LAUSR

Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is one of the newer fields of physiotherapy, which consists of the application of temperatures below 110 C for the purpose of activating the stimulation mechanisms of the organism. The cardiovascular system plays an important role in the response of the organism to cryogenic temperatures [1,2]. Included among the main therapeutic effects of whole body cryotherapy are the reduction of pain, the lowering of muscle tension, anti-inflammatory activity, and an improvement of tissue blood supply. From this point of view, it is applied in orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology and also biological regeneration of sportspersons. Cryotherapy supports basic care and facilitates treatment by physical exercise [3e7]. WBC treatment causes a stress reaction in the organism. This manifests itself mainly as superficial skin vasospasm, increased vascular resistance and increased venous return, resulting in an increase in blood pressure (BP) [8e10]. Additionally, changes in blood distribution associated with secondary congestion can be potential causes of myocardial and large vessel dysfunction, which is particularly important in patients with cardiovascular diseases including hypertension [2,6,8].