Conditions we work with

Cryo Recovery Suite works with long-term joint and soft-tissue pain. Every client is assessed and supervised by an HCPC-registered practitioner, and we will tell you when we are not the right answer.

  • Knee and hip
  • Shoulder
  • Hands and wrists
  • Elbow
  • Ankle and foot
  • Neck and back
  • Muscle and tendon
  • Sports and overuse

Assessed and supervised by a registered practitioner

Everything on this page happens under the supervision of Mark Barber, an Operating Department Practitioner registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, with a master’s degree in Surgical Care Practice (Orthopaedics) and more than ten years in orthopaedic surgery. He assesses every client personally and supervises every session.

That is not the norm in this sector, and it is the reason this page can be honest with you about what we do and do not know.

What people come to us with

  • Osteoarthritis, most often knee or hip

    Usually diagnosed some years ago, usually already being managed with exercise, weight management and painkillers as the NICE guideline recommends. Most people are looking for something to add, not something to replace.

  • Long-term joint stiffness

    Hands, shoulders, knees. Often people for whom the first hour of the day is the hardest.

  • Tendon problems

    Achilles, shoulder, elbow and hip — the tendinopathies that grumble on and interrupt what you want to do.

  • Muscle pain that has not settled

    An old injury, or something that started for no obvious reason and has outstayed its welcome.

  • Sports and training recovery

    Soreness and stiffness after hard use, in people who want to keep going.

  • People who have already been through the system

    Seen the GP, done the physiotherapy, had the scan, been told to keep moving and manage it. That is good advice, and we are not here to contradict it — but manage it is a long road.

How we work with it

The same four stages, every time.

  1. Assess

    A proper conversation about the condition, what it is doing to your daily life, and what you are hoping for.

  2. Target

    A plan agreed with you, aimed at the area and the symptoms that matter most.

  3. Treat

    Specialist-led localised cold therapy to the affected area.

  4. Review

    An immediate review, follow-up between visits, and a record of how you are actually getting on.

That last stage is the one that matters most on a page like this. Because we measure and review, we can tell you when something is not working — and we will.

What we are honest about

Cryo Recovery Suite does not claim to cure arthritis or reverse joint damage.

Nothing we do changes what is happening inside a joint, and anyone who tells you otherwise about cold therapy is going beyond the evidence.

The NHS says that, for osteoarthritis, applying hot or cold packs to the joints can relieve the pain and symptoms in some people. That is the basis on which we work. We are not going to claim that our way of applying cold does more than that.

Outcomes vary a great deal between people. Some find a clear difference, some a modest one, some none at all — and how many sessions it takes varies too. Which is exactly why we assess you individually, agree a plan, and review it rather than asking you to take anyone else’s word for it, including ours.

The UK advertising regulator’s published position is that it has yet to see convincing evidence that cryotherapy is effective. The studies, encouraging and disappointing, are on our evidence page.

When to see a doctor instead of us

Please do not come to us first if

  • The pain is new, or has changed character recently.

  • A joint is hot, red and swollen, or you have a fever — that needs assessing urgently.

  • You have had a fall or an injury.

  • You have unexplained weight loss, night pain that wakes you, or you feel generally unwell.

  • You have new numbness, weakness or pins and needles.

  • The pain is getting worse despite treatment.

Those need diagnosing, and we do not diagnose. Your GP, NHS 111, or your existing consultant is the right first call.

There are also conditions and medicines that make cold therapy unsuitable regardless. They are listed on Is it suitable for me?

Where to get good information

We would rather you read these than anything written by a cryotherapy clinic, including us.

Book your £39 assessment · Is it suitable for me?

Start with an assessment

Forty-five minutes, £39, credited back in full against your first programme. No obligation to book anything further — and if your practitioner does not think this is right for you, he will say so.

Book an assessment