Cryotherapy, cold water bathing

[Spartacus]

Immersion in cold water has sometimes been mentioned as a possible treatment for many things and specifically ME/CFS in social media. There are also the traditions of Scandinavian countries and others of alternating sauna with cold water dips.

I thought it would be useful to look at the evidence and hear about any personal experiences with this.

No idea what it would do for someone with ME. However my nephew has rapid cycling Bipolar 2. He does seem to find that a swim in the sea helps. I think Bipolar 2 is basically just brain chemistry gone haywire, so maybe cold water swimming would help any neurological condition?
Personally I can't actually physically get to the beach, and I can't tolerate sunlight. Might be able to do it if we could go back to the old Victorian bath huts on wheels!

 

[Cinders66]

There was loads of hype about this around 1990s. I was mild-moderate then. I took regular increasingly cold baths. Zilch benefit.

 

[Arnie Pye]

Cold water immersion sounds like torture to me. I could never do it.

I'm curious if anyone who does this keeps records of their body temperature before going in cold water and immediately after getting out.

 

[Mij]

Immersion in cold water has sometimes been mentioned as a possible treatment for many things and specifically ME/CFS in social media. There are also the traditions of Scandinavian countries and others of alternating sauna with cold water dips.

Contrast foot bathing has been shown to be helpful for improving circulation. We advised this to our patients when I worked for a podidatrist.

I was doing FAR infra red saunas years ago, but I would never dip in a cold shower afterwards! I was too exhausted. Perhaps on alternate days, sauna one day and cool shower the next, but ever one extreme to another.