Cryotherapy and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disorder. The communication between the brain and the body is impacted by nerve damage. That can result in loss of coordination, pain, fatigue, and even vision loss.  It is progressive disease, but treatment and medications can treat symptoms and slow the progression of the disease in many people. 

One promising treatment for multiple sclerosis is whole body cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is the use of extreme cold temperatures to the body. You may not realize it, but you are familiar with cryotherapy. If you have ever used an ice pack to treat pain, you have used cryotherapy. Whole body cryotherapy works on the same basic concept. However, instead of localized exposure of moderately cold temperatures, it involves short-term exposure of the whole body to extremely cold temperatures. 

While scientists do not understand why whole-body cryotherapy works, they have seen evidence that whole body cryotherapy can help with pain relief and reduce inflammation. They believe it works by reducing the levels of hormones that are linked to inflammation and by acting on the nervous system. 

A 2020 study showed promising results for treating MS with cryotherapy. For some patients with moderate or severe MS, it helped improve quality of life by reducing fatigue and improving physical ability, such as the ability to walk. The study has not determined whether these benefits were long-term or short-term. However, given that MS is a progressive illness and that other treatments cause more of a remission than a cure, it is probably fair to assume they are short-term until further research can be done. 

The potential benefits of whole-body therapy for MS includes reducing pain, reducing nerve irritation, alleviating fatigue, reducing inflammation, and helping boost mood. Combined, these effects may actually reverse some of the effects of MS, and not just slow the progression of the disease. Again, we need further research in the area, but we are optimistic that cryotherapy is going to play an important role in treating MS. 

The great thing is that, unlike some other developing treatments, you do not have to wait for the results to try cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is a low-risk treatment that is already widely available. Unless you have certain health conditions that make it high-risk for you, you can schedule an appointment today. See for yourself if cryotherapy can help alleviate your MS symptoms!