Whole body cryotherapy, a treatment that exposes the body to nitrogen gas at sub-zero temperatures for a few minutes at a time, has recently been touted as an effective health booster for muscle tissues and skin by professional athletes and celebrities.
But after an employee of a Las Vegas beauty salon died in her salon’s cryotherapy chamber after entering the machine alone, questions are being raised about the treatment’s effectiveness – and safety.
Cryotherapy is not FDA-approved, and prolonged exposure to the low temperatures can result in frostbite and chilblains. Those who are pregnant or have high blood pressure are cautioned against the treatment.
“It definitely gives you a shock and an adrenaline rush,” said Houman Danesh, a pain management specialist at Mount Sinai hospital, regarding the benefits of cryotherapy. “But medically, there is nothing.”
Whole body cryotherapy has recently been used in the US to help athletes in muscle recovery. LeBron James undergoes cryotherapy as a recovery option, as the Cleveland Cavaliers is one professional sports team to offer the treatment to its players. An extreme version of an ice bath, it is inconclusive whether whole body cryotherapy is better than applying ice to sore areas of the body.
Francesca Fusco, a Manhattan dermatologist, said patients often undergo cryotherapy treatment by having liquid nitrogen sprayed directly on their faces to treat pre-cancers and warts. Fusco said it works to erase wrinkled, top skin layers and lighten brown spots, and “might benefit” a person looking for a brighter tone.
But according to some experts, cryotherapy is more a fad than a medically sound treatment.
“There is very little evidence backing up its effectiveness,” said Joe Costello, a senior research associate in sports medicine at the University of Portsmouth.
Costello co-authored a 2014 study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information which concluded that whole body cryotherapy “induces tissue-temperature reductions that are comparable to or less significant than traditional forms of cryotherapy”, which would include ice-pack application or cold-water immersion baths.
A 2007 study found that athletes who took a cold-water immersion bath after a hard run emerged feeling less sore, but the baths did not reduce muscle damage.
“The reason people are using it is because it became popular and fashionable,” Costello said. Because the treatment is popular among professional athletes, Costello said cryotherapy has become a trend among others as well.
The other alleged benefits of cryotherapy – that it reduces wrinkles and burns calories – are not yet supported enough scientifically. Costello said the treatment requires more research to establish protocols and monitor possible adverse effects, other than frostbite.
Because the treatment is expensive – in the US, a three minute session in a cryotherapy chamber can cost anywhere between $40 and $100 – Costello said there is “urgent need” for more research. The treatment currently follows no clear protocol on optimal time duration and chamber temperature because of a lack of research.
“I’m not saying it doesn’t work,” he said. “I’m saying there needs to be more evidence.”
