Can Cryotherapy’s Chill Help Muscles, Joints?

Small studies find a beneficial effect, but beware frostbite.

 Cryotherapy: The Dubious Appeal of Shooting -260 Degree Nitrogen at Your Naked Skin

More and more people are trying cryotherapy. They believe freezing themselves helps treat an array of illnesses, but James Hamblin is doubtful. He visited Kryolife in New York City to see what the fuss is all about.

 I Got Flash Frozen In A Cryotherapy Chamber...For Science

This is what happens when you let a bunch of people stick you in a chamber full of sub-zero nitrogen gas.

 Putting the big chill on cryotherapy

Despite the 100 or so degree difference between the cold air of whole-body cryotherapy and the cold water of an ice bath, a few minutes of either treatment cools the body a similar amount, Costello and colleagues found. Still, there’s not much evidence that ice baths improve athletes’ recovery or performance either — though a cold soak does seem to ease muscle pain after exercise.

 The business of cryotherapy

The icy treament is gaining steam across the country as more people are trying out cryotherapy.

Claims for Cryotherapy Treatment Get New Scrutiny After a Death

In interviews, cryotherapy operators — some prefer the term “cryotherapists” — call the practice safe, noting that people have applied cold to injuries for thousands of years and that serious athletes routinely take ice baths. But the Food and Drug Administration does not recognize any medical benefits from cryotherapy chambers, nor does it regulate the devices.