What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a medical therapy that uses a freezing technique for treating many medical conditions. It is also termed as cold therapy or cryosurgery. Cryoprobe, a needle-like surgical probe along with liquid nitrogen gas is used in this technique to create cold temperatures for destroying the dead tissue. Cryotherapy can be done to treat several types of skin conditions and also for benign and malignant lesions. 

What conditions can require Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is used to treat a few of the following conditions:

• Atopic dermatitis
• Precancerous mole removal
• Nodules
• Skin tags
• Retinoblastomas
• Prostate, liver, and cervical cancers where surgical resection is not possible
• Migraine headaches
• Mood disorders

Cryotherapy is also being used to treat various tumors/lesions in different parts of the body such as lungs, bones, kidneys, and breasts. 

What are the advantages of Cryotherapy?

Following are a few of the advantages of Cryotherapy:

• Numbs nerve irritation
• Skin tone improvement
• Reduce the signs of aging
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Reduce migraine and headaches
• Reduces inflammation
• Preventing and treating cancer
• Minimal scar tissue formation

Who can perform Cryotherapy?

Experienced and qualified Dermatologists can able to perform Cryotherapy. The doctor will instruct the patient about precautions to be taken before and after the procedure. One should follow the instructions of the doctors carefully. 

What are the contraindications of Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy should not perform if an individual is having any of the following conditions:

• Severe hypertension
• Pregnancy
• Cardiac pacemaker
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Cold allergy
• Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
• Raynaud's disease

What are the risks and complications associated with Cryotherapy?

Few of the following risks and complications associated with Cryotherapy:

• Nerve damage results in numbness or tingling sensation
• Pain and infection
• Bleeding
• Injury to the surrounding healthy tissues
• Ulcer formation
• Urethral sloughing

How long does it take to complete Cryotherapy?

Usually, Cryotherapy should be done in the recommended time which depends on the type of procedure performed. Complete body cryotherapy should be done for 2 to 3 minutes. Whereas, localized cryotherapy should be done in between 20 to 30 minutes.