Cold Plunge Benefits: Pain Relief and Stress Reduction with Contrast Therapy
In recent years, the trend of cold plunging has increased significantly—cold plunging is defined as exposing the body to cold water. This natural modality can facilitate reduced pain and lowered stress. Cold water immersion is used for pain reduction and stress relief, and it can be traced through ancient medical practices but has recently been reinforced, with a few small studies, including some level of scientific legitimacy. Cold water immersion has become common among many athletes, wellness and health enthusiasts, and people looking for clarity. The physiological responses of being in cold water include decreased inflammation, increased blood circulation, increased endorphin release, etc. Physiological responses including these support reducing physical pain and calming mental state. As many people pursue more holistic approaches to health, cold plunging offers an easy tangible recovery tool that can also improve emotional resilience. This article discusses the science, and benefits of cold plunging and contrast therapy for pain relief and stress relief.
Understanding Cold Plunge Therapy
Cold plunge therapy consists of submerging the body in cold water, typically at temperatures between 10°C and 15°C (50°F and 59°F), for a brief period of time, traditionally between 3 to 10 minutes.
- When the body hits cold water, the reactions from that sudden exposure can have a number of mental and physical benefits, as well as trigger physiological reactions in the body. First, on entering the water, the sympathetic nervous system is activated and the blood vessels undergo vasoconstriction in order to maintain core body temperature.
- Immediately, once immersed in cold water, a person is activated alertness wise and has energy. The body will begin releasing norepinephrine and endorphins that contribute to improving mood, pain relief, and increase awareness and mental clarity.
Regular cold plunge training can help the body to respond to stress better, improve systemic inflammation, and improve immune function and, therefore, efficacy; overall increasing general health and wellness.
Science Behind Cold Plunge Therapy
The science behind cold plunges demonstrates how cold water immersion activates the sympathetic nervous system to release norepinephrine—an important hormone and neurotransmitter associated with the body’s fight or flight system.
- The increase of norepinephrine improves mental awareness, focus and mood while also supporting a reduction in inflammation and muscle soreness.
- One of the major physiological effects is vasoconstriction which is the narrowing of blood vessels to reduce blood flow to the inflamed areas in order to decrease swelling and pain.
- In addition, the body experiences such a shock from exposure to cold, that endorphins (the body’s natural feel good hormones) are released thus enhancing psychological well-being and reducing stress.
- Cold plunges will decrease the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines which allows for quicker recovery from physical exertion or injury. After immersing the body in cold, the body responds with vasodilation (where the blood vessels dilate or widen), which in turn restores better circulation by forcing oxygen-rich blood all around the body—this helps to refresh tissues through circulation which can positively affect recovery and overall health.
Benefits of Cold Plunge Therapy for Pain Relief
Cold plunge therapy has considerable therapeutic benefits for pain relief, especially for muscle recovery, joint pain, and nerve sensitivity.
- Many athletes use cold plunge therapy after training sessions to alleviate delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Cold exposure induces a reduction in muscle tissue’s micro-inflammation, which speeds up recovery and improves performance on your next workout.
- Cold plunge therapy is also a means to reduce the pain and stiffness associated with joint pain for conditions that inspire chronic pain (e.g., arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.).
- The cold exposure creates a reduction in nerve conduction velocity, which helps to numb pain receptors in the vicinity, which is a handy sensation to have for acute injury treatment from sprain-strain-acquired injuries. With this many benefits for pain and pain relief, cold plunge therapy is a sustainable means of alleviating and managing pain.
Benefits of Cold Plunge Therapy for Stress Reduction
Cold plunge therapy is an effective mechanism for stress relief, providing fast acting effects for mind and mood improvement as well as prolonged implications for mental health and emotional stability.
- The exposure of cold water initiates the production of norepinephrine and dopamine, both of which are neurochemicals that enhance mood, mental acuity and motivation. For this reason, many recipients of cold plunge educate about how they feel more alive, mentally sharp and emotionally stable.
- Cold immersion has also been shown to decrease cortisol levels (the body’s primary stress hormone), which lowers anxiety while promoting restorative sleep and emotional fortitude.
- Cold water immersion also provides an avenue to develop mindfulness and mental toughness by forcing focused breathing and presence in the moment. Over time developing an avenue to endure discomfort can potentially empower you to remain calm in stressful situations thus increasing your individual resiliency, while cultivating a balanced approach to life that is less impacted by stress.
How Contrast Therapy Work
Contrast therapy uses the body’s natural responses to temperature changes, which creates a dynamic process of vasodilation and vasoconstriction. When the body is exposed to heat, the blood vessels dilate (vasodilation) allowing for greater circulation of blood and thereby allowing the essential oxygen and nutrients to be delivered in greater quantities to the tissues. When the body is exposed to cold, the blood vessels constrict (vasoconstriction), which is useful for reducing inflammation and swelling. Utilizing these two extremes promotes a very strong pumping effect which allows oxygen to be delivered to the tissues, pushes metabolic waste out of the tissues, excites the nervous system, and reduces muscle fatigue and soreness, all speeding up recovery. This rhythm of physiological function promotes recovery from physical exertion, but also promotes more vitality overall and assists with resilience.
Health Benefits of Contrast Therapy
Contrast therapy has many health benefits and is a versatile tool for recovery and wellness.
- The primary benefit is pain management: alternating hot and cold temperatures numb nerve endings and interrupt pain signals, giving you fast, natural relief from soreness, joint pain, or a stubborn muscle knot. I
- In addition, it is a useful component of inflammation management. Cold constricts the body’s inflammatory response and heat enhances tissue elasticity and tissue repair. Together this provides a balanced immune response for managing complaints such as arthritis, repetitive strain injuries, or overtraining injury.
- The cyclical dilating and contracting of blood vessels promotes circulation to deliver nutrients, improve cellular repair, and eliminate toxins.
- Contrast therapy also supports emotional wellness by providing a deep relaxation response through heat followed by a quick sympathetic nervous system activation via cold, strengthening the nervous system’s ability to regulate stress.
- It stimulates lymph flow—lymph fluid moves without a natural pump so alternating temperature can help improve drainage and thus enhance immunity and clear toxins. In regards to detoxification contrast therapy can promote sweating during heat and tightening of vessels during cold—both of which contribute to enhanced metabolic functioning for the release of toxins through the skin.
Final Thought
Using cold plunge and contrast therapy are powerful natural tools to support physical recovery as well as mental health. These therapies harness the body’s natural reaction to cold and heat and can lower inflammation, lessen pain, increase circulation, and improve emotional resilience. Regularly incorporating cold exposure and/or contrast into your routines will improve muscle recovery, decrease stress hormones (such as cortisol), increase mood enhancing chemicals (such as endorphins and norepinephrine), and strengthen the immune system. If you are an athlete, wellness, or an individual looking to utilize holistic approaches to managing stress and pain, the addition of cold immersion or contrast to your routine could hugely benefit your overall health, vitality, and resilience long-term.
Reference
- Clinic, C. (2025b, April 22). The benefits and risks of cold plunges. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-know-about-cold-plunges
- Jumping into the Ice Bath Trend! Mental Health Benefits of Cold Water Immersion | Cognitive Enhancement. (2024, July 3). Lifestyle Medicine. https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2024/05/22/jumping-into-the-ice-bath-trend-mental-health-benefits-of-cold-water-immersion/
- Yankouskaya, A., Williamson, R., Stacey, C., Totman, J. J., & Massey, H. (2023). Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Networks. Biology, 12(2), 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020211
- Cryotherapy cold therapy for pain management. (2024b, April 24). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/cryotherapy-cold-therapy-for-pain-management
- Aanmc. (2025b, February 14). Contrast hydrotherapy benefits. AANMC. https://aanmc.org/natural-remedies/contrast-hydrotherapy-benefits/
