Types of Cryotherapies- History and health benefits

I know this may be hard for you to imagine during this time of year, especially if you look out your window and see snow or ice. This Floridian (who has never even seen snow), is not fond of the idea of cold water plunging or exposing myself to cold beyond belief temperatures in a Cryotherapy spa. I’m sure you’ve either heard or seen about these new health trends somewhere on social media.

You probably asked yourself (as I also did), why anyone would want to complete a cold water plunge or enter a chamber that is -100 degrees Celcius? The act has to bring some type of health benefit if people are purchasing cold water plunge tubs to use at home or purchasing sessions/memberships at health spas.

Remember years ago when the Ice bucket challenge was popular on Facebook? Maybe even back in Myspace days? This challenge was for a great cause, although cold water plunging and cryotherapy are meant to be beneficial for your health.

We use ice for medicinal properties such as RICE therapy for a musculoskeletal injury (rest, ICE, compression and elevation). We also use ice as cryotherapy to burn off suspicious skin growths. We use targeted temperature management for post cardiac arrest patients who have achieved ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) usually through CPR. This practice is done to increase chance of survival and help promote positive neurologic outcomes in these patients.

So, what is cold water plunging and what exactly are cryotherapy chambers? How long are you supposed to complete both of these activities per session? Of course, I always want to provide you with evidence based research information, so I did just that.

According to Alexander et al. (2022), cold water plunging aka cold-water immersion which is a form of cryotherapy has been around since 3500BC. Ancient Greeks used cold water plunging for therapies including relaxation and socialization. In the 14th century it was used for medicinal purposes, temperature regulation, analgesic (pain relief).

In the early 20th century, Physicians started to notice the body’s therapeutic response to cold water plunging including blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate (2022). Cryotherapy can be utilized in many forms with differing target therapies.

For example, for pain relief cryotherapy works likely to decreasing neural conductance velocity (this slows the speed of which you feel pain, decreasing pain level), cryotherapy also reduces core and tissue temperatures which helps with tissue and muscle recovery and performance as well as improves blood flow capabilities for the skin and muscles (2022).

People use cryotherapy machines for home personal use as well as sometimes during physical therapy sessions. These machines are purposed to complete the above benefits, targeting a specific body part.

In the 1960’s, cold water plunging was found to be beneficial post workout for recovery. The rule of thumb for cold water plunging is to be in water with a temperature of 10-15c (50-59f) for 10-15 minutes.

Whole body cryotherapy through the use of chambers filled with either liquid nitrogen or refrigerated cold air are newer than cold immersion in the sports industry. The average amount of time an individual spends in a cryotherapy chamber is 2-3 minutes with temperatures below -100 c (-148 F). The purpose of whole body cryotherapy is to reduce the sensation of delayed onset of muscle soreness by increasing parasympathetic activation and anti-inflammatory cytokines (2022). AKA allow you to not be sore with every sneeze, cough, position change or laugh following ab day.

Whole body chambers were first constructed in Japan in the late 1970s for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and pain management. Through this creation, the inventor found that exposure to the chamber led to very fast temperature decrease on the individual’s skin resulting in a release of endorphins and pain reduction (2022). Since this finding, whole body chambers in the medical field have been used for other arthritis related pain symptoms and multiple sclerosis.

Whole body chamber use is very new to the sporting world, only introduced within the last 10-12 years. These were more popular for contact sports like football and rugby to assist players in recovery to allow them to be ready for the next game at first, however more accessible now to all athletes.

These chambers are even available for you and I to purchase as well, although this had led to tissue injury (burns) and death because of misuse. I always want to share with you any potential consequences of any topic we talk about. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)(2016), there has not been evidence of whole body chamber use treating diseases or conditions such as Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stress, anxiety or chronic pain. No whole body chamber has been approved to “treat” the above conditions. The FDA claims there is not enough supporting evidence at this time. I’m sure there are studies being completed as you read this blog post. The FDA does say nitrogen exposure in a closed room lowers the oxygen amount in the room which can result in hypoxia (low oxygen levels), which could potentially lead to loss of consciousness. Other concerns include risk of frostbite, burns and eye injuries from extreme temperature exposure in whole body chambers (2016). Of course if you go to a spa that offers this service, they will have you sign a waiver. I imagine you are supervised during this session as well.

I was curious, so I found a business near me that offers whole body cryotherapy. They explain on their website that you will sign a waiver before the session. They provide you with a hat, socks, slippers and gloves to use during the session. They even let you choose what music you want to listen to during your session (would you dance in there? haha). This location allows you to stay in for up to 3 minutes although they recommend gradually working your way up to that time period each session. They don’t mention how you stop your session, if you just open the door, or what? They didn’t have their prices on the website, so I called to see how much each session cost. For a non-member, it would cost $42 per session.

So, where can we purchase access these items for home use?

You can purchase very pricey (1000-10,000 dollar) tubs for home use. I also found these affordable tubs on Amazon through research. You can click on the picture of each product if you want to learn more about the product on amazon.

*The links below are amazon affiliate links. I may receive commission if you purchase any items using these links. 

The “Cold Pod” was Amazon’s most popular plunge tub. With almost 900 reviews and 4.4. stars this tub is capable for outdoor use, portable (weighing 10.78 lbs), and has a capacity of 116 gallons. The tub itself is made of Nylon and has an inflatable ring around the top. It comes with an insulated cover, pump, drain hose, user manual, carry bag, and support legs.

Right now it is on sale at 30% off for $159.00, although usually $229.99. This tub also comes in 85 and 88 gallon option. The reviews state men who are 6ft tall were able to use it.

Next we have the “Ice Doo Recovery Pod”. This is the second most popular plunge tub ordered from amazon. This tub has 353 reviews and is rated 4.6 stars. This can be used outdoor as well and has an 85 gallon capacity. Currently, this tub is 47% off with a price of $84.97 (originally $159.99). I also see a $10 off coupon.

This tub is also portable, weighing 7.24 lbs. It appears to come with the same items.

The tub is made from polyester and Nylon. Its appearance, as you can see is very similar to the “Cold Pod”.

I also saw reviews for this one regarding men 6ft tall being able to use the tub.

You cannot currently purchase a whole body cryotherapy chamber on Amazon. I’m sure you can find this elsewhere for purchase. I did find these products listed below, if you were trying to target a particular body area.

This versatile cryotherapy machine can be used on shoulders, arms, knees, ankles and the back. You need to purchase the 5 piece set which is currently listed at $186.99 and includes the ice bucket with digital display, universal pad, tube connectors, elastic bands for the universal pad and a power cord.

This product has 272 ratings and 4.2 stars. It can be used for everything we discussed earlier, arthritis/pain relief, post surgery recovery, post workout recovery.

The last product I want to share with you is a cryotherapy ice roller for your face. This product is very highly rate on Amazon with over 48k reviews and 4.6 stars. Currently, it is 25% off and $7.44. It comes in a lot of aesthetic colors.

The product states it can help

• Reducing wrinkles, fine lines and improve dry skin.

• Be used as a face massager while promoting blood flow, clearing pores and sealing in moisture to also help with dry skin.

• It also states it can reduce swelling in the face and neck (makes sense).

I hope you were able to learn a thing or two about cryotherapy, a therapy that is taking over the health, wellness and fitness world. I have not personally tried any of these products, however this face roller may currently be in my cart (haha).

Tune into the blog next week as we explore the benefits of another popular health topic, red light therapy.

References:

Alexander, J., Allan, R., Gregson, W., Ihsan, M., Kwiecien,S., Mawhinney, C. and Vorajee, S. (2022). Cold for Centuries: A Brief History of Cryotherapies to Improve Health, Injury and Post-Exercise Recovery. DOI 10.1007/s00421-022-04915-5.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2016). Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC): A “Cool” Trend that Lacks Evidence, Poses Risks. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/whole-body-cryotherapy-wbc-cool-trend-lacks-evidence-poses-risks#:~:text=The%20addition%20of%20nitrogen%20vapors,injury%20from%20the%20extreme%20temperatures.