Which diseases are cured by cold and which by heat? Temperature regulation systems of the human body and cryotherapy effectors. The healing properties of cold

Many people wonder whether treating joints at home can give positive results. Of course, but it all depends on the complexity and duration of the disease. But, as practice shows, home treatment has a positive effect on the course of recovery.

It is best to use such techniques in complex therapy. So how to treat joints at home? Let's look at the most popular and effective methods.

Honey is rich valuable minerals and vitamins. This is a real storehouse of nutrients.

Honey has the following healing effects:

• anti-inflammatory;
• warming;
• painkillers;
• restorative;
• immunostimulating.

Natural honey can simply be consumed orally, used to prepare medicinal drinks, and used as compresses.

Oral use

As a solution, honey penetrates faster into the cells of the body, and, accordingly, better helps get rid of problems with joints.

Treatment of joints with honey involves the use of several simple recipes.

External treatment methods

We treat joints at home not only using honey internally, but also externally. Compresses can be made on its basis. The most effective way is to apply a little honey to cabbage leaves, and apply them to the sore joint. Pain and swelling will quickly begin to recede, inflammation and redness of the joints will go away.

You can mix several types of oils in equal quantities - eucalyptus, lavender and petroleum jelly. The price of oils is quite low. The product is rubbed into the painful area. It's best to do this before bed.

Please note: when sensitive skin the mixture of oils must be diluted with a base oil (olive, wheat germ, peach, etc.) in a ratio of 1:10!

It is very useful to carry out pine baths. Pine branches are boiled in 3 liters of water for half an hour and left to infuse for several hours.

A decoction is added to the hot bath, and the legs are positioned so that the entire joint is covered with liquid. After 20 minutes health treatment You need to dress warmly and cover yourself with a blanket. A course of 10 manipulations every other day.

Treatment ankle joint folk remedies involves the use of comfrey (see Medicinal effects of comfrey for restoring joints and bones). The photo shows what the plant looks like. You will need roots, which should be crushed, pour in 0.5 liters of vodka and leave for 2 weeks. The product is taken orally, 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day before meals for 21 days.

A warming agent will help restore blood circulation. Red hot pepper is crushed, poured with a small amount of vegetable oil and kerosene.

Approximate proportion 1:5:3. The medicine is infused for 10 days. Every day you need to shake the tincture well. Before starting rubbing, the medicine is filtered. You can learn more about the treatment of the ankle joint in the video in this article.

Treatment of the elbow joint

Treatment elbow joint(see What causes pain in the elbow joint - symptoms, diagnosis, treatment) folk remedies are carried out using chalk and fermented milk products. This method helps to quickly and effectively relieve inflammation. You need to mix kefir or yogurt with regular chalk. Lubricate the elbows with the resulting slurry, secure with a bandage and leave overnight.

The use of the following traditional methods is no less effective:

1. lotion from oatmeal. The porridge is cooked without salt in water. The product is applied to the area of ​​the affected joint, secured with compression tissue and left for several hours. A course of 10 - 12 procedures, which can be repeated after a month. This recipe removes swelling and inflammation of the joint.
2. Helps well cabbage juice, with which cotton wool is impregnated. It is best to secure the lotion with plastic wrap, wrap it in a warm towel and leave it overnight. The product is used for 10 days in a row. Helps reduce painful sensations and remove swelling.
3. Great for relieving pain natural component like honey It can be mixed with vodka or apple cider vinegar. After 2 - 3 hours, rubbing is carried out. If you carry out the procedure every day, then after 20 days you can forget about the pain.
4. Will help you feel better recipe using chamomile, pine needles and cypress. Plants are taken in equal parts and crushed, poured vegetable oil(1:10) and the next day you can rub the product in the morning and evening.

It is good to use other folk remedies. Treatment of the elbow joint can be carried out in several other ways:

1. Will give a good result lingonberry leaves, which are ground to a powder. They should be dried first. Add 1 tbsp to 500 ml of boiling water. l plants and keep on low heat for 5 minutes. The decoction is infused for half an hour and taken 100 ml 3 times a day. This product helps prevent salt deposits.
2. Wormwood is ground with sunflower oil (in a ratio of 1:5), Vaseline (2 parts) and glycerin (3 parts) are added, the mixture is heated for several minutes (but not to a boil!) in a water bath, then placed in a dark, cool place. After 2 - 3 days, the product can be applied to the joints as an ointment. Helps relieve inflammation.
3. Add a spoonful of salt to a glass of milk and bring to a boil. Apply the product to the area of ​​the sore joint after a bath or bath. The procedure is usually done at night. Helps with initial stage arthrosis.

Treatment with the methods listed above can give good results if you follow all the recommendations. Traditional therapy is not dangerous, because the main components for ointments, infusions and lotions do not contain toxins or harmful impurities, moreover, this method of treatment is inexpensive.

But before using any folk remedy, you should make sure that there is no allergic reaction on specific product and conduct a test, as well as consult with your doctor!

All of the above treatment methods can speed up the healing process and significantly alleviate the patient’s condition. Of course, they will not help get rid of the underlying disease.

To do this, it is necessary to carry out treatment with traditional conservative methods, and sometimes surgically. However, they have a positive effect on the course of treatment and help a person quickly return to their normal lifestyle.

In the video in this article you can learn more about what methods are used to combat problematic joints at home.

The history of mankind contains many examples of the use of cold water and ice to prolong beauty and active longevity. Field Marshal Suvorov wet himself every day cold water, and Catherine the Second wiped her face with ice. Well, our ancestors - residents of the northern regions - especially could not help but appreciate healing power frost: just remember swimming in an ice hole, rubbing with snow after a hot bath, hardening by dousing with ice water.

By the way, these Russian amusements in former times greatly amazed visiting foreigners, who were amazed at both such customs and the enviable health of our compatriots.

History of cryotherapy

The end of the twentieth century was marked by a qualitative change in the approach to using the rejuvenating effect of cold on the human body; natural agents ice and cold water were replaced by procedures based on the use of extremely low temperatures - cryotherapy.

IN official medicine The concept of “cryotherapy” (cold treatment) was introduced a hundred years ago by the German doctor Sebastian Knein. Having become seriously ill with pneumonia, he swam in the icy waters of the Danube and... began to recover.

However, Japan is considered the birthplace of modern cryotherapy. Japanese scientists needed to decide a daunting task- find an opportunity to restore mobility, reduce joint pain and improve general health sick. “Gaseous environments of low temperatures” came to the rescue, or simply put, a mixture of liquid nitrogen vapor and air - from −120 to −180 degrees - they made it possible to make a real revolution in the medical world. It is in the country rising sun In the 70s of the last century, the Japanese scientist Toshima Yamauchi first used cold in the treatment of rheumatism and received very good results: almost 80% of his clinic patients returned to a normal healthy life.

Cryotherapy - cold treatment

The fact is that there are 2 types of human skin nerve endings sensitive to cold. Some are responsible for creating an immediate response from the body to reducing skin temperature to the extreme permissible level. Here you get goosebumps (an atavistic attempt to fluff up the fur), and an increase muscle tone, And powerful stimulation nervous system... For example, thanks to these receptors, being in a special chamber at −150 degrees makes you lose up to 100 kcal per minute. Receptors of the second type (available only in humans and higher primates) are responsible for the subjective state of thermal comfort. Their “readings” depend on the initial body temperature, wind speed or the body’s hardening. For example, the feeling “I’m cold” is also dictated by these receptors.

Cryopools and cryosaunas are created taking into account the optimal response of these two groups of receptors. Cryotherapy takes place in a special cryochamber, which cools the gas or mixture of gases to required temperature(the gas temperature may approach the mark - 160 - 180 degrees). Depending on the design, this can be a cryopool (cryosaunas designed for individual procedures and similar to a cabin, where the patient is immersed up to the shoulders, group cryosaunas (up to 5 people) and cryotoriums (a room for 6 - 12 patients). Preparation for the procedure takes about 5 minutes. The procedure itself takes from 1 to 3.5 minutes.

Local cryotherapy is also used: part of the patient’s body is covered with cooling elements or blown with a stream of cooled air.

The effectiveness of the procedure depends on the dynamics of heat removal and the duration of cooling. The duration of the procedure is selected individually, depending on the patient’s constitution and the number of procedures already completed.

On average, a general health course of cryotherapy is 10–12 procedures, which are carried out twice a day, every day, every other day and every two days - depending on the indications.

Here are the main diseases for which these procedures are indicated: allergies, psoriasis, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, immunodeficiencies, etc.

Cryotherapy has found particular application in cosmetology, as it provides a rejuvenating, restorative and overall healing effect not only on individual areas of influence, but also on the body as a whole. After a few days, the skin loses cellulite and becomes smooth and fresh. Blood supply to the skin improves, metabolic processes are stimulated, cell renewal occurs faster.

In addition, such stressful situation causes the body to quickly get rid of extra calories, therefore general cryotherapy is considered one of effective methods weight loss.

Contraindications for use are conditions with high fever, acute infectious diseases, tuberculosis, diabetes, cardiovascular failure and some other conditions in which accelerating metabolism may be unnecessary.

Video about cryotherapy

Cryotherapy at home

How can you make a universal treatment device at home? A cryopack will help you with this. These simple devices can be made from available materials and are available to everyone. But when making and using cryopaks, you must follow some rules, otherwise you may not only fail to achieve a therapeutic effect, but also get frostbite.

A cryopack is a heating pad in reverse. There are industrial cryopackages - plastic containers filled with liquid with a low melting point, but you can make a cryopackage yourself.

Use a rubber heating pad or cold compress bottle. Prepare water solution salt at the rate of 120 grams of salt per liter of water. The freezing point of salt water is 3–4 degrees below zero - this is quite enough for primary therapeutic effect ice in a cryo bag. Place the heating pad in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. After 2–3 hours, the solution in the heating pad will completely freeze. After this, you can proceed to the procedures.

Remove the heating pad from the refrigerator and wait until at least a little liquid appears in it again (this can be determined by hearing by shaking). Wrap the heating pad in a dry cloth and apply it to the sore spot.

So, with light massaging movements you need to apply the package to the sore spot or to its corresponding areas on the arms, legs or face. After 2-3 minutes the skin will turn red. During the first procedure, the heating pad is applied to one place for no more than 3 minutes. At first blood vessels They contract for a short time, then expand for a long time, and blood rushes to the sore spot. After putting the cryopack aside, you should insulate the reddened area of ​​the skin, rest for 10-15 minutes until the skin restores its original color (rest time individually - from 2 to 15 minutes). Then you need to repeat the procedure again until the skin turns red, sore spot needs to be wrapped up long time, and remove the ice and water with gratitude.

Make sure that the napkin remains dry and that there are solid ice particles in the heating pad. During one session, you can apply the package to one place no more than 3 times, and the time between applications should be at least 10 minutes.

With the help of such a simple manipulation, many ailments are treated. Honey, clay, juices, and herbal decoctions are added to the water to enhance the healing effect.

What happens under the influence of a cryopackage?

During contact with the cryopackage, the skin temperature in the treatment area decreases to 0 degrees Celsius. If you hold the bag longer, you can “earn” frostbite. Carefully monitor the effects within 24 hours after the procedure. If they appear signs of lung frostbite, namely: itching, prolonged (more than 3 hours) redness, contact time should be reduced or the thickness of the napkin should be increased. Cryotherapy sessions are repeated after 3-4 hours, as needed. Be attentive and careful, and then home cryotherapy will help you in the fight against ailments.

Self-medication with cold

When self-medicating with cryopaks, you need to keep the following in mind:

• the method is safe if you do not delay the time of exposure to ice (that is, apply it strictly until the skin turns red);
• do not cool your hands (protect with mittens); do not apply used ice to another place, but throw it away;
• do not place several cryopackages at the same time; do not allow moisture to form above the cryopackage (put another film on the wet cryopackage);
• the frequency of applications should be no more than one to three times a day;
• intolerance to cold should be overcome by training;
• Some diseases require sequential application of applications in two places - on the sore spot (or the area where it corresponds) and on the stomach.

Below are ice patterns for some common conditions:

Video about how to treat joints with cold

The method of influencing the body with cold is called cryotherapy. This effect is used during certain surgical procedures, in sports medicine - for injuries, in dentistry - in cases surgical intervention. The cryotherapy procedure should only be performed medical workers in a hospital setting, except in cases of sports medicine. At sports injuries team doctor freezes with cold with a special drug place of damage. However, cryotherapy can also be used at home to treat bruises, for example. The topic of our conversation today is cryotherapy, cold treatment.

Cryotherapy: cold treatment at home

At home there is a simple and affordable way cryotherapy treatment. Can be stopped quickly profuse bleeding from deep cut on your finger if you expose it to very low temperatures (for example, cold frosty air outside the window).

The blood clots quickly, and the bandage is applied without special problems(tested on personal experience).

At severe bruises Apply a piece of ice to the sore spot. As soon as the ice begins to melt, it must be replaced with another. When exposed to ice immediately after an injury, the hematoma at the site of the injury takes on minimal dimensions (tested from personal experience).

Cryotherapy treatment has its disadvantages. The disadvantage of using cryotherapy in living conditions is its dependence on temperature fluctuations external environment and the presence (or absence) of ice.

Cryotherapy: benefits for the body

The human body consists mainly of proteins, fats and water. Proteins are the building blocks of the main parts of the human body: blood and muscles, nerves and skin. Water and fat are necessary auxiliary substances.

Exceeding the percentage composition of water and fats in relation to proteins significantly reduces the body's resistance to pathogenic influences. The balance of proteins, fats and water in the body helps to stabilize the muscular system, which provides motor activity the whole body, and normal functioning nervous system guarantees high level mental activity.

Optimal ratio water, fat and protein in the human body is a necessary condition efficient work his organs and health.

Sedentary image life, poor nutrition, wearing too warm clothes, lack of clean air lead to an imbalance in the proportions in chemical composition body tissues and physical properties its organs and systems.

The cryotherapy process should be aimed at removing excess water and fats from the body and increasing the amount of proteins. At correct implementation Cold treatment in the human body strengthens the skeletal and muscular systems, enriches them with proteins, and normalizes the amount of fat in the protective subcutaneous layer. Reasonably carried out cold treatment can rid the body of colds.

Healing properties cold

Clean and oxygen-rich air - necessary condition for the body to produce high-quality blood, the composition of which determines the health and performance of the entire body. At oxygen deficiency decay and waste products are not completely eliminated from the body, which leads to a slowdown in the blood circulation process and poisoning of the body with remaining toxins, disorders heart rate and increase blood pressure.

Cold air is richer in oxygen; in winter the oxygen density is much higher than in spring or summer. Inhaling clean cold air - a type of cryotherapy - significantly activates metabolism, which enhances the process of burning fat and removing carbohydrates from the body. Excess fluid is actively removed through the excretory organs: kidneys, intestines, skin.

Sports exercises and other vigorous movements in the fresh cold air - excellent remedy for hardening and strengthening the body. Physical activities open, clean and cold air contributes to proper operation respiratory organs and digestive system. During cold treatment (cryotherapy), there is an influx of oxygen and vigorous evaporation of moisture from the surface of the skin, and increased gas exchange. As a result, the body experiences a change in the ratio of water, fat and protein.

Cold treatment: methods of application

IN therapeutic purposes During cryotherapy, washing, wiping or cold wrapping is carried out only when very high temperature the body in feverish states, when blood rushes in large quantities to the head and upper torso.

Such actions distract excess heat from the upper body (in particular, from the brain), equalize the overall temperature and promote uniform distribution of blood throughout the body. When there is a significant increase in body temperature, cooling cryotherapy procedures are used.

They usually start with applying a cold bandage to the forehead. This procedure is performed using a napkin made of pure linen, which is moistened with cold water (preferably with ice), wrung out and folded into several layers. To successfully carry out the cryotherapy procedure, it is advisable to use 2 napkins and apply them alternately. To achieve greater effect, you can add vinegar infused with rose petals to cold water.

Cold treatment is scientifically called cryotherapy. Unlike heat, which affects the entire body as a whole and allows you to maintain the effect obtained from thermal procedures for for a long time, cold acts locally and permanently, causing exactly the opposite reactions in the body. Although, just like heat, cold relieves pain well, but, by directly influencing cell receptors and, as it were, “turning off” their sensitivity, it can only cope with superficial areas.

Cold treatment (cryotherapy) has a refreshing, tonic effect on the body, causing muscle contraction, but at the same time the metabolism is accelerated, and heat transfer from the body is reduced. That's why a cold shower in the morning invigorates and helps the body finally wake up.

Also, cold treatment has the property of rejuvenating the entire body as a whole and fighting overweight, which is used in cosmetology centers.

Cold causes constriction of blood vessels and capillaries, which helps stop various bleeding.

Indications for cold treatment

Cold treatment (cryotherapy) is effective for various bruises, sprains, microtraumas, closed fractures at the very beginning stage. By soothing pain, cold stops subcutaneous hemorrhages, which prevents the development of hematomas later. For joint and muscle inflammation, cold can significantly alleviate the patient's condition.

For burns, the affected areas are also treated with cold, that is, cryotherapy is used. This relieves heat, pain, soothes irritated skin, and promotes blood flow.

Cold treatment is used to stop bleeding. For example, to stop nosebleeds, use a cold compress applied to the back of the head. When using local cold, it is important not to expose diseased areas to too long, as this can cause cell atrophy (death).

There is a Morath-Destre rule, according to which “the vessels of the skin, kidneys and heart react identically, but oppositely to the vessels abdominal cavity. Thus, we have the opportunity, by acting on some (any) points of the skin, to transmit this effect in the direct or opposite direction to other zones or organs.” And this rule really works during cryotherapy.

Nowadays dousing, swimming in an ice hole, walking barefoot in the snow and other types are very popular. preventive treatment cold. Undoubtedly, cryotherapy procedures heal the body and increase its protection, in addition, they help get rid of various skin infections, stimulate the heart, help keep the cells of the whole body in good shape.

Contraindications to cold treatment

But still, cryotherapy should be treated with caution. If healthy person cold procedures will only bring benefits, then for a person with a weakened immune system, who has suffered from any disease or suffers from it during the procedures, failure to comply with strict temperature conditions can cause health problems.

In the 21st century The environment has deteriorated so much that the human body is working to the point of wear and tear: energy losses are not compensated for by proper rest and a healthy atmosphere, and the body’s strength is depleted. In this state, a person cannot perceive the cold adequately and may react too painfully to it. Cold influences general are not dangerous if the body is well warmed up before and after the procedure, but in general cryotherapy is contraindicated for people with low immunity and poor health. They need procedures carried out in the following sequence: warmer, then cool and only then cold.

General cold procedures are not recommended for use immediately before or immediately after eating. General cryotherapy procedures are strictly contraindicated for people suffering from acute heart failure, myocardial infarction and those who have suffered cerebral strokes.

Types of cryotherapy

Cold treatment (cryotherapy), based on the scope of its application, is divided into general and local.

TO general types Cryotherapy includes cold water douches, cold baths, showers, refrigeration chambers, and local cryotherapy includes compresses with ice or cold water, as well as a stream of nitrogen vapor.

A cold compress is used for local lesions - bruises with subcutaneous hemorrhages, sprains, bleeding, inflammatory processes, spastic paralysis muscles, arthritis. The earlier the compress was applied, the more effective its effect will be.

A cold compress relieves headache for migraines caused by vasodilation.

This type Compresses for cryotherapy are made as follows: flannel or other soft cloth moisten in cold water with ice and apply tightly to the affected area. As the compress warms up, change it every 2 to 4 minutes. The total duration of application of the compress should not exceed 10-12 minutes.

You can prepare a compress for cryotherapy in another way: moisten the cloth with a 3% salt solution, put it in a linen bag and leave it in the freezer for 4 - 5 hours. Then apply it to the sore spot. To soften the fabric, you can lightly moisten it with water.

A cold compress can be replaced with a rubber bladder filled with ice. The cryotherapy technique will be the same.

Cryotherapy in medicine

In clinics for local treatment cold uses a directed flow of nitrogen vapor or special gel packs kept at a temperature of - 12 °C. They are applied to the sites of burns, bruises, sprains, etc. They have been used in cosmetology medicine for several decades a liquid nitrogen for removing warts, papillomas, scars, acne.

General cryotherapy procedures include not only cold showers and baths, aimed at hardening the body and available at home. In specialized clinics, cold treatment is carried out using refrigeration chambers. A person is placed in such a chamber at a temperature of -100 - 120 ° C for 1-3 minutes.

The cryotherapy method gives strength to muscles, relieves general inflammation joints and musculoskeletal tissues, has a general analgesic effect. Sometimes the chamber is filled with nitrogen, cooled to very low temperatures, down to -150 oC, and a person is also placed there for 1-2 minutes, while protecting the limbs and respiratory organs from frostbite. In addition to the above health effects, this allows the body to better overcome post-operative conditions.

PHOTO Getty Images

Cryotherapy, that is, cold treatment, is a rather old method. It involves both local therapy (when one area of ​​the body is cooled) and general therapy (when the entire body is cooled). From history textbooks, many remember that commander Suvorov doused himself with cold water every day. Also a kind of cryotherapy.

A little history

The first cryosaunas appeared in Japan in the 1970s. Cooling in them was created by nitrogen vapor. Temperature was selected by trial and error. It suddenly became clear that a course of procedures in a cryosauna not only helps with joint and back pain, but can also treat arthrosis. Under the influence of cold, the joints became stronger and aged much more slowly. It is because of this chondroprotective effect that German specialists, who have always paid a lot of attention to rehabilitation issues, became interested in the Japanese development.

Figuratively speaking, in three minutes in a cryosauna a person manages to fight a tiger and run away from it

In Germany, the technology was first secured. In the Japanese version, a person stood in a special vat (temperature minus 120 °C), and his head remained outside - warm (+20 °C), because nitrogen vapor cannot be inhaled. Such a temperature range is a risk for the body. The Germans created a room in which laminar cold is maintained - minus 110 °C. It was they who determined this temperature and the time of safe stay in it - from 1 to 3 minutes. Cryosauna rooms are only available in large medical institutions And rehabilitation centers(for example, in our Lapino clinical hospital). The simplest cryosaunas in the form of a vat or capsule are available in various centers and beauty salons.

Why does this work?

Where does it come from? healing effect cryosaunas? After all, the cold does not penetrate deeply, but acts only on the surface of the body. How it can affect work internal organs? It's simple. Humans evolved under the influence of cold; we have more receptors on our bodies that respond to low temperatures than to heat or other factors. Cold receptors in to a greater extent capable of triggering a metabolic response in the body.

Of course, cold is stressful, but in this case useful.

Nature designed physiological stress to provide us with additional abilities. This is the stress that helped the Neanderthal escape from the tiger. Under its influence there is a release of catecholamine, norepinephrine, adrenaline - chemical substances, which dramatically increase human capabilities. Every day, standing in traffic jams or sitting at work, we also experience stress, but all its biochemistry does not splash out, but circulates throughout the body, causing harm to the brain, blood vessels, leading to diseases and premature aging. By the way, one of the reasons for premature aging of the ovaries in women is chronic stress.

In Europe, cryosauna is used to treat depression, alcoholism and drug addiction.

The cryosauna is for us like that tiger for the Neanderthal. However, nature does not provide that a person can fall into a temperature of minus 110 degrees. The body does not have a ready response to such stress.

Therefore, the biochemical reaction to it is special. The release of necessary factors is turned on, and unnecessary ones are turned off. That is, we get all the positive moments of stress and remove the negative ones. Figuratively speaking, in three minutes in a cryosauna a person manages to fight a tiger and run away from it. That’s why cryosauna is so often used in sports medicine to prepare Olympic teams.

What does a cryosauna treat? Excess weight and cellulite

. The reaction to cryotherapy is the activation of bioenergetic processes, that is, the burning of calories starts. 3 minutes in a cryosauna is minus 1500 kcal. At the same time, it is the fat that goes away, the skin tightens, and cellulite decreases. Cosmetologists often recommend a cryosauna before the main facial or body care procedure, as the skin’s sensitivity to subsequent effects increases. Depression and addictions. Interesting effect

cryotherapy - stimulation of the release of endorphins. Therefore, in Europe, cryosauna is used to treat depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. Autoimmune diseases. This is where the effect of reducing the level of inflammatory molecules in the body as a whole works. The same effect is used to treat joints and in anti-age medicine. It also works when it comes to premature aging

ovaries. Therefore, cryosauna can be recommended to almost all women. Skin diseases . There are noticeable improvements even with such serious illnesses like psoriasis. And acne and others skin rashes

Cryotherapy can eliminate it for a long time. Under the influence of cold, inflammatory elements disappear, and sebum production decreases. Although if you are predisposed to acne, relapse is still possible after a few weeks or months.

How is the procedure done?

The wild cold is not felt because the air is dry. In addition, cold receptors are blocked and the temperature is not perceived realistically.

A nurse always watches the patient through the window and through a microphone and announces how much time is left. By the 3-5th procedure a feeling of comfort comes.

About the expert Elena Silantyeva, doctor medical sciences in the specialties of obstetrics and gynecology, restorative medicine , physiotherapy, balneology and sports medicine. Deputy Chief Physician for Rehabilitation Clinical Hospital

"Lapino". Cold treatment of joints, or cryotherapy, is questionable for many. And no wonder. After all, from childhood, our parents teach us, like fire, to fear hypothermia and colds, carefully wrapping us in warm sweaters and scarves. It's just warming up! It’s familiar and understandable: if you’re cold and sick, you need to warm up well. However, from a physiological point of view, not everything is so simple. And warming up is not always beneficial, and cold is not necessarily harmful, but quite the opposite - it can be a healer for many diseases, including. And mechanisms healing effect

low temperatures are well known today.

How do heat and cold affect sore joints? Warming up joints is recommended only for early stages , bye to destructive processes hasn't joined yet chronic inflammation . However, when the destruction of the joint has already become pronounced and is accompanied by acute inflammation

, its overheating can only aggravate the course of the disease. For arthritis, which is always based on inflammation, thermal procedures

are recommended only at the stage of remission, but in no case during exacerbation. Caution should always be used when using heat, as it can increase inflammatory reactions. How does cold work? Prolonged hypothermia often provokes inflammation in the back and joints. “It’s blown,” we say. However, cold plays the role of a provocative factor here, while the root cause of the disease lies in the violation metabolic processes , blood circulation (microcirculation) and spasms of muscles and blood vessels. And inflammation is a painful response of soft tissues to all these disorders caused hormonal disorders

What is cold treatment of joints based on? The short-term stressful effect of cold on the body, unlike the long-term one, on the contrary, can turn on healing mechanisms. A sharp cooling of the body or part of it, according to the law of thermoregulation, leads to a powerful release of heat by the body. The internal warming effect activates blood circulation, metabolism and tissue nutrition. Thanks to this, swelling subsides, pain decreases, nutrition and reparative processes in the joints are improved. In addition, rapid cold shock promotes the production of stress proteins that protect our body from ischemic damage, pathological cell degeneration and other disorders. The immunostimulating properties of cold are also well known.

How to treat cold joints with arthritis and arthrosis?

General cryotherapy (for the whole body) involves the use of special cryochambers, immersion in ice water (for 5 seconds) or under (up to 20 seconds). Local (local) procedures can also be carried out either using special equipment or at home using improvised means. Which ones exactly?

• Cold water. Can be used both in baths and as a jet. For example, if your hands hurt, you can immerse it in the bath for 15 seconds, then wipe it dry and wait 3 minutes. Repeat such dives with breaks up to 10 times. The procedure can be done up to 5 times per day.
• Ice. Apply to the affected joint as a compress for 5–7 seconds. Afterwards rub vigorously with a towel.
• Saline solution in a vacuum bag. 100 g cooked or sea ​​salt dilute in a liter of water. Since highly salty water freezes at more low temperatures, than 0 ᵒС, such a cryopack will better fit the sore joint.

After cryoprocedures, the rush of blood to the cooled areas usually gives a feeling of heat. It is recommended to keep this warmth longer, for which you should wrap the joint tightly and let it rest completely.

Cold treatment is contraindicated in the presence of acute infectious-inflammatory diseases, colds, acute intoxications, cold allergies, epilepsy and a tendency to seizures.

How to make cold treatment more effective?

Needs to be restored. not only expand the range of motion, but also reduce the risk of spasms of blood vessels and muscles during freezing and draft, since muscle activity heals the capillaries. Although exercises pose a serious threat, and it is better to avoid them.

To cleanse blood vessels and restore their elasticity, you can add plants rich in flavonoids (rutin, quercetin, etc.) to your diet. So natural antioxidants, among which the reference is, fight free radical processes - companions of inflammation. They will help improve the nutrition of periarticular tissues and cartilage. And the birth of new cartilage cells - chondrocytes - is stimulated by substances contained in ordinary.

Of course, the restoration of cartilage is a long process and requires the correction of a number of factors, but if you have patience and optimism, both arthrosis can be stopped, their course can be made less rapid and not so painful. Be healthy and remember that yours is 90% in your own hands!

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