Is it worth trying whole-body cryotherapy for back pain?
July 9, 2017 7:02 AM Subscribe
The literatures on this seems mixed and I was interested in hearing any personal anecdotes. Also any insights into how the process works--e.g., is it just a quick 3 minute in and out? Would it make sense to take a sauna afterward? How do you protect your sensitive boy parts?
Thx in advance,
Jon
I haven't tried it myself, but I used to investigate the safety and efficacy of medi-spa devices and alternative therapies for my job.
The FDA is not a fan of this one! You may have seen this already but they somewhat recently came out with a statement about the notable risks and unproven benefits of whole-body cryotherapy: https://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm508739.htm
That said, I think they've approved a number of local (ie: targeted to a specific body area) cryotherapy devices for pain and inflammation, which usually indicates they've been able to gather some proof that it works. It probably depends on the nature of the issue, though.
posted by space snail at 9:28 AM on July 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
The FDA is not a fan of this one! You may have seen this already but they somewhat recently came out with a statement about the notable risks and unproven benefits of whole-body cryotherapy: https://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm508739.htm
That said, I think they've approved a number of local (ie: targeted to a specific body area) cryotherapy devices for pain and inflammation, which usually indicates they've been able to gather some proof that it works. It probably depends on the nature of the issue, though.
posted by space snail at 9:28 AM on July 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
(I should probably clarify that I was just researching on the internet for what claims were legally safe to make about the devices, not running lab tests or anything!)
posted by space snail at 9:49 AM on July 9, 2017
posted by space snail at 9:49 AM on July 9, 2017
I work with cryogenic liquids just about every day and there are a myriad ways they can injure or kill you. I would not try a generally untested therapy with little evidence of efficacy which also has a host of dangers associated with it. See this link for instance.
One thing people don't often think about when using a cryogenic liquid like nitrogen is that when the liquid turns to gas it displaces oxygen in the room. All it all takes is a very small decrease in oxygen concentration to lead to unconsciousness and very shortly afterward death. This is one reason why we're not allowed to ride in an elevator with a liquid nitrogen tank. I somehow doubt a fad therapy outfit located in some strip mall is following all the proper safety procedures for using such liquids.
posted by runcibleshaw at 1:28 PM on July 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
One thing people don't often think about when using a cryogenic liquid like nitrogen is that when the liquid turns to gas it displaces oxygen in the room. All it all takes is a very small decrease in oxygen concentration to lead to unconsciousness and very shortly afterward death. This is one reason why we're not allowed to ride in an elevator with a liquid nitrogen tank. I somehow doubt a fad therapy outfit located in some strip mall is following all the proper safety procedures for using such liquids.
posted by runcibleshaw at 1:28 PM on July 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
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They're probably going to be completely unhelpful in answering the will-it-help-my-back-pain issue, but you'll get a really good idea of what the experience is like in terms of timing, prep, etc, from watching other people do it.
posted by phunniemee at 7:23 AM on July 9, 2017 [1 favorite]