"I would do it every day for the rest of my life."Katherine Jenkins hit a high note after she stripped down and exposed herself to ultra low temperatures.
Maria Menounos found a "cool" new way to treat her dance injuries that include 2 broken ribs and a stress fracture in her foot and wanted to share her knowledge with her Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) cast mates.
Jonas Kuehne, M.D. is L.A.'s "Dr. Freeze"
Celebrity Diagnosis recently sat down with Dr. Kuehne to obtain some of the medical facts behind the chilly headlines.CelebrityDx: What is Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) and who invented it?
Dr. Kuehne: WBC is the rapid and short-term exposure of the skin’s surface to temperatures in the range of -120° C to -170° C. The treatment is applied for 2-3 minutes and was originally developed by a Japanese Rheumatologist, Dr. Yamaguchi, in the late 1970’s for pain management in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Following treatment, he noticed significant reduction in pain and swelling of affected joints.
CelebrityDx: How did you first learn about WBC and its clinical uses?
Dr. Kuehne: I first came across this technology in the clinical setting in Germany. I went to medical school at UCLA but did most of my residency training in Germany in family medicine. In Europe, WBC is used in clinics and hospitals for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, post-surgical recovery, pain management and even mood disorders. It is also found in many physical rehabilitation centers.
CelebrityDx: How do you currently use WBC in your practice?
Dr. Kuehne: Our patient population here in Los Angeles includes athletes with sports injuries and patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and pain management issues. In addition we see some patients who are looking for cosmetic skin benefits and weight management.
CelebrityDx: How much research supports the use of WBC in these various diseases and conditions? Are cryochambers FDA-approved medical devices? What’s the situation in Europe and Japan?
Dr. Kuehne: There have been a number of pilot studies published and, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, some randomized controlled trials -- most of these have been done in Europe. We encourage research and indeed make our facility and machines available free of charge to university researchers.
CelebrityDx: What do these studies show? Are there any adverse effects of WBC?
Dr. Kuehne: The beneficial effects of WBC are mediated by effects on immunological molecules, such as inflammatory cytokines. The consensus from many studies on athletes is that WBC is not harmful or detrimental in healthy subjects. There are some contraindications for treatment, such as cold hypersensitivity or Raynaud's phenomenon. In athletes, many parameters have been looked at including hematology, muscle enzymes, cardiac markers and hormones. For elite athletes, an important conclusion of these studies was that WBC does not induce changes that might be suggestive of cheating or doping.
CelebrityDx: How much does WBC typically cost? Are treatments insurance-reimbursable?
Dr. Kuehne: The price for the sessions varies from $45 to $65 depending on the number of treatments booked. The treatments are not covered by insurance yet, but this is one of the points we are working on changing.
CelebrityDx: Lastly, was there ever any risk that Derek's and Maks' "manly parts" might get frostbitten?
Dr. Kuehne: During the treatments, patients wear minimal clothing such as a bathing suit or shorts, socks, shoves and gloves to avoid frostbite.