What is cryotherapy?

Overview

Cryotherapy has been used since the time of ancient Egypt to treat external
pain and inflammation. In the nineteenth century, freezing was first used to
remove external tissue by using ice and salt. With the advent of liquid nitrogen
in the early twentieth century, freezing cells became commonplace. Later in the
century, with the development of nitrogen and argon gas, scientists were able to
develop the medical technology used in what is now known as cryosurgery.

Mechanism of Action

Applying extreme cold extraneously to inflammation or injuries constricts blood flow and numbs the nerves, reducing pain and swelling. Freezing external skin lesions or cancers kills the tissue and leads to the “shedding” of the skin. Applying extreme cold internally, by using nitrogen or argon gas cryosurgically, kills cells and extracts cancerous tissue from organs.

Uses and Applications

Externally, ice packs are commonly used in the treatment of sprains, sports injuries, and general pain and inflammation. In cryosurgery, at -40°Fahrenheit (-40°Celsius) ice crystallizes inside cells, causing them to burst and die. Surgeons use a needle to insert argon or nitrogen gas inside tissue containing precancerous or cancerous cells, freezing the cells and killing them. Dermatologists use freezing to remove warts, skin lesions, and tattoos. Eye surgeons use cryotherapy during cataract and retina surgery to freeze tissue and seal retinal holes. Brain surgeons use cryotherapy to freeze the thalamus and reduce the effects of Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders. Cardiologists use cryotherapy to reduce heart muscle damage in persons who have had a heart attack.

Scientific Evidence

In 2009, at the Fifteenth World Congress of the International Society of Cryosurgery, scientific results showed that for persons who were unable to undergo traditional surgery for their cancers because of metastasizing, particularly persons with lung, liver, kidney, prostate, breast, or pancreatic cancer, cryosurgery was highly effective. Cryosurgery, compared with traditional chemotherapy treatments, had an increase of 30 to 50 percent in the partial or complete reduction of tumors.

In a double-blind study in 2005, fourteen youths received dental surgery, in
which each had his or her impacted third molar tooth extracted. Some participants
were treated with cryotherapy and others not. Those who received cryotherapy
treatments reported significantly less pain and swelling in the jaws.

Choosing a Practitioner

The American
Medical Association recommends that persons choose a
qualified, experienced, and licensed physician for all cryosurgery procedures.
This doctor should be knowledgeable and accomplished in using state-of-the-art
cryotherapy technology.

Safety Issues

Extreme cold applied to extraneous skin tissue for more than twenty minutes can
lead to frostbite. Cryotherapy that is used to treat internal organs
rarely results in bleeding, nerve damage, or infection.

Bibliography

Freiman, Anatoli, and Nathaniel Bouganim. “The History of Cryotherapy.” Dermatology Online Journal 11, no. 2 (2005). Available at http://dermatology.cdlib.org/112/reviews/hxcryo/freiman.html.

Jackson, Arthur, Graham Colver, and Rodney Dawber. Cutaneous Cryosurgery: Principles and Clinical Practice. 3d ed. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006.

Katz, Aaron, and Philippa Cheetham. Living a Better Life After Prostate Cancer: A Survivor’s Guide to Cryotherapy. San Diego, Calif.: University Readers, 2009.

Korpin, Nikolai N., ed. Basics of Cryosurgery. New York: Springer, 2001.

Sulik, Sandra M., and Cathryn B. Heath. Primary Care Procedures in Women’s Health. New York: Springer, 2010.