Pressure therapy is a new physiotherapy technique that has gained a lot of popularity in recent months among elite athletes. Different professional athletes have shared videos and images of their pressotherapy sessions on social networks, which has drawn the attention of their followers to the curious treatment that covers the athlete’s legs with a kind of high boots. The most talked-about case was that of Neymar, a top Brazilian footballer with more than 200 million followers on his social networks, when he shared a video showing how he recovered from an ankle injury with pressotherapy boots. The sports media echoed the news and pressotherapy was presented to society as a recovery technique based on pressure massages. Nowadays there are different products manufactured for domestic use that have brought pressotherapy closer to all sportsmen and women. Here’s everything you need to know about pressotherapy.
What Is Pressure Therapy?
Pressure therapy is a therapeutic method, sometimes also used for aesthetic purposes, that uses pressurised air to massage different parts of the body. Pressure therapy has a direct impact on the lymphatic system, which is made up of the tissues and organs that produce and store the white blood cells that protect us from various infections and diseases.
Pressure therapy activates the lymphatic system in order to improve blood circulation throughout the body. Pressure therapy products add pressure to specific points to better deliver blood to damaged or injured areas, relieving circulation and reducing physical discomfort and discomfort.
Pressure therapy is a non-invasive treatment that is also used for aesthetic purposes. It is generally used on areas such as legs, arms or abdomen that tend to be prone to fluid retention and swelling.
Pressure therapy is performed through the use of boots, sleeves or girdles that are connected to a machine that controls the pressure and rate of inflation and deflation of the air chambers within these devices. During treatment, the air chambers are sequentially inflated and deflated, creating a compression and decompression effect on body tissues.
What Is Pressotherapy For?
Although pressotherapy has different uses and therapies, athletes mainly use pressotherapy for the treatment of injuries and to speed up muscle recovery after high-intensity training or competition.
It is very simple to operate. The athlete puts on the pressotherapy suit on the desired area to start the session. Gradually, pressure begins to build up in the air, in the form of pressure waves that drive the blood flow and the pumping of blood towards your heart. Pressure should be applied in a controlled manner to activate the lymphatic system.
Pressotherapy sessions last about 30 minutes on average, although the number of sessions will depend on the severity of the athlete’s injury or the intensity of the physical exercise practised.
Benefits of pressure therapy
The activation of the lymphatic system caused by the pressure exerted by pressure therapy produces a series of benefits for the body and the organism.
– Reduces swellings such as oedema and lymphoedema
– Eliminates fluid retention
– Stimulates the circulatory system that moves blood throughout the body
– Promotes muscle recovery
– Oxygenates and tones the skin
– Reduces and prevents cellulite formation
– Eliminates toxins from the body
– Boosts the immune system and eliminates metabolic wastes
Contraindications to pressotherapy
Despite its many benefits for health and for the human body, pressure therapy is not recommended for a number of profiles and conditions where its treatment could be harmful.
– If the area to be treated has an injury or infection
– In cases of severe heart disease
– In case of pregnancy
– If you are an oncology patient suffering from diseases such as cancer or a tumour
– If you are prone to low blood pressure (pressure therapy lowers blood pressure)
– If you are prone to blood clots or thrombosis
Pressotherapy at home
Previously we could only have a pressotherapy session in a health centre or beauty clinic. The high cost of the machine and the lack of knowledge about the existence of pressotherapy treatments made it unfeasible to launch this type of product in a domestic range within the reach of the general public. Nowadays there are many brands that are committed to bringing pressotherapy to the homes of all sportsmen and women.
We recommend the purchase of a pressotherapy product for your home if you are a regular athlete who wants to treat yourself with the aim of accelerating muscle recovery after high-intensity training or competition. For specific uses or for the treatment of certain illnesses, it is more advisable to go to a health centre where a professional will advise you in the best way. It should also be noted that most pressotherapy products are expensive, although there are exceptions depending on the type, brand or quality of the product. Typically, the price of pressotherapy boots is in the range of 500 to 1,000 euros. It is a large amount, so the recommended purchase will depend on the use you want to make of it and the number of sessions you want to do per week. In a health centre, a voucher for 10 pressotherapy sessions is around 500 euros, depending on the current market price.
Another important factor is time. Pressure therapy sessions last a minimum of 30 minutes. It is not the same to have the treatment in the comfort of your own home while reading a book or watching television as it is to travel to the centre where you will have the session. Again, the choice is a very personal one.
Pressotherapy products at home
There is a wide range of pressure therapy products available for home use. Brands such as Therabody, Compex or Beurer were pioneers in the launch of different models of pressotherapy for therapeutic purposes and have brought these products closer to sportsmen and women so that they can enjoy all the benefits they provide. Here are some pressotherapy products for your home.
Therabody RecoveryAir Prime Pressure Therapy Boots
Therabody RecoveryAir Prime pressure therapy boots allow you to enjoy a pressure massage that activates blood circulation and accelerates muscle recovery. FastFluch technology allows the boots to be inflated and deflated in just one minute. The best product in terms of value for money.
Therabody RecoveryAir PRO Pressure Therapy Boots
The RecoveryAir PRO pressure therapy boots are Therabody’s top of the range product. With unique features, Bluetooth connectivity, 4 preset programmes and a battery life of more than 4 hours, this model is one of the most complete on the market.
Compex Ayre Large Pressure Therapy Boots
Compex Ayre pressure therapy boots are designed for therapeutic purposes. Compex Ayre uses dynamic compression using waves on the extremities to promote rapid recovery of the muscle fibres.
Beurer FM 150 PRO Pressure Therapy Boots
The FM 150 PRO pressure therapy boots are one of the most economical options if you are looking for a pressure therapy product for home use. This Beurer model provides effective compression therapy to relieve muscle tension and improve blood circulation.
