The History of Cryotherapy

Long before cryotherapy became the go-to recovery method for elite athletes and wellness centers, civilizations across the globe were already tapping into the healing power of cold. The journey from ancient snow compresses to electric whole-body chambers is a fascinating one—rooted in science, shaped by medicine, and now revolutionized by CryoBuilt.

2500 BC – Ancient Beginnings

The earliest mentions of cryotherapy trace back over 4,000 years. In ancient Egypt, healers used ice and cold compresses to reduce swelling and treat injuries. These rudimentary methods laid the groundwork for cold’s long-standing role in medicine.

400 BC – Hippocrates and the Healing Power of Cold

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, formally documented the use of snow and ice to treat injuries, swelling, and skin conditions. This marked one of the first written acknowledgments of cold as a therapeutic tool.

1845 – Dr. James Arnott: A Cold Revolution

Fast forward to 1845: English physician Dr. James Arnott discovered that applying extreme cold could help treat migraines, neuralgia, and even tumors. He developed early cryosurgical instruments and is considered one of the pioneers of modern cryotherapy.

1851 – A Global Debut

At the Great Exhibition in London, Arnott publicly demonstrated his techniques for destroying harmful tissue using freezing temperatures. His breakthrough won acclaim and solidified cryotherapy’s place in medical history.

1950 – Enter Liquid Nitrogen

Following WWII, liquid nitrogen began making waves in medicine. In 1950, Dr. Ray Allington started using it to treat skin lesions, ushering in a new era of targeted cryotherapy treatments in dermatology clinics worldwide.

1970s – The Birth of Whole Body Cryotherapy

In Japan, Dr. Toshima Yamaguchi began applying cold therapy to help his rheumatoid arthritis patients. By 1978, he had coined the term whole body cryotherapy and started developing full-body freezing chambers to target systemic inflammation and pain.

2000s – Cryotherapy Goes Global

European scientists, especially in Poland, took Dr. Yamaguchi’s work a step further. They began adapting cryotherapy for sports performance and recovery, using it to reduce downtime and boost athletic output—paving the way for widespread adoption across elite training centers.

2015 – CryoBuilt is Born

Recognizing a need for innovation, CryoBuilt was founded to bring modern technology to cryotherapy. By engineering electric whole-body cryo chambers, CryoBuilt eliminated nitrogen dependence—making cryotherapy safer, more efficient, and easier to operate.

What used to require supervision and manual nitrogen refills became fully electric and now even plug & play, recovery technology. CryoBuilt’s chambers set a new benchmark in reliability, safety, and experience.

2025 – The Leader in Electric Cryotherapy

Today, CryoBuilt is the largest electric cryotherapy manufacturer in the U.S., with over 450+ chambers installed worldwide across recovery studios, luxury gyms, performance centers, and professional sports teams.

Our presence now spans six countries, and we’re just getting started.

References

• Gage, A. A. (2004). History of cryosurgery. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 97(4), 196–197. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281398/

• Zouboulis, C. C. (2012). Cryosurgery in dermatology. British Journal of Dermatology, 166(6), 1301–1303. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21502