Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the use of cold temperatures for a medical treatment. This article outlines how Cryotherapy works, and how using our ice boots can help you harness the power for cold therapy for your horse’s legs.
How Does Cryotherapy Work?
Cryochaps ice boots are designed to replicate ice bath therapy used for human athletes. Ice therapy is thought to reduce the pain and swelling associated with trauma after exercise and helps to initiate healing after injury.
Exercise is said to cause tiny tears in the soft tissues, known as micro trauma. Over time, the soft tissues become weakened and damage, which may make the horse more susceptible to injury. The use of ice and compression after exercise is supposed to kickstart the healing process, helping the soft tissues recover more quickly after each exercise session.
Icing after exercise has three main effects on the soft tissues:
- It constricts the blood vessels, which flushes waste products away from the area
- Ice decreases metabolic activity, which slows the inflammatory response
- Ice reduces swelling and tissue breakdown
Cryotherapy has been proven to reduce the inflammatory response caused by exercise (Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on serum mediators of inflammation and serum muscle enzymes in athletes, Journal of Thermal Biology, Volume 34, Issue 2, 2009)
Removing ice and compression after 10-15 minutes allows the blood vessels to vasodilate. This flushes the area with oxygenated blood, kickstarting the healing process and once again flushing out waste products.
Harness the Power of Cryotherapy for Horses with Cryochaps
Cryochaps ice boots for horses have been designed to harness the power of cold therapy for your horse’s legs. Our easy-to-use ice wraps can be taken anywhere and applied quickly after exercise or injury. Cryochaps are available in two models: the K2F ice boot for full lower leg coverage, and the Absolute Wrap, a handy and versatile ice wrap.