Cold forced open-water swimming: a natural intervention to improve postoperative pain and mobilisation outcomes?

Mole, Tom; Mackeith, Pieter

doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-222236

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…A recently published case report indicated the remission of postoperative neuropathic pain and associated immobility following a cold water swim 20. This is the first time a case has been reported where this therapy has been trialled repeatedly for MDD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Open water swimming as a treatment for major depressive disorder

Tulleken

Tipton

Massey³

et al. 2018

BMJ Case Reports

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A 24-year-old woman with symptoms of major depressive disorder and anxiety had been treated for the condition since the age of 17. Symptoms were resistant to fluoxetine and then citalopram. Following the birth of her daughter, she wanted to be medication-free and symptom-free. A programme of weekly open (cold) water swimming was trialled. This led to an immediate improvement in mood following each swim and a sustained and gradual reduction in symptoms of depression, and consequently a reduction in, and then cessation of, medication. On follow-up a year later, she remains medication-free.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Open water swimming as a treatment for major depressive disorder

Tulleken

Tipton

Massey³

et al. 2018

BMJ Case Reports

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“…This may support an explanation for the perception of reduced symptoms or pain in those with musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis and back pain who do not feel able to be active on land [ 28 ]. Greater movement and pain reduction were also reported during immersion in cold water [ 29 ]. Therefore, for participants with musculoskeletal problems, outdoor swimming may allow greater movement, activity level, and respite from pain than is possible on land; however, further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Impact of Outdoor Swimming on Health: Web-Based Survey

Massey¹,

Gorczynski²,

Harper³

et al. 2022

Interact J Med Res

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Background Outdoor swimming in lakes, lidos (outdoor pools), rivers, and the sea has grown in popularity in many countries, including the United Kingdom. Many anecdotal accounts indicate improvements in medical conditions, which are considered a consequence of outdoor swimming. Objective The aim of this study is to better understand outdoor swimmers’ perceptions of their health and the extent to which participation impacted their existing self-reported symptoms. Methods A survey was conducted to investigate outdoor swimming behaviors and reports of any diagnosed medical conditions. Medical conditions were coded into categories, and descriptive statistics were generated regarding the outdoor swimmers’ behaviors and the effect that outdoor swimming had on their medical symptoms if any. The medical categories were clustered into five larger categories based on their prevalence in the current sample: mental health; musculoskeletal and injury; neurological; cardiovascular and blood disease; and other, which comprises inflammatory, immune, endocrine, and respiratory conditions. Results In total, 722 outdoor swimmers responded, of whom 498 (68.9%) were female. The probability of outdoor swimming having some positive impact on health across all medical categories was 3.57 times higher compared with no impact (B=1.28, 95% CI 0.63-1.91; P<.001), 44.32 times higher for the mental health category (B=3.79, 95% CI 2.28-5.30; P<.001), 5.25 times higher for musculoskeletal and injury category (B=1.66, 95% CI 0.52-2.79; P=.004), and 4.02 times higher for the other category (B=1.39, 95% CI 0.27-2.51; P=.02). Overall, outdoor swimming was associated with perceived reductions in symptoms of poor mental health (χ22=25.1; P<.001), musculoskeletal and injury (χ22=8.2; P=.04), cardiovascular and blood (χ22=14.7; P=.006), and other conditions (χ22=18.2; P<.001). Conclusions Physical activity in the form of outdoor swimming is perceived to have positive impacts on health and is associated with perceived symptom reductions in mental health, musculoskeletal and injury, and cardiovascular and blood conditions. This study cannot provide causal relationships or provide mechanistic insights. However, it does provide a starting point for more targeted prospective intervention research into individual conditions or categories of conditions to establish the impact in those who choose to start outdoor swimming.

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“…Indeed, effects of cold-water swimming were investigated at various water temperatures during this decade, such as −1 to 10°C (Gibas-Dorna et al, 2016), 11°C (Mole & Mackeith, 2018) and 18-21°C (Kormanovski et al, 2010). Water temperature of 25°C is higher than in these previous studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute increase in arterial stiffness after swimming in cooler water

Hayashi

Otsuki

2021

Clin Physio Funct Imaging

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As the popularity of open cold-water swimming increases, it is timely to consider the effects of cold-water immersion (Tipton et al., 2017).In a well-written narrative review, Knechtle et al., (2020) have stated that cold-water swimming has a wide variety of health benefits, including changes in haematological and endocrine function, fewer upper respiratory tract infections, amelioration of mood disorders and general well-being. However, it is also needed to be aware of potential cardiac and pulmonary risks that arise due to the cold exposure (Knechtle et al., 2020).Arterial stiffness, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (Ohkuma et al., 2017), can also be affected by water temperature during swimming although the effects of cold-water swimming on arterial stiffness have not been explored. Blood pressure would be higher during cold-water swimming relative to

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Cold forced open-water swimming: a natural intervention to improve postoperative pain and mobilisation outcomes?

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

Open water swimming as a treatment for major depressive disorder

Open water swimming as a treatment for major depressive disorder

Perceived Impact of Outdoor Swimming on Health: Web-Based Survey

Acute increase in arterial stiffness after swimming in cooler water

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