Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is used to define several techniques and procedures in the medical community. The most general definition is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy or the removal of heat from a body part to decrease cellular metabolism, increase cellular survival, decrease inflammation, decrease pain and spasm, promote vasoconstriction, and when using extreme temperatures, to destroy cells by crystalizing the cytosol. It can also be called crymotherapy. The most prominent use of the term refers to the surgical treatment, specifically known as cryosurgery. Other therapies that use the term are ice pack therapy.