From getthegloss.com
By Emma Elms
When journalist Emma Elms woke up one day with shooting pains in her back, neck and fingers, her biggest fear was not being able to write. After being diagnosed with acute osteoarthritis she found an unexpected way to treat it
One day I was fine, the next I could barely move. Overnight, I went from being a lively, active 50-year-old to being in agony with shooting pains in my back, neck and shoulders. My GP said it was a muscular strain, while a private physio told me I had sciatica. It turned out both were wrong. A month later, an X-ray revealed that in fact I had acute osteoarthritis of the neck.
Often referred to as ‘wear-and-tear arthritis’, it seems, despite still feeling 21, my age is finally catching up with me. Osteoarthritis (OA) typically occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones gradually wears away, causing bones to rub against each other, leading to pain, stiffness and reduced mobility. So, why me? How did I suddenly end up with an agonising case of OA, seemingly out of the blue? I later discover it’s both my job and my lifestyle that’s to blame – a double-whammy of carelessness on my part.
The pain first appeared after a frantic dash to the theatre, while carrying heavy bags. What really finished my neck off was then spending 10 hours typing at top speed the next day to meet a deadline.
Emma hard at work on her laptop – which is how the trouble started (image: Grace Murray @graceinaaa)
The pain was so bad, it began radiating down my arms to my fingertips, making typing near impossible. I began to panic. It even hurt to WhatsApp my friends.
Over the next few days, I was in such agony, it felt on a par with early labour. At one point, I found myself writhing around on the kitchen sofa at 4am, making strange animal noises to cope.
Desperate to get some sleep, I went back and saw a different GP, who prescribed me three codeine tablets a day to help mask the pain. She also warned me about my poor posture when typing, suggesting I invest in a new height-adjustable desk.
It was fun feeling all floaty on the codeine at first, but then the drugs began to wreak havoc on my mood – sending me on a rollercoaster from high to low. They’re super-addictive too, so I decided to stop taking them.
The chiropractor managed to grant me a couple of hours of pain relief, by manipulating my neck and back. But it was short-lived.
Thinking back to what helped me through labour, I decided to order a mini, adhesive TENS machine. Resembling a thin black butterfly, this nifty device uses gentle electrical impulses to block your body’s pain signals at source. It’s ideal for targeting pain in the neck, back, shoulders and arms, both at home and on the move. I stuck it on the back of my neck and having electrical impulses coursing through me all day did help. Yet still it wasn’t enough to eradicate the pain, plus I couldn’t sleep with it on.
Then I had a brainwave. I’m a regular outdoor swimmer so can handle the cold and when I’d once tried cryotherapy (aka going in a human freezer) in a spa, I loved it. Instinctively, I knew this would help my neck pain. And I’m happy to report… after just five sessions, spread over a fortnight, it worked! By the time I finally found out that I had arthritis, I was back to normal, turbo-typing and happily texting my friends.
What is whole-body cryotherapy?
I tried whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) where you climb inside a special cryo chamber for 2-4 minutes, exposing your body to sub-zero temperatures, minus 87 degrees in my case. Once the preserve of elite athletes and fancy biohacking clinics (often as part of a contrast therapy ‘circuit’ alongside saunas), cryotherapy chambers are increasingly mainstream, popping up in gyms and spas nationwide. Jennifer Aniston and Mark Wahlberg are both fans and many people use them for recovery, post exercise, as they’re said to help reduce muscle inflammation. (Can’t face the freeze? Cryo beds are a gentler option – check out our review).
During my sessions, I popped some house music on Spotify to get me dancing, others prefer to jog. Either way, you need to keep moving.
I wore shorts and T-shirt, so I could feel the full benefit of the cold, but you also have to don a face mask, gloves, a fleece headband and cosy slippers/boots to keep your extremities warm.
Its multiple health and wellbeing benefits include everything from “reducing joint pain and aiding muscle recovery” to “improving sleep, reducing stress and enhancing your mood”, according to Hannah Furness, a clinical specialist physiotherapist. Yes to all five, in my case…
Baby, it’s cold inside: Emma goes into the cryo chamber (Image: @revitalis_london)
How does cryotherapy help with pain?
“Cryotherapy is an umbrella term meaning ‘cold therapy’ which has been used as a pain management method for thousands of years,” says Furness, founder of StrongerThan Physiotherapy.
“Whole-Body Cryotherapy is used to reduce inflammation and relieve the pain associated with conditions such as osteoarthritis. It helps to suppress and slow down cytokine production – these are the chemical messengers in the body that prompt inflammatory and immune responses,” she explains.
WBC works to ease pain and inflammation in several other ways too: “It reduces the speed of blood flow, so it slows down the speed at which inflammatory cells accumulate,” says Furness. “The cold also helps to reduce swelling, whether applied locally or used as a whole-body treatment, which is why cryotherapy is often useful for acute sporting injuries.”
Is cryotherapy scientifically proven to work?
There is strong evidence suggesting it does help to reduce pain. “A 2016 study in Poland examined 50 people undergoing WBC for hip, knee and lower joint pain and found that 78% of those reported a significant improvement in their perceived pain,” say Furness. “Interestingly, it found there was a reduction in the number of pain medications they needed to take afterwards too.”
A second more recent study, also in Poland, in 2022, looked at 30 people with lower back arthritis, known as lumbar spine osteoarthritis. “They underwent a series of three-minute WBC sessions, also followed by 45 minutes of rehab exercises, and again reported a significant improvement in their pain levels.”
This research examined their blood test results too. “It found in the short-term their cortisol levels had slightly risen, probably because being subjected to extreme cold triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response,” says Furness. “It also slightly raised their endorphin levels [the body’s feel-good hormone].”
What are the other benefits of cryotherapy?
“As well as helping with pain, cryotherapy can enhance your mood, reduce stress and improve your sleep,” says Furness. “Evidence doesn’t currently recommend it for weight loss or to relieve menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes, but research is still ongoing.”
How will you feel after a session of cryotherapy?
I like to warm up immediately afterwards with a cup of tea. For me, the endorphin high lasts for 24 hours after every session. Each time, I felt happy, energised and raring to go afterwards.
Is cryotherapy suitable for everyone?
No, anyone with cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure or heart disease, should avoid it. It’s also not recommended if you’re pregnant, have an active infection, severe anaemia, a history of fainting or a cold sensitivity like Raynaud’s phenomenon (reduced blood flow to extremities).
Bear in mind too that women tend to feel colder more quickly than men, Furness points out. “Our skin reacts more quickly to cold and our body goes into vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood vessels) more quickly to protect our vital organs, so research suggests a shorter exposure to extreme cold is recommended for women than men.”
A cryotherapy chamber: think adult-sized freezer
How much does cryotherapy cost?
I had cryotherapy in two different places. At The Glass House Spa in Essex it costs £55 for one session, £195 for a block of five treatments or £350 for 10 sessions.
At Revitalis, a recovery and performance clinic in Clapham Junction, South London, it costs £28 for a trial session, then £40 per session, £180 for five sessions, £350 for 10 or £400 for a month of unlimited use.
Cryotherapy for arthritis: my verdict
Four months on, I’m still happily pain-free, with not even a hint of OA. Much to my teen daughters’ alarm, I’ve bought a granny-style shopping trolley which I now wheel everywhere to ensure I don’t strain my neck or back again by carrying heavy bags. I’ve also followed my doctor’s orders and invested in a height-adjustable desk to save my neck.
Cryotherapy had so many benefits for me, especially in terms of boosting my mood, so it’s continued to be a once-a-month treat. No matter how busy I am, as a mum-of-three working full-time, I can always squeeze this in. It only takes a few minutes, after all, and I still buzz for 24 hours afterwards, telling anyone who’ll listen how brilliant it is. Now I’m out of the fog of pain, it seems incredible that for around £200, anyone in the same boat could potentially cure their OA, just like I did. Now that’s got to be a worth a try.
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