There are many benefits of cryotherapy. It has been used over seas for years to treat many minor health issues, and is believed to improve the immune system and help clear up skin issues. Here are some of the more commonly found benefits of cryotherapy

Physical Performance

• A single exposure to WBC significantly decreases inflammation after strenuous exercise and may accelerate recovery and reduce exercise induced muscle damage.

• Time-Course of Changes in Inflammatory Response after Whole-Body Cryotherapy Multi Exposures following Severe Exercise. Herve Pournot, Francois Bieuzen, Julien Louis, Jean-Robert Fillard, Etienne Barbiche, Christophe Hausswirth. Research Department, National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), Paris, France.

• A single WBC session before exercise seemed to have beneficial effect on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory markers when compared with control.

• The Effect of Submaximal Exercise Preceded by Single Whole-Body Cryotherapy on the Markers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Blood of Volleyball Players. Celestyna Mila-Kierzenkowska, Alicja Jurecka, Alina Wozniak, Michal Szpinda, Beata Augustynska, and Bartosz Womiak. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Volume 2013, Article ID 409567, Page 10.

• Three WBC sessions within 48 hours after damaging running exercises accelerate recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage to a greater extent than from passive modalities or far-infrared modalities.

• Effects of Whole-Body Cryotherapy vs. Far-Infrared vs. Passive Modalities on Recovery from ExerciseInduced Muscle Damage in Highly Trained Runners. Christophe Hausswirth, Julien Louis, Francois Bieuzen, Herve Pournot, JeanFournier, Jean-Robert Filliard, Jeanick Brisswalter. Research Department, National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), Paris, France.

• WBC caused a decrease in pro-inflammatory (bad) interleukins (ILs) and rise in anti-inflammatory (good) ILs. By contrast, ice application has been shown to increase proinflammatory ILs by as much as 29% (8, ref in article). In any case, whether blood flow is shunted away from muscles is slowed and physiologically results in less muscle damage and faster recovery. (Ref 49 in article).

• Norepinephrine is the only hormone that responded positively to WBC (3x/wk) and may play a role in pain relief effect. (Ref 60, in article).

Medical Conditions

• A study of rheumatoid arthritis patients reported the one variable that showed definite improvement with WBC (vs local cold treatment) was pain. Patients report less pain following WBC. (Note: This is stated clearly in discussion (the paper) but contradicted in the conclusion of the abstract.)

• Effectiveness of different cryotherapies on pain and disease activity in active rheumatoid arthritis. A randomized single blinded controlled trial. H.E. Hiroven, M.K. Mikkelsson, H. Kautiaine, T.H. Pojolainen, M. Leirisalo-Repo. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2006; 24:295-301.

• Effects of whole body cryotherapy on multiple sclerosis patients was positive (and postulated to be) beneficial. The total antioxidative state is distinctly reduced in MS patients vs. healthy population. The WBCT proved beneficial in treatment of MS patients and better than exercise alone.

• Effects of the whole-body cryotherapy on a total anti-oxidative status and activities of some antioxidative enzymes in blood of patients with multiple sclerosis – preliminary study. Elizabeth Miller, Malgorzata Mrowicka, Katarzyna Malinowska, Krystian Zolynski, and JozefKedziora. The Journal of Medical Investigation 2010; 57:168-173.

• “WBC is used widely in many applications, especially degenerative and inflammatory joint diseases and fibromyalgia.” (Ref. 2 Sieron A, Cieslar G. The application of cold in medicine – cryosurgery and cryotherapy. Bielsko-Biala Poland:a-Meica Press; 2003 (in Polish)).

• Thermovision diagnostics in chosen spine disease treated by whole body cryotherapy. Armand Cholewka, Zofia Drzazga, Aleksander Sieron, and Agata Stanek. J Therm Anal Calorim 2010; 102:113-119.

• Study of a small sample suggests positive effects on treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. It is postulated/suspected that the pain relief associated with WBC and that commonly accompany emotional disorders may be responsible for the perceived benefits.

• Whole-body cryotherapy as adjunct treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. Joanna Rymaszewka, David Ramsey and Sylwia Chladzinska-Kiejna. Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. Arch lmmunol. Ther. Exp., 2008; 56:63-68