Cryoablation is a way to treat cancers in spots where surgery is difficult or impossible. It has been used for cervical, eye, bone, liver, kidney, lung and prostate cancers and can be useful as a way to relieve cancer-related pain that has metastasized to bones or other organs.

The History of Cryotherapy

The first cryotherapy chamber debuted in Japan in the 1970s and was used to treat diseases in which inflammation occurred, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Japanese rheumatologist Toshima Yamaguchi is credited with developing the first chain of businesses devoted to the practice.

Before that, chilling as a medical treatment had been used for many years, including to help newborn babies. The process of chilling seems to switch on protective genes and stop cellular destruction, according to some research. Such celebrities as Kobe Bryant, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston and LeBron James have publicly stated their support for the practice and participated in cryotherapy sessions.

But not every disease can be stopped or treated with cryotherapy. It may even cause damage, making patients more vulnerable to infections like pneumonia, although some research claims the opposite is true and that cryotherapy actually boosts the immune system.

The most controversial issue with cryotherapy always turns back to the lack of credible research to support its claims. There have only been some minor studies, with less than 100 people participating. Such small studies are not considered definitive, and certainly no long-term studies have emerged, nor have ones that focus on side effects of cryotherapy.