What Is Cryotherapy Good For?

In the health and fitness world, the term Cryotherapy gets thrown around to mean one thing, but can be applied to different situations. Let’s distinguish what Cryotherapy is and how this information could be useful to you and your health.

What is Cryotherapy

Cryo- (cold) and therapy (medical treatment) are both Greek-based words that combine to indicate treating a condition with cold. In the medical profession, cryotherapy is most often used in surgery or as an analgesic. If you’ve ever used an ice pack to treat a sprained ankle, or had your warts frozen off at the doctor’s office, you’ve experienced a form of cryotherapy. 

If you were to type “cryotherapy near me” in the great google machine, you would likely find a few cold spas enticing you to submerge yourself in a room or chamber that plummets down to -200℃ for a short period of time. Why would anyone willingly do this?

The Claims

There have been many health benefit claims about the continued use of these cold chambers.  Such as:

  • Reduced muscle soreness

  • Improved cardiovascularity (blood flow)

  • Improved nervous system response

  • Improved immune system

  • Reduces inflammation

  • Anti-aging

  • Improved muscle performance

  • Weight Loss

  • Reduces Anxiety/Depression

  • And more!

When I first heard all these claims, I knew I needed to do a deep dive into the cryotherapy science to see if this list at least stems from some truth. The following blog posts will be related to these claims and investigating their validity, and will be retroactively embedded.

Mechanism

Before we begin this search, we need to look at the basic mechanism of these cold chambers. By dropping the body’s core temperature for a very short period and then re-warming it over time, evidence has shown the increase of the “fight-or-flight” response through catecholamines in the blood. The presence of adrenaline and epinephrine indicate potential affects to the brain, nervous system, vascularity (and potentially elsewhere) in the body.

Risks

As will all things in this world, there are risks and benefits to this type of therapy. Cryotherapy is not for people who have the following conditions:

  • Respiratory illness of any kind

  • Multiple Sclerosis

  • Raynaud’s Syndrome

  • High blood pressure

  • Circulatory disorders

  • History of heart attack, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, seizures

  • Bleeding disorders 

  • Metal or electrical implants

  • Others


Of course, if you are ever in question for your own specific needs, talk to your doctor first before scheduling your appointment in a cryochamber.

The benefits will become clear as my research progresses, so for now let’s look at the claims one by one and see if we can’t debunk (or show proof for) these potential health benefits.



Reach out to me through my handles below if you have any questions or if the information in this post needs updating.

Raquel Schmutz