Cryotherapy is easy to use, fast, efficient and cost-effective. However, there are certain conditions that should not be treated with cryotherapy, including:

• Poor circulation. In some people, blood circulates poorly throughout the body. Cold can aggravate this condition.
  
  
• Raynaud syndrome. In this condition, the smallest arteries that deliver blood to the fingers and toes constrict when exposed to cold or during emotional upheaval.
  
  
• Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). The damaged vessels do not function properly. Applying cold can worsen the condition.
  
  
• Impaired sensation, such as from neuropathy. People with reduced sensory abilities in some nerves, including some people with diabetes, should not use cryotherapy unless advised by their physician.
  

  

• Anxiety about cold. Some patients experience anxiety about the use of cold with treatment.
  
  
• Cryoglobulinemia. This condition involves abnormal proteins in the bloodstream that thicken or gel when they are exposed to cold.
  
  
• Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria. Rare blood disorder caused by the formation of antibodies that destroy red blood cells when a person is exposed to cold.

If cold therapy is applied for excessive periods of time, it can result in:

• Hypothermia. A medical condition in which a person’s body temperature drops significantly below normal temperatures, impairing metabolism.
  
  
• Frostbite. A medical condition in which skin and other tissues are damaged by extreme cold.

Rarely, cold therapy can increase pain temporarily.