Whole-body cryotherapy was first introduced by the Japanese scientist Professor Toshiro Yamauchi in the late 70s as an effective method of treating rheumatism. After making a report in 1979, when he told the world about his achievements at the Rheumatology Congress, and a few years later the first cryotherapeutic system for administering general cryotherapy was commissioned.

In the clinic of Professor Reinhard Fricke, a cryotherapeutic module started functioning way back in 1984, and hundreds of patients could undergo the long-awaited treatment. Since then, millions of people around the world could experience the amazing revitalizing capabilities of cryotherapy.

With time, cryotherapy using a cryosauna became more than pain management or anti-inflammatory tool and treatment that helped athletes recover from physical stress, muscle tension, and minor injuries. Instead, it evolved into a mainstream method of stress relief and a part of the wellness culture.

There are many studies of whole-body cryotherapy. Since it has become an alternative treatment for many diseases and conditions, whole-body cryotherapy researches issue regularly. Many of them relate to sports medicine. 

For example, one of them “Cryotherapy in sports medicine” was issued by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports in 1996. The conclusion of this article is that cold treatment is effective to reduce the recovery time as part of the rehabilitation program both after acute injuries and in the treatment of chronic injuries; reduces pain effectively in the post-operative period after reconstructive surgery of the joints; has neuromuscular action and relaxation of the muscles; increases the pain threshold, the viscosity and the plastic deformation of the tissues; decreases the inflammatory reaction, etc.

More recent researches are about specific problems or issues. “The cold truth: the role of cryotherapy in the treatment of injury and recovery from exercise” was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology in 2021. Authors say that cryotherapy is indicated when rapid recovery is required between exercise bouts, as opposed to after routine training. It is imperative that cryotherapy be applied in abundance within the first few hours of structural damage.

But not only sports medicine is interested in whole-body cryotherapy. For example, the Experimental Gerontology journal issued the study “The improvement of cognitive deficits after whole-body cryotherapy – A randomised controlled trial” in 2021. Conclusions: whole-body cryotherapy may increase the performance of cognitive functions. It seems promising to combine whole-body cryotherapy with existing behavioral and cognitive training in future studies investigating early intervention methods in mild cognitive impairment.

One more – “Use of Cryotherapy for Managing Chronic Pain: An Evidence-Based Narrative” by Pain and Therapy journal. This research was focused on analyzing studies between the years 2000 and 2020 that included the application of cryotherapy in patients with chronic pain associated with chronic diseases. The authors came to the conclusion that local and whole-body cryotherapy can be low-risk and easy treatment options to add to the management of chronic pain of some patients.

On the Internet, you can find numerous whole-body cryotherapy reviews from people who have tried it. Most of them are from professional athletes because they were the first who felt all the benefits of whole-body cryotherapy on themselves. 

The Guardian in one of the articles describes the impressions out of full body cryotherapy experience of one of the reporters, and lists the celebrities who use cryotherapy regularly. 

Travelbinger blog recently published an honest review of a monthly course of whole-body cryotherapy. The author notes the increased level of energy and back pain relief even after his first session. 

Irene Jiang from BusinessInsider spent 3 minutes in a cryosauna and wanted more. She described all the processes and impressions accompanied by photos in her whole-body cryotherapy testimonial article.

Although whole-body cryotherapy provides a great number of benefits, there are few risks and side effects associated with this treatment. They can include decreased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and lowered respiration, burning of the skin or frostbite. You can find the list of all possible whole-body cryotherapy side effects here.

To avoid unwanted consequences you have to consult with a cryo center specialist and study the list of contradictions.

The definition of whole body cryotherapy is the therapeutic application of extremely cold dry air, usually between −110°C and −180°C. It is used in medical therapy, beauty procedures, healing sports injuries, and others.
According to Wikipedia, cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy.