Cryotherapy Can Prevent & Treat PMS by Reducing Inflammation
It’s that time of the month again. And no, we’re not talking about your period. We’re talking about the week or two before your period when symptoms like mood swings, bloating, and relentless back pain and breast tenderness make their way into your everyday life. Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS is a common condition that affects around 80% of reproductive aged women.1
Nearly half of these women seek medical care for PMS and often rely on anti-inflammatory medicines to tame symptoms.1 Researchers at the University of California Davis School of Medicine used this link to further investigate the potential relationship between inflammation and PMS. They found that women who suffered from PMS symptoms were more likely to have higher levels of a particular circulating inflammatory molecule called C-reactive protein (CRP).1
Results published earlier this year in the Journal of Women’s Health showed that women with elevated CRP (and other inflammatory markers) were more likely to experience PMS symptoms such as changes in mood, cramping, back pain, food cravings, weight gain, bloating, and breast tenderness.
Researchers now believe that PMS symptoms are the result of inflammation that increases during the interval between ovulation and menstruation. Specifically, mood changes and pain are most highly correlated with inflammation. Hormonal changes during this interval (declining progesterone and estrogen) may cause this spike in inflammation. The use of birth control pills can reduce these hormonal fluctuations and therefore reduce inflammatory increases–but these medications come with unwanted side effects.
Inflammation peaks at menstruation and then naturally declines—this is why most women experience relief from PMS once their period starts. Effective PMS treatment should target this pro-inflammatory interval and reduce symptoms by reducing inflammation.
The specific inflammatory marker shown to increase during a PMS flare is C-Reactive Protein. CRP is an inflammatory cytokine that is part of the body’s natural immune response. Several studies have found that whole body cryotherapy is effective at naturally reducing CRP2. For women who prefer a natural solution to PMS symptoms, whole body cryotherapy is an excellent option. It is safe, effective and very efficient (treatments take only 3 minutes!).
ChillRx Cryotherapy has created a PMS Treatment Program to reduce inflammation and symptoms. Our treatment program uses well-timed whole body cryotherapy treatments to prevent PMS. In the event that PMS symptoms do manifest, our treatment program will suppress their intensity and shorten their duration. Occasionally, PMS symptoms such as bloating, backache and headache are severe enough to require local cryotherapy too. In these cases, local cryotherapy is applied to the abdomen, head, neck and back to instantly relieve inflammation and associated pain and discomfort.
ChillRx Cryotherapy is located in Westfield, New Jersey and is the only cryotherapy center in New Jersey with a medical advisor on staff. Our medical advisor oversees our PMS treatment protocol. ChillRx is dedicated to providing safe, effective cryotherapy to treat and prevent Pre-Menstrual Syndrome symptoms to allow our clients to lead happy, healthy lives!
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(1) Gold, E. B., Wells, C., & Rasor, M. O. (2016). The association of inflammation with premenstrual symptoms. Journal of Women’s Health, 25(9): 865-874. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2015.5529.
(2) Time-Course of Changes in Inflammatory Response after Whole-Body Cryotherapy Multi Exposures following Severe Exercise
Hervé Pournot,1,2 François Bieuzen,1,* Julien Louis,2 Jean-Robert Fillard,3 Etienne Barbiche,4 and Christophe Hausswirth1