Cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy. Cryotherapy may be used to treat a variety of tissue lesions.The most prominent use of the term refers to the surgical treatment, specifically known as cryosurgery or cryoablation. Cryosurgery is the application of extremely low temperatures to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue and is used most commonly to treat skin conditions.
Cryotherapy is used in an effort to relieve muscle pain, sprains and swelling after soft tissue damage or surgery. It can be a range of treatments from the application of ice packs or immersion in ice baths(generally known as cold therapy), to the use of cold chambers.
While cryotherapy is widely used, there is little evidence as to its efficacy that has been replicated or shown in large controlled studies. Its long term side effects have also not been studied.
Cryotherapy is used to treat:
•skin tumors.
•pre-cancerous skin moles.
•nodules.
•skin tags.
•unsightly freckles.
•retinoblastomas, a childhood cancer of the retina.
•prostate, liver, and cervical cancers, especially if surgical resection is not possible.
Cryotherapy is also being used to treat tumors in other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, bones (including the spine), lungs, and breasts (including benign breast lumps called fibroadenomas). Although further research is needed to determine its long term effectiveness, cryotherapy has been shown to be effective in selected patients.
How does cryotherapy work?
During cryotherapy, the healthcare provider applies extreme cold to abnormal tissue. Cells can’t survive this severe cold and die after treatment.Your healthcare provider can use a few different substances to create the intense cold used in cryotherapy. These substances can include:
•Liquid nitrogen.
•Liquid nitrous oxide.
•Argon gas.
