Combination of whole body cryotherapy with static stretching exercises reduces fatigue and improves functioning of the autonomic nervous system in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Kujawski S, Słomko J, Godlewska BR, Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska A, Murovska M, Newton JL, Sokołowski Ł, Zalewski P
Journal of translational medicine · 11 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej
- Grants
- Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej (PPI/APM/2018/1/00036/U/001)
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2022-06-17 · J Transl Med · vol. 20 · issue 1 · p. 273
- Publisher
- BioMed Central
- Cited
- 22 citations · more than 86% of similar papers · 1.8× the field average
- References
- 85 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Exercise and Physiological Responses · Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Sports injuries and prevention
- Keywords
- Cryotherapy, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Medicine, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Autonomic nervous system, Physical therapy, Internal medicine, Surgery, Heart rate, Blood pressure
- MeSH
- autonomic nervous system, humans, fatigue syndrome, chronic, cryotherapy, heart rate, muscle stretching exercises
8 authors
From PL, GB, LV
- Sławomir Kujawski · correspondingNicolaus Copernicus University; Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz
- Joanna SłomkoNicolaus Copernicus University; Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz
- Beata R. GodlewskaUniversity of Oxford
- Agnieszka Cudnoch‐JędrzejewskaMedical University of Warsaw
- Modra MurovskaRiga Stradiņš University
- Julia L. NewtonNewcastle University
Abstract
Background
The aim of this study was to explore the tolerability and effect of static stretching (SS) and whole body cryotherapy (WBC) upon fatigue, daytime sleepiness, cognitive functioning and objective and subjective autonomic nervous system functioning in those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) compared to a control population.
Methods
Thirty-two CFS and eighteen healthy controls (HC) participated in 2 weeks of a SS + WBC programme. This programme was composed of five sessions per week, 10 sessions in total.
Results
A significant decrease in fatigue was noted in the CFS group in response to SS + WBC. Some domains of cognitive functioning (speed of processing visual information and set-shifting) also improved in response to SS + WBC in both CFS and HC groups. Our study has confirmed that WBC is well tolerated by those with CFS and leads to symptomatic improvements associated with changes in cardiovascular and autonomic function.
Conclusions
Given the preliminary data showing the beneficial effect of cryotherapy, its relative ease of application, good tolerability, and proven safety, therapy with cold exposure appears to be an approach worth attention. Further studies of cryotherapy as a potential treatment in CFS is important in the light of the lack of effective therapeutic options for these common and often disabling symptoms.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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