Raynauds: Cold exposure therapy

[mike444]

I would like to know if anyone has tried cold exposure therapy as a way of managing Raynaud's.

I've read about this on some blogs and there's a good article about it from a credible source below

time.com/5712904/adjust-to-...

The article states

If you really want to accelerate your body’s habituation to the cold, frigid showers will get the job done. “Cold showers are no fun, but they cause the body to adapt pretty quickly,” says John Castellani, a research physiologist for the U.S. Army who has studied how people respond and adapt to the cold. He suggests starting off with just a quick cold-shower exposure—say 15 seconds—and adding 10 seconds every day. (You can turn up the water temp once you’ve endured your measure of icy water.)

Do you have any opinion or recommendation about gradual cold exposure as a way of improving Raynaud's symptoms? It is something I am interested in trying next Spring or Summer.

[Awwy]

Hi Mike444

Not sure to be honest. The 2 things that have helped me manage mine are:

1. Exercise as it increases the blood flow.

2. The second thing I tried which helped was going to a spa. Switching from hot sauna room to the cold room and having a cold shower then going back into the sauna.

It wasn't pleasant the first few times but I do feel those 2 things helped with that awful feeling when your hands and feet start to warm up. It reduced the pain and swelling.

I would probably try this first rather than go straight to cold 🥶

Wish you all the best.

[Ciaran34 in reply to Awwy]

agree whole heartedly - I also wear infrared glove to bed a night and my hands feel better in the morning - a nitroglycerin patch can help when you have a flare up to open up the blood vessels

[Midgebite21]

Hi Mike,

It’s states he’s a research physiologist in the US military. If his observation subjects are young healthy military personnel they are not going to suffer from Raynauds in the first place. My son is in the Royal Navy and you can’t join if you have a Raynauds diagnosis. It’s on the list of conditions not allowed like diabetes and asthma. However if your willing to give it a go I’d be very interested to hear how you fair. There is lots of research about exposure therapy especially with allergies etc now so it’s not impossible that it may have some benefits in Raynauds but I’m afraid I’m to much of a wimp to be a guinea pig 😆

Hope your enjoying a happy Christmas 🎄

[OldTed60]

i would think it depends on whether there is an autoimmune cause for your Raynaud’s. Secondary Raynaud’s is a very different beast to primary.. people with secondary can lose digits to the ischemic damage it does to us, have serious organ involvement etc. So you’d need to be careful about which type you have regardless of whether or not it might help. Sounds bit of a gamble to me personally.

[tanya1981 in reply to OldTed60]

fully agree - for secondary raynauds I’d be very wary of trying such a therapy, especially due to the risk to internal organs which is not visible

[OldTed60 in reply to tanya1981]

yes - my dad drowned this way so I’m worried by this idea I must say.

[mike444]

Thank you for your replies. I have Primary Raynaud's. I would like to trial it in the spring or summer, so that when I leave the shower, my body can warm up after. My home can get quite cold in the winter. I plan to start at 15 seconds of cold shower, then slowly increase.

[Awwy in reply to mike444]

Hi Mike444

Id be interested to know how you get on.

[chucklehead]

Hi mike444 , I've not been diagnosed with Raynaud's, but I'm pretty sure I have it.

I was sitting in the sauna today wondering the same thing about cold therapy. I'm interested to try it out.

Like you, I have cold showers after the sauna.

I was lucky enough to skip winter this year by remote working, so I don't know if this has changed how my feet react to the cold.

It's been 11 months since your post. Have you done any more experimenting?

[mike444]

I did not try it afterwards.