Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China when adults began presenting with severe pneumonia of an unknown cause. SARS-CoV-2 can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations. SARS-CoV-2 can penetrate the olfactory mucosa and may enter the brain through the cribriform plate along the olfactory tract, through vagal or trigeminal pathways, or pass through the blood-brain barrier. Once inside the brain, levels of inflammatory cytokines are increased and can lead to altered learning, memory, neuroplasticity, hallucinations, nightmares, cognitive and attention deficits, new-onset anxiety and depression, and psychosis. A theoretical treatment for long COVID syndrome, whole body cryotherapy, involves exposing the entire body, including the head, to ultra-low temperatures for a brief time using an enclosed space referred to as a whole-body cryochamber. This literature review evaluates the efficacy of whole body cryotherapy on long COVID syndrome and its current clinical uses.
Keywords
COVID-19, Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Long COVID, SARS-CoV-2, Cryotherapy
Disciplines
Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Health and Medical Administration | Infectious Disease | Investigative Techniques | Medicine and Health Sciences | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Therapeutics | Virus Diseases
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Infectious Disease Commons, Investigative Techniques Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons, Therapeutics Commons, Virus Diseases Commons
Whole Body Cryotherapy as a Novel Treatment for Long COVID Syndrome Associated Brain Fog
SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China when adults began presenting with severe pneumonia of an unknown cause. SARS-CoV-2 can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations. SARS-CoV-2 can penetrate the olfactory mucosa and may enter the brain through the cribriform plate along the olfactory tract, through vagal or trigeminal pathways, or pass through the blood-brain barrier. Once inside the brain, levels of inflammatory cytokines are increased and can lead to altered learning, memory, neuroplasticity, hallucinations, nightmares, cognitive and attention deficits, new-onset anxiety and depression, and psychosis. A theoretical treatment for long COVID syndrome, whole body cryotherapy, involves exposing the entire body, including the head, to ultra-low temperatures for a brief time using an enclosed space referred to as a whole-body cryochamber. This literature review evaluates the efficacy of whole body cryotherapy on long COVID syndrome and its current clinical uses.