Modern surgery is a marvel of medicine, but not all surgery comes without side-effects. Persistent pain is something that can originate even after seemingly minor surgeries. This is usually treated with painkillers or physiotherapy, but these aren’t fool proof or to all patient’s preferences. However, new evidence is emerging that suggests a sharp cold water plunge could also provide pain relief.
Does Cold Water Really Work?
There is currently just one recorded case where a short, sharp shock of very cold water has been effective as pain relief. A 28-year-old former triathlete who was suffering from constant and severe pain after undergoing surgery. Physiotherapy only exacerbated the issue and medication was equally ineffective. After lengthy consultation it was suggested that the man plunge himself into cold open water – with medical supervision – to cure the pain. The result of doing so ended up eliminating the neuropathic pain the man was experiencing.
Although this is the first case of cold water providing such dramatic and sudden pain relief, there are examples of it being effective in similar scenarios. Ice baths have been used in sports recovery for a long time, in order to help muscle repair after intense physical activity. Although the evidence for this kind of cold being effective for recovery is far from definitive, it is widely accepted as being beneficial. This backs up the case of the triathlete.
What Are the Theories of Why It Worked?
Although the evidence is not conclusive, there are hypothesis as to why this cold water treatment worked for the triathlete:
- The first is that the sudden shock and fear of drowning ignited activity in the nervous system, this then altered the level of consciousness that changed the perception of pain
- The second theory is that the cold water shock simply dwarfs the pain and the nerve endings cannot process both feelings
- The third and final theory is that the reduced mobility after surgery facilitated the pain and the relief felt in the water breaks the cycle by allowing freedom of movement.
There Are Risks
Before cold water shocks become a common painkiller prescribed by your doctor, it should be noted that there are risks with such a treatment. Plunging yourself into cold water can cause person to go into shock and panic, seizing up the muscles and increasing risk of drowning. There is also the added risk of hyperthermia due to the extreme low temperatures. Like with any serious pain relief treatment it’s necessary to have medical supervision to be sure that it is performed safely and without complications.
Despite the unorthodox nature of the treatment, having a documented case of cold water effectively relieving pain is a promising line of study. It could lead to many post-surgery patients with chronic pain with a solution where other treatments have failed.