Who should not use cryotherapy?

There is not doubt that cryotherapy has gained significant traction within the wellness community for its various health advantages. New to cryotherapy? This is a technique where your body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for a brief length of time, just a few minutes, with the goal to aid in muscle healing, reduce inflammation, and burn calories. Like any therapeutic practice, cryotherapy does have some potential drawbacks and side effects.

Some of the cryotherapy side effects, although not common, can include skin irritation or burns, temporary numbness, and in some rare cases, frostbite. Although these effects are rare, it’s important to understand the potential complications involved in cryotherapy due to its growing popularity. Those who brave the chill and step into the cryotherapy chamber often omit the bigger picture lurking in the background, which is comprised of potential risks and harmful outcomes of cryotherapy.

Cryotherapy has the potential to alleviate many health issues, but not everyone should necessarily jump on this chilly bandwagon. Certain people may be more susceptible to the possible adverse cryotherapy outcomes based on their personal health history or current health conditions. For anyone who is considering the therapeutic benefits of cryotherapy, it’s important to understand who should avoid this type of therapy due to the potential health risks for themselves.

Understanding Cryotherapy

The health benefits of the cold has been understood for thousands of years. Even the ancient Egyptians were aware of their pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. Cryotherapy has evolved from ancient practices into what is now a popular wellness method. To understand the potential adverse effects of cryotherapy, let’s discover what exactly cryotherapy is and what it involves.

Cryotherapy Process

Cryotherapy involves exposing your body to extremely cold temperatures and a dry environment, typically between -100°C to -180°C (-148°F to -292°F), for a relatively brief length of time between two to four minutes. During your session, you step into a cryogenic chamber that surrounds your body while leaving your head exposed. This process, known as cryogenesis, triggers your body’s natural healing mechanisms through cold exposure.

Cryotherapy can help with post-workout recovery, sooth chronic pain and inflammation, improve skin conditions and sleep, as well as promote weight loss. 

A Typical Cryotherapy Session

Preparing for your procedure, you will be asked to wear minimal clothing, often just your underwear and protective gear, including gloves, socks, and sometimes a headband and mask to help protect your extremities and face from frostbite. Once inside the cryotherapy chamber, the temperature will drop rapidly.

As mentioned previously, the session will last for a few minutes, during which you may experience an intense cold sensation. Once your session is over, your body will begin to warm itself back up once you exit the chamber. Most people report a feeling of exhilaration and improved mood after the treatment, but there is a possibility of other reactions that you may want to avoid, which we will discuss shortly.

General Health Qualifications for Using Cryotherapy

When considering cryotherapy, it’s important to keep in mind your overall wellness, fitness level, and particular therapeutic needs. Anyone with serious health conditions or elderly people are typically advised against undergoing this therapy due to increased risks associated with cryotherapy.

Prior to the initial session, a detailed health assessment is conducted to gauge whether or not the treatment could potentially lead to cryotherapy complications. This assessment covers such things as personal medical history, current health issues, and other lifestyle factors, with the goal of preventing any adverse reactions to cryotherapy by screening out those who might be at risk.

Potential Cryotherapy Side Effects

Although cryotherapy can yield many therapeutic benefits, it’s crucial to know potential complications and risks involved. As with many treatments, negative cryotherapy outcomes can vary from person to person and range from immediate to long-term impact.

Immediate Impacts to Cryotherapy

The immediate impact to cryotherapy is certainly a sense of extreme cold, which can trigger some physical discomfort, such as numbness or irritation. It’s common for one to experience temporary numbness as the temperature drops. These common side effects usually subside once your body returns to it’s normal temperature.

Skin changes are more likely to increase as you are exposed to the low temperatures of a cryotherapy chamber, and some experience irritation to the skin or frostbite, in some severe cases. To avoid these extreme impacts, it’s advised to add layers and cover your hands, feet, and other extremities so that risks are minimized. Frostbite should not be taken lightly.

Long-term Impacts Following Cryotherapy

Although cryotherapy has many benefits and can help with muscle recovery and skin rejuvenation, there are some long-term potential side effects to be aware of, such as nerve damage. Those with pre-existing neurological conditions should tread lightly and proceed with caution.

It’s been shown that prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures can negatively impact your breathing and lung health as well. Those with pre-existing respiratory conditions may experience exacerbated symptoms, resulting in breathing difficulty during or after cryotherapy.

Anyone with these conditions or those worried about how they would react to cryotherapy should consult their healthcare provider before starting this treatment.

Allergic or Unusual Cryotherapy Side Effects

Aside from the more common physical impacts to cryotherapy, there are also instances of more unusual or allergic reactions. For example, cold urticaria is a skin reaction to cold that results in red, itchy hives, which can occur with some people especially prone to cold-related allergies.

If you are sensitive to confined spaces, the cryotherapy chamber could cause a claustrophobic episode. This reaction, while perhaps not physically harmful, could strengthen existing anxiety and discomfort, which could overshadow any potential benefits you were hoping to realize by this treatment. Be sure to consider your mental health as well as your physical health when thinking about cryotherapy.

At-Risk Groups

Not everyone is a suitable candidate for this treatment, even though cryotherapy is so popular and has been show to provide many benefits. Some individuals are at higher risk of negative reactions, so it’s important to identify and understand the groups that should avoid cryotherapy to help potential clients and those advising and administering the actual treatment.

Vascular Conditions

Those with pre-existing vascular conditions may fall into the high-risk category for cryotherapy treatment. Extreme cold can induce vasoconstriction, which narrows your blood vessels, which can then increase your blood pressure. Adverse effects of cryotherapy could be higher for those suffering from high blood pressure or vascular conditions. Cryotherapy may exacerbate pre-existing hypertension as well.

Please be sure to have a thorough health evaluation before beginning cryotherapy sessions to avoid potential adverse outcomes.

Skin-related Health Issues

Those with skin sensitivity, like eczema, psoriasis, or susceptive to hives may find that the cold temperatures found during cryotherapy could worsen their existing conditions. These skin-related health issues might react negatively to the extreme cold, leading to an increased likelihood of heightened skin reactions.

If you have any doubts, consult your dermatologist prior to starting cryotherapy treatment. The potentially harmful effects of cryotherapy on the skin alongside already present skin conditions could worsen symptoms, reducing the overall quality of life for these individuals.

Chronic Respiratory Issues

Those suffering from chronic respiratory conditions, like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), should be careful regarding cryotherapy as well. Considering the quick drop in temperature during a cryotherapy session, a person’s respiratory system could respond adversely, triggering bronchial constriction or other respiratory distress symptoms.

Pulmonary specialists often advocate a cautious approach when it comes to cryotherapy for this demographic, because the potential complications resulting from cold therapy are significant for those with respiratory challenges. It’s important to seek professional advice when considering this treatment as a health and wellness procedure.

Summarizing Cryotherapy Side Effects

As cryotherapy continues to become more popular for wellness and recovery, it’s important to remember that this beneficial tool also has inherent risks and possible adverse outcomes. This procedure that involves severe cold exposure does has limitations and potential complications as well. While it satisfies and exceeds the needs of many individuals, understanding the complexities, as well as both immediate and longer-term effects, is critical for all, but especially those in at-risk groups.

Beyond the benefits lies a significant truth: Harmful effects of cryotherapy exist, and vary from person to person. They could be as minor as temporary numbness or as major as frostbite or high blood pressure. Knowing these dangers of cryotherapy is essential. Cryotherapy, and many similar treatments, are not all risk-free.

If you are considering cryotherapy for yourself, be sure to schedule a thorough health evaluation before deciding to start. If you find yourself in an at-risk category, either due to having vascular conditions, skin-related issues, or chronic respiratory problems, be sure to consult your healthcare provider before you dive in to this trend. Wellness trends come and go, but our health is something we should always prioritize and protect.