their heads for temporary relief. Alternatively, cryotherapy applies cooling nerve numbing to the neck and carotid arteries. Given that these arteries pump blood to the brain, the numbing effect reduces headache and migraine pain, leading to greater quality of life.
With all that said, if you’re looking for a cryotherapy center in Michigan, check out Air Cryo Therapy. We offer cryotherapy, an infrared sauna, an oxygen bar, and compression therapies to help treat mood disorders and physical injuries or pain. Come once, or sign up for a monthly membership. Your brain and body will thank you. Call now with any questions about how our treatments can help your health and wellness.
Does Cryotherapy Release Endorphins?
Yes — or, more specifically, it causes the body to release more endorphins than it usually does. As the body’s internal temperature drops significantly, your brain and other organs release certain hormones as well as brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, like endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin (the feel-good hormones). It may be that this is a defensive mechanism. For example, in times of danger, the body releases adrenaline so that a person can escape the danger or fight their way to safety.Similarly, neurochemicals like endorphins may be released automatically by the body in times of physiological stress. Since high endorphin levels make you feel better and relieve feelings of exhaustion or fatigue, endorphin production may have been useful for ensuring our human ancestors’ survival in harsh environments.
What Are Endorphins?
Endorphins are specialized neurochemicals that the body releases into the bloodstream for various reasons and under certain pressures or stressors. Endorphins’ primary effect in relieving pain, discomfort, or stress in the body, which is where their name comes from; the word is a mixture of endogenous and morphine, as the endorphin is a natural pain reliever. At the chemical level, endorphins are made up of large groups of peptides produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and central nervous system. Once released, endorphins bind to opiate receptors in the brain, boosting good feelings and reducing pain. The resulting feeling is overall pleasant and relaxing.In most cases, the body releases endorphins whenever there is a lot of pain or stress. However, endorphins can also be released through wellness practices like meditation, massage therapy, and acupuncture. In this way, endorphins are fairly similar to the “feel good” hormone dopamine, though they are slightly different.