Cyrotherapy for Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

Pain Cyrotherapy Edina DoctorCyrotherapy is a relatively new approach to treating some types of chronic pain. The therapy involves short-term exposure to very cold temperatures. It works because the skin reacts to the cold temperatures and sends messages to the brain that work as a stimulant to normal bodily functions. This exposure also helps trigger the release of anti-inflammatory molecules and endorphins.

In fact, the therapy is already being used by a particular subset of people who deal with pain on a frequent basis – professional athletes. These athletes use cyrotherapy for a number of reasons, including to:

  • Reduce pain
  • Improve recovery time
  • Improve therapy results

Researchers hope that through more study, we can expand this therapy to chronic pain sufferers.

Cyrotherapy Risks

In any treatment where you’re working with elevated or decreased temperatures, there will be risks involved. Some potential risks of cyrotherapy include:

  • Nerve damage
  • Tissue damage
  • Burning sensation on skin

Medical data shows that roughly 1,500-2,000 injuries happen each year due to cyrotherapy, but the majority of the injuries are due to inexperience or overexposure. It’s also worth noting that a woman died last year after using a cyrotherapy chamber without supervision, adding to the idea that it should only be pursued with the assistance of a well-trained specialist.

Recently, the University of Texas was awarded a 4-year grant to study and improve cyrotherapy techniques. Their goal is to learn exactly how blood flow is affected by cyrotherapy, and they want to introduce antioxidants and substances into the bloodstream to block certain nerve responses. In essence, they want to better learn how to manipulate pain responses during cyrotherapy, which could be a breakthrough for chronic pain sufferers.

We plan on keeping an eye on the University of Texas as well other research facilities who are attempting to build on this therapeutic program. People have been icing injuries and using cold packs for hundreds of years, hopefully we can continue to build on that premise.