Whole body cryotherapy has been successfully applied in the treatment of chronic pain conditions for some time now, and has been shown to have a positive effect on fibromyalgia.
Pain and fatigue
Based on recent findings, cryotherapy can have a positive effect on patients with fibromyalgia as it can improve quality of life by easing the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. The findings concluded that the patients receiving cryotherapy reported significantly better quality of life and that the effects lasted for at least a month after therapy.
Cryotherapy can, therefore, be a great addition as an effective method to treat fibromyalgia patients and improve their quality of life. Studies support that due to cryo’s ability to relieve pain and inflammatory symptoms it has a positive effect on rheumatic diseases.
Positive effect
Another study also found that whole body cryotherapy is a valid treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Results showed that the pain level after a Whole Body Cryo decreased significantly for about 90 minutes and during the whole time of treatment. Evidence supports that cryotherapy causes important short-term effects and somewhat weaker effects over the treatment period as a whole. Although, from the patient’s point of view, cryo therapy can assist as an essential part of the rehabilitation program.
Furthermore, Whole Body Cryo is found to have a positive effect on patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease that contributes to swollen and painful joints, as it helps ease inflammation, pain, soreness, fatigue and morning stiffness (Bouzigon et al., 2016).
Findings also support the idea that cryotherapy can be beneficial for the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis.
According to the subjects, after the cryotherapy treatments, a significant improvement occurred in 78% of the patients. The treatments resulted in a reduction in both frequency and degree of pain perception and improved the range of physical activity and reduction of analgesic medications.
In conclusion, cryotherapy is useful in relieving pain and inflammatory symptoms caused by disorders especially associated with chronic conditions and are therefore commonly recommended for treating arthritis, fibromyalgia and ankylosing spondylitis.