Cryotherapy for Fibromyalgia: What the Research Shows (Toronto Guide)

Does cryotherapy help fibromyalgia?

Quick answer: Possibly, for some people. Small European trials found that a course of 6–15 whole body cryotherapy sessions was followed by less pain and better quality of life. None used a placebo comparison, benefits may fade once sessions stop, and some people find cold aggravating, so think of it as an add-on to medical care and exercise.

Since 2013, our North York studio has delivered more than 15,000 supervised sessions, and on a health question like this we would rather give you an honest read of the evidence than a sales pitch. This guide to cryotherapy for fibromyalgia covers what the studies tested, where the evidence is thin, why cold does not suit everyone, and how to try it carefully alongside your existing care.

For our broader approach, see cryotherapy for arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic pain in Toronto. Our whole body cryotherapy page explains the cryosauna, timing and what to wear.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition of fluctuating, widespread pain, usually alongside poor sleep, fatigue, and changes in mood and thinking. The 2012 Canadian Guidelines describe it as affecting more than 2% of the population, with no physical abnormality or biological marker that defines it, so a physician diagnoses it from your symptoms and history (Fitzcharles et al., 2013).

It is not a classic inflammatory joint disease like rheumatoid arthritis. Laboratory studies instead suggest the nervous system processes sensation differently: people with fibromyalgia, as a group, feel pain from heat and cold sooner than people without it (Berglund et al., 2002).

Common symptoms

• Diffuse body pain that fluctuates
• Unrefreshing or disturbed sleep
• Fatigue and low energy
• Mood changes
• Problems with memory and concentration, often called “fibro fog”
• Heightened sensitivity to temperature or touch

Not yet assessed? Start with your family doctor, because widespread pain has other possible causes.

Why is cold therapy for fibromyalgia being studied?

Canadian guidelines note that medications provide only modest benefit in fibromyalgia, so non-drug add-ons are of real interest. Researchers have proposed several reasons brief, intense cold might help, all still hypotheses:

• Pain signalling. Researchers suggest whole body cryotherapy affects several neurotransmitters that may play a role in pain relief (Rivera et al., 2018).
• Immune signalling. A German study found different cytokine (immune messenger) levels in fibromyalgia than in healthy volunteers, some of which shifted over a course of cryotherapy (Klemm et al., 2021).
• Sleep and mood. An Italian trial found greater improvement in sleep and depressive symptoms, as well as pain, when cryotherapy was added to rehabilitation (Varallo et al., 2022).

None of these mechanisms is proven, and none means cold changes the underlying condition.

What does the research on whole body cryotherapy for fibromyalgia show?

We checked each study below against its PubMed record. As of October 2026 we found no systematic review or meta-analysis dedicated to cryotherapy for fibromyalgia; the evidence is a handful of small trials.

What this adds up to

The studies point the same way: in the short term, a course of sessions was followed by improvements in pain, disease impact or quality of life. That is encouraging, but it is early-stage evidence.

What the research does not tell us yet

• Whether it beats expectation. No trial used a placebo (sham) cold exposure.
• How long benefits last. One study found improvements still present after a month; another found none three months after sessions stopped.
• Whether results apply to cold-sensitive people. At least two of the trials excluded people with cold intolerance.
• How chambers compare with cabins. Some trials used walk-in cryo chambers; Rivera’s tested a liquid-nitrogen cryosauna cabin, the format closest to ours. See cryo chambers vs cryosaunas.
• The best dose. Protocols ranged from 6 to 15 sessions and from −110°C to about −196°C.

What did a typical study protocol look like compared with real-world sessions?

Research protocols were front-loaded: sessions were packed into a short window, then stopped so the effect could be measured. Real-world use is usually more flexible and longer term.

One detail is worth borrowing: in the Italian trial, participants started with a one-minute familiarisation session before moving to two minutes. Easing in makes particular sense when your nervous system is already sensitive.

Can cold make fibromyalgia worse?

For some people, yes. In a Swedish laboratory study of 20 women with fibromyalgia and 20 matched controls, the fibromyalgia group had lower cold-pain thresholds and tolerance, and every patient perceived some cool or cold stimuli abnormally, for example as heat or other abnormal sensations (Berglund et al., 2002).

There is also a research gap: the Rivera and Varallo trials excluded people with cold intolerance, so the encouraging results come from people who could tolerate cold.

Signs cryotherapy may not suit you

• A Toronto January, cold wind or strong air conditioning reliably sets off a flare
• Your fingers or toes turn white or blue in the cold, which can signal Raynaud’s
• You get hives or welts from cold exposure (cold urticaria)
• You feel worse, not better, for a day or more after cold exposure

Raynaud’s and cold urticaria are on our contraindications list. The other signs do not automatically rule you out, but raise them at your consultation so we can start conservatively, or tell you honestly that cryotherapy may not fit. If whole-body cold feels like too much, localized cryotherapy targets one zone, such as the neck, though the fibromyalgia trials tested whole-body exposure only.

Is cryotherapy safe for people with fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia itself is not on our contraindications list, but your full health history matters.

In the cabin-based Rivera trial, five participants reported mild side effects, including palpitations, sleep difficulties, bloating, muscle stiffness, tremor and headache, which appeared in early sessions and then eased; one person stopped after two sessions. The Italian chamber trial observed no treatment-related adverse events.

A 2023 international scoping review of chamber-based whole body cryotherapy found 16 documented adverse events across the case reports and trials it included, and concluded that risks can be kept within acceptable limits by following contraindications and established guidelines (Legrand et al., 2023). The authors noted that some public-health safety concerns drew on reports from head-out liquid-nitrogen exposures, which they treat as a different format from walk-in chambers. Our cryosauna is a head-out cabin, which is one more reason we screen carefully and supervise every session.

Conditions that rule out or delay cryotherapy

Our full contraindications list includes, among others:

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure, recent heart attack, heart failure, unstable angina or recent heart surgery
• Raynaud’s, cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, cold-induced asthma or prior frostbite
• Peripheral arterial disease, DVT, or circulatory or clotting disorders
• Seizure disorders, stroke history or severe claustrophobia
• Pregnancy, fever or acute respiratory illness

Bring a list of your medications. For more on short-term reactions, read our cryotherapy side effects and safety guide.

How should cryotherapy fit with medical care and exercise?

Exercise is the backbone of evidence-based fibromyalgia care. In the EULAR revised recommendations (published by the European League Against Rheumatism in 2016–2017), exercise was the only therapy to earn a “strong for” recommendation. The recommendations advise starting with education and non-drug approaches, then adding tailored options such as psychological therapies, medication or multimodal rehabilitation if needed (Macfarlane et al., 2017). Canada’s guidelines similarly describe healthy lifestyle habits and active participation in your own care as the cornerstone.

The Italian trial reflects this: it added cryotherapy to an exercise-based rehabilitation program, and the combined group did better on pain and sleep, though not on physical performance tests. That is the sensible model for anyone seeking fibromyalgia pain relief in Toronto: cryotherapy as one optional piece, layered on top of the care with the strongest evidence.

Practical ways to combine them

• Keep your physician in the loop, especially if you have other health conditions.
• Do not swap exercise for cryotherapy; treat sessions as one part of a routine built around regular activity.
• Change one thing at a time so you can tell what is helping.
• Track pain, sleep and energy before and during a block of sessions.
• Never stop or reduce prescribed medication on your own.

How do we approach first fibromyalgia sessions at our North York studio?

Your first visit takes about 30 minutes and starts with a free one-on-one consultation covering your health history, goals and contraindications, followed by a personalised plan.

What we suggest if you have fibromyalgia

• Start short. We can keep your first session brief and build up based on how you respond. Sessions never exceed 3 minutes, and a trained technician stays with you throughout.
• Judge over a block, not one visit. Some people feel relief after one session, but for chronic issues most see best results with 2–3 sessions per week, and the trials assessed courses of 6–15 sessions. Our guide to how often to do cryotherapy covers scheduling.
• Tell us how you feel afterwards. If a session leaves you more sore or unsettled for the rest of the day, we adjust the plan or advise stopping.
• Use packages that do not expire. A first-time whole body trial is $40; 5 sessions are $275 and 10 are $500, plus 13% HST. Packages never expire, which suits a condition that flares and settles. See pricing.

We are at 4646 Dufferin St in North York, just south of Finch Avenue West and about 2 km north of Highway 401, with TTC buses along Dufferin and Finch; call (416) 509-4555. For our wider approach to cryotherapy for chronic pain, visit our arthritis and chronic pain page, or read more about whole body cryotherapy.