COOL FACTS ON CRYOTHERAPY
THE ENERGY BOOSTING TREATMENT CELEBRITIES LOVE
Although chryotherapy has gotten more and more popular thanks to celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Jennifer Anniston, Mandy Moore and even master motivator Tony Robbins; there are many out there still unaware of what it is, how it works and its benefits. Dr. Lenoard Hochstein, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and owner of Hochstein Med Spa in Miami who offers the treatment to models, athletes and high powered entrepreneurs offers some facts to help you determine if cryotherapy is for you.
What is Cryotherapy?
Whole Body Cryotherapy is the exposure of the entire body to extreme cold lowering the client's skin surface temperature to approximately 30 degrees Fahrenheit in 30 seconds. This remains nearly constant throughout the entire session which at Hochstein MedSpa, is 90 seconds. Skin receptors sense the cold and send signals to the brain to promote regulatory functions.
“Cryotherapy is a great treatment because it stimulates the body's natural response to decrease inflammation, pain, spasms and promote healing. Endorphins are released into the bloodstream, which relax the body allowing toxins will be flushed out. It’s fast and effective,” explains Dr. Hochstein.
Chryotherapy’s Beauty and Weight Loss Benefits
The immediate release of endorphins can help with insomnia which means better beauty sleep. The accelerated production of collagen improves skin elasticity and texture, reversing skin aging and the appearance of cellulite. “Anyone wanting to maintain a toned body will appreciate that studies have shown a 500-800 calorie after burn associated with the body’s process to warm itself up. Whole Body Chryotherapy boosts the body’s metabolic rate, accelerating weight loss. Pro athletes rely on chryotherapy as a powerful treatment to decrease recovery time and increase athletic performance,” explains Dr. Hochstein who is a fan of the treatment and has done it himself.
Other benefits include…
* Alleviation of headaches/migraines and physical/mental stress
* Improvement of skin complexion and certain skin disorders
* Improved rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
* Can help reduce itching and inflammation in serious skin conditions (psoriasis/eczema)
* Enhances sports performance and increases muscular resistance to fatigue
* Increases libido/sexual stamina
* Stronger hair and nails
* Helps to provide relief from nerve pain
* Stronger, fuller hair
* Psychological competitive edge
Safety…
It’s very important you have the procedure done with a professional staff able to oversee the treatment plus adequately screen the client. The best candidate for cryotherapy is a healthy person, and that health history will be carefully reviewed prior to treatments.
Most people are surprised to feel how tolerable a cryotherapy session is given such extreme temperatures. The cryosauna requires a standing positon where then nitrogen creates a “dry” cold, which is much more comfortable than an ice bath. A trained technician should be on hand to talk you through it and make the three-minutes pass quickly and easily,” says Dr. Hochstein.
How often should I do cryotherapy?
“We recommend that our patients do 8-10 sessions within the first 2 weeks and then ideally move to 3 times per week depending on what you’re looking to treat. The evaluation process will help determine how many treatments would be optimal for you,” explains Dr. Hochstein. Many benefits such as a rush of endorphins and better sleep can be experienced as early as the first session, however maximum results are obtained with repeated treatments.
Who is a good candidate for cryotherapy?
People from a wide range of lifestyles and ages are a good candidate for this treatment. While it is certainly helpful to athletes and those with chronic pain, it is also highly recommended for individuals who simply want to improve their overall health and appearance. “The results as a treatment for cellulite is quite good and many people with pain find that they come for the beauty benefits and have their aches and pains treated too,” adds Dr. Hochstein.
Dr. Lenny Hochstein is a board certified plastic surgeon in Miami, Florida. World renowned for his meticulous attention to detail, symmetry and overall excellence, including published scientific papers, awards, early entry directly into medical school where he graduated valedictorian; Dr. Hochstein has two decades of experience, over 20,000 surgeries with breast augmentation as his main specialty. His dual accreditation of American Board of Plastic Surgery and American Society of Plastic Surgeons speaks to his high standards and reputation of providing exceptional care to all his patients. In 2017, Dr. Lenny Hochstein added Hochstein MedSpa to his Miami practice to offer lesser invasive treatments and anti-aging solutions adhering to the same values of high standards and quality. Anyone selected to be on his team must be exceptional, credentialed and committed to offering excellent care.
Positive Patient Experience Yields Health Care Benefits
e-Patient Services enhance patient experience leading to better health outcomes, productivity
When Canadians have access to their health information, they are better equipped to be an integral part of their health care team. Access to health information and other consumer e-services is leading to some important health care benefits for Canadians and clinicians according to a body of international and Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) research.
"Consumer digital health solutions, also known as consumer e-services, are designed to improve Canadians' access to their health information, encourage better communication with health care providers and empower them to be more involved in their care," explained Michael Green, President and CEO at Infoway. "Consumer health solutions are one of Infoway's priorities because we know that improving the patient experience improves patient health and will unlock value for the health care system."
Consumer digital health solutions, whether online or through mobile devices, include: e-booking, which enables Canadians to book and manage their appointments online; e-visits which provide the ability to consult healthcare providers via secure email/messaging or videoconference; e-prescription renewal or refill which gives the ability to request a medication renewal or a refill online; and e-views which provide access to a patient's health record including clinical information such as laboratory test results.
According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) report, Feeling Better? Improving patient experience in hospital, organizations with strong emphasis on providing high-quality patient experience have found that it is linked to better health outcomes and improved productivity and efficiency, which has been demonstrated in a number of Infoway projects.
Benefits for Canadians
- Patients or caregivers who had access to their heath information through a patient portal felt:
- that knowledge of their health increased (78-94 per cent)1,2
- more confident managing their health (78-95 per cent)1,3
- the tools helped them feel more involved in their health care (77 per cent)2
- that access to their health information allowed them to have more informed discussions with their doctor (93 per cent)1
- make better use of their time with clinicians (83 per cent)1
- Improve the relationships between patients and their health care providers 1,2,9
- Save travel time by seeing a doctor virtually (e-visits) (98 per cent)8
- Avoid work absences through e-visits (87 per cent)8
- Patients were more likely to renew/refill prescription on time by requesting renewal/refill through a secure online system (78 per cent)9
Benefits for Clinicians & the Health System
- Clinicians reported an improvement in their therapeutic relationships with patients (60 -75 per cent)4, 9
- Clinic/Clinician productivity value
- Decrease in clinic call volume (73-90 per cent)1,6
- Reduce requests for health information or health history information (61 per cent)5
- Decrease in no-show appointments (43 per cent)7
Canada Health Infoway continues to focus on investing in consumer digital health solutions that empower patients to better manage their health and improve access, communication, and collaboration between patients and their health care team.
Visit Infoway's website to learn more about Consumer Health e-Patient Services or Infoway's digital health investment projects nationwide.
About Canada Health Infoway
Infoway helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government.
1 Impacts of Direct Patient Access to Laboratory Results – Final Report
2 Nova Scotia Personal Health Record Demonstration Project - Benefits Evaluation Report
3 Epic EHR Program: MyChart Consumer Health Solutions Benefits Evaluation Report (Pilot)
4 Holland Bloorview: Connect2care Benefits Evaluation – Results and Final Report
5 Ontario Shores' HealthCheck Patient Portal Benefits Evaluation Report
6 Group Health Centre: myCARE Benefits Evaluation and Final Report
7 Adoption, Use and Effects of an e-appointment System: Results of a Quebec Showcase Project
8 Virtual Visits in British Columbia: 2015 Patient Survey and Physician Interview Study
9 Health Quality Innovation Collaboration (HQIC): miDASH, Consumer Health Solution Benefits Evaluation
SOURCE Canada Health Infoway
