Does Cryotherapy Increase White Blood Cell counts?
Can cryotherapy increase white blood cell counts? White blood cells (WBC) are often depleted during infections or treatments. As a result people with a low WBC count are at a greater risk of health problems. The National Cancer Institute has defined WBC's in part by stating “White blood cells are part of the body’s immune system. They help the body fight infection and other diseases.¹“ Having an appropriate amount of WBC's keeps us healthy and assists in fighting off disease. But a low WBC count can be serious. According to the Mayo Clinic this may occur due to the following:
Cryotherapy may increase white blood cell counts with consistent sessions.
Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy
HIV/AIDS
Certain viral infections that interfere with bone marrow
Severe infections
Sarcoidosis
Leukemia
Rheumatoid arthritis²
Can Cryotherapy Cure a Disease?
No. Cryotherapy cannot cure or treat any disease. However, it can help people maintain a healthy lifestyle. How? Cryotherapy benefits people by helping to reduce inflammation throughout their entire body, especially athletes. Many people stop exercising simply because of sore muscles, or worse, workout through sore muscles and injure themselves. Being healthy and having a strong immune system are the first steps in maintaining an appropriate WBC count.
How Can Cryotherapy Help with Immunity?
In the European Journal of Applied Physiology researchers documented and confirmed the significance:
“…of cryostimulation as a form of physiotherapy in treating sport-related traumas, inflammations and tissue impairments.” ³
They further reported in their peer reviewed study that
“Increased IL-6 concentrations associated with cryostimulation are a good argument for using cryotherapy in increasing the body's immunity.” ³
The test subjects in this study were young men in good health who went through a standard nitrogen-powered cryotherapy session for 10 days in a row. Their blood levels were taken before the session and 30 minutes after, revealing the gradual improvements in their blood products as the 10 days came to completion. Further research is needed before any concrete claims can be made.
Cryotherapy offers a solid two-prong approach towards a healthier immune system. Firstly, the inflammation-reducing results of cryotherapy help people exercise with less risk of injury. As people exercise with more confidence they can build up their overall general health, aiding their immunity. Secondly, cryotherapy “is a positive stress-inducing factor for a healthy body and repeated in a series of sessions, may lead to an activation of antioxidant enzymes and immunoactive proteins.” ³ More exercise and a higher level of antioxidant enzymes translate to a healthier body.
Learn more about the benefits of cryotherapy and go through the many cryotherapy clinical studies.
Founded on facts: for peer-reviewed articles, scholarly journals, and articles cited above please see the below sources.
https://www.cancer.gov/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/low-white-blood-cell-count/basics/definition/sym-20050615
Lubkowska, A., Szygula, Z., Klimek, A.J. et al. Do sessions of cryostimulation have influence on white blood cell count, level of IL6 and total oxidative and antioxidative status in healthy men?. Eur J Appl Physiol 109, 67–72 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1207-2
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