Did you suffer a muscle strain or are you feeling sore after a strenuous workout? Cryotherapy can provide pain relief quickly and at almost zero cost—without the risk for indigestion or other side effects associated with over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers. Even better: You can do it yourself.
Bottom Line asked neurologist and pain-management physician Vladimir Kramskiy, MD, how to use cryotherapy to resolve your aches and pains.
Cryotherapy is the medical term for the use of cold temperatures to curb pain and inflammation. Holding an ice pack against the skin is one example of cryotherapy. Others include taking a cold bath or shower…or submerging a limb in a basin of cold water or ice cubes.
There also are chemical cold packs, available without a prescription in drugstores. The packs become cold when activated by squeezing and shaking to mix the compounds they contain. They can be stored at room temperature, so they’re a good cryotherapy option when ice or cold water is not available—and a useful addition to first-aid kits. For greater pain relief, cryotherapy can be used in conjunction with ibuprofen or OTC painkillers.
In part, cryotherapy works by constricting blood vessels—what doctors call vasoconstriction—and triggering the release of inflammation-fighting neurochemicals known as cytokines. By reducing blood flow, vasoconstriction limits the number of inflammatory substances that reach the site of injury and helps to decrease the amount of swelling that would otherwise exert pressure on nearby nerves. Cytokines, like IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), also help to modulate the inflammatory response, further lessening the source of pain.
Cryotherapy is very safe, as long as your skin and the underlying tissue aren’t allowed to stay cold for so long that tissue damage results. Rule of thumb: Cold should be applied to the affected body part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. If pain or soreness persists, cryotherapy can be repeated—with a 20-minute rest between each 20-minute session.
Caution: For pain or stiff joints associated with arthritis or a similar condition, taking a warm bath or hot shower likely will provide greater relief than cryotherapy.
There’s some evidence indicating that whole-body cryotherapy—cold baths or stints in a “cryotherapy chamber”—can ease pain associated with fibromyalgia, a chronic ailment commonly marked by fatigue and sleep disturbances as well as tenderness and pain throughout the body. That is according to a study by researchers at University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France. And preliminary evidence, including a 2020 study involving nonprofessional cyclists and runners by University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy published in Immunology Research, suggests that whole-body cryotherapy can boost the body’s metabolism and immune function and possibly speed tissue repair.
Cryotherapy also has been studied as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and lupus, among other conditions—but the evidence for these other uses is weak at this point.
Caution: Immersion in frigid water or ice-filled tubs can stress the cardiovascular system, potentially causing loss of consciousness or even a heart attack. If you’re middle-aged or older or have circulatory or cardiac problems, consult a doctor before taking the plunge.
