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Whole-body Cryotherapy As Adjunct Treatment of Depressive and Anxiety Disorders

Overview
Journal Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz)
Publisher Sciendo
Specialty Allergy & Immunology
Date 2008 Feb 6
PMID 18250970
Citations 24
Authors
Joanna Rymaszewska
David Ramsey
Sylwia Chladzinska-Kiejna
Affiliations
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Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatism has been treated using whole-body cryotherapy (WBCT) since the 1970s. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of WBCT as an experimental, adjunctive method of treating depressive and anxiety disorders.

Materials And Methods: A control (n=34) and a study group (n=26), both consisting of outpatients 18-65 years old with depressive and anxiety disorders (ICD-10), received standard psychopharmacotherapy. The study group was additionally treated with a series of 15 daily visits to a cryogenic chamber (2-3 min, from -160 degrees C to -110 degrees C). The Hamilton's depression rating scale (HDRS) and Hamilton's anxiety rating scale (HARS) were used as the outcome measures.

Results: After three weeks, a decrease of at least 50% from the baseline HDRS-17 scores in 34.6% of the study group and 2.9% of the control group and a decrease of at least 50% from the baseline HARS score in 46.2% of the study group and in none of the control group were noted.

Conclusions: These findings, despite such limitations as a small sample size, suggest a possible role for WBCT as a short-term adjuvant treatment for mood and anxiety disorders.

Citing Articles

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Pitera P, Bigoni M, Prina E, Barrera B, Yavuz D, Verme F J Clin Med. 2025; 13(24.

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Beyond Pharmacology: A Narrative Review of Alternative Therapies for Anxiety Disorders.

Antos Z, Zackiewicz K, Tomaszek N, Modzelewski S, Waszkiewicz N Diseases. 2024; 12(9).

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Whole-Body Cryostimulation: An Effective Complementary Treatment in Fibromyalgia? A Follow Up Study.

Verme F, Majdic N, Modaffari G, Alito A, Scarpa A, Pitera P J Pers Med. 2024; 14(8).

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Whole-Body Cryostimulation in Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review.

Alito A, Fontana J, Franzini Tibaldeo E, Verme F, Pitera P, Miller E J Clin Med. 2024; 13(7).

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Whole-Body Cryostimulation as an Adjunctive Treatment for Neurophysiologic Tinnitus and Associated Disorders: Preliminary Evidence from a Case Study.

Pitera P, Cremascoli R, Alito A, Bianchi L, Galli F, Verme F J Clin Med. 2024; 13(4).

PMID: 38398306 PMC: 10888542. DOI: 10.3390/jcm13040993.

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