Side effects

The side effects of cryotherapy are generally rather minor if the cold is applied professionally and in the right time frame. The superficial application of ice or cooling packs can cause frostbite of the skin, so the ice should not be applied directly to the skin or, in the case of ice lollipops, should not remain in one place for a long time. In addition, a maximum treatment time of 15-20 minutes should be observed in order to avoid the death of skin cells due to reduced blood circulation. During the cosmetic or surgical application of cryotherapy, for example when warts are frozen, blisters similar to burn blisters may appear after the treatment. These blisters, when they open, can be an entry point for germs and pathogens, so they should be covered and kept clean until the skin has healed.

Cold sauna/cold chamber

A cold sauna or cold chamber is a chamber that is usually 2×2 meters in size and is cooled down to minus 110 degrees Celsius. Usually there are 2 antechambers in front of the main chamber, which are between minus 10 and minus 60 degrees Celsius, so that the person to be treated can get used to the low temperatures. The treatment can be booked in only a few facilities in Germany, either as part of an inpatient stay or as an outpatient therapy.

The costs vary from facility to facility, individually the price for a treatment in the cold chamber is about 20€.There have been few studies on the positive effects of treatment in a cold chamber with different research results, which is why the treatment is controversial and its benefits have not been clearly proven. Mostly the therapy with the cold chamber is used with pain and rheumatism patients, in addition, with patients with psychological illnesses such as Burnout, depressions or with sleep problems. In addition, the treatment is intended to help with skin diseases such as neurodermatitis or acne, with regeneration after heavy sporting exertion and even with weight loss.

Depending on the clinical picture and physical conditions, even a single application of the cold chamber can contribute to alleviating the symptoms. In other cases 10-15 applications are needed to achieve a longer lasting effect. Mostly these applications take place within the scope of a rehabilitation or cure measure in the company of other treatments.

As already mentioned, the application usually begins in an antechamber, or even in two successive antechambers, which are cold down to minus 60 degrees Celsius, for example. This is followed by the transition to the main chamber, which is usually cooled down to about minus 110 degrees Celsius. In this chamber, the person to be treated walks slowly back and forth, and the stay in the coolest chamber lasts only between one and three minutes.