[The effect of systemic cryotherapy and kinesiotherapy on blood pressure]

Cryotherapy is a short time usage of temperatures below −100°C to make a physiological reaction to cold. The 􀏐irst cryotherapy in the world took place in 1978 thanks to Toshiro Yamauchi and his team who performed cryotherapy treatment on patients with Ankylosing spondylitis. The aim of the study was to determine the in􀏐luence of the systemic cryotherapy on the reduction of blood pressure in patients with hypertension and without it.

For this study it was examined 45 patients, including 36 women (80%) and 9 men (20%). All patients were undergoing 10 systemic cryotherapy treatments. 45% of them were also diagnosed with hypertension. Time of 1􀆗􀆘 treatment was 1 minute, 5􀆘􀆌 – about 2 minutes, 10􀆘􀆌 – about 3 minutes. After cryotherapy each patient was directed to the kinesiotherapy treatment. Measurement of blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) patients was performed 3 times: 1􀆗􀆘 day, 5􀆘􀆌 and the 10􀆘􀆌 day: before entering the chamber, immediately after the exit from the chamber and after 15 minutes of exercise (within physiotherapy).

In patients with hypertension demonstrated the positive effect of cryotherapy and physiotherapy on blood pressure systolic and diastolic. In the group of patients with hypertension had signi􀏐icantly higher systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) and diastolic (p < 0.001) before treatment, compared with patients without hypertension. Cryotherapy and physiotherapy has a positive effect on blood pressure.