Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
If my TCM take on cold plunge therapy upset you or felt counter to your positive experience, just know that we respect whatever you choose for your own health and well-being.
There’s no changing the fact, however, that in TCM practice (and many ancient medicine systems like Ayurveda) exposure to extreme cold is not pursued as a health intervention.
Quite the opposite in fact, one of our most revered clinical texts written in the 200 AD time period is literally called “Treatise On Cold Damage.” Often called the TCM herbal “bible” this thousands year old text describes many herbal formulas that rectify disease with roots in “damage by cold.”
In TCM we observe that extreme cold exposure can impact our energy channels and healthy organ functions. This may not be as obvious in young healthy folks as older folks or anyone with weak constitutions. While studies in men show increases in blood markers of health in the short term, what’s not being tested are long term impacts. I worry that regular use would burn out Kidney Yang Qi - which is similar in concept to adrenal energy.
Many of you responded to my request for links to studies on cold plunge and women (thanks to you all!). Most of what you sent me are magazine articles without research or with references to studies related to temperature differences btwn men and women (and we can’t use those to prove anything about cold plunging and women).
You can find studies that involve women but they are either too small to be conclusive, often including less than 20 participants. And none look at long term health effects over 1, 2, 5, 10 years. That research is what I’m most interested in as a TCM practitioner concerned about long term effects.
I don’t doubt that for many, the immediate effects of cold exposure therapy delivers positive effects as seen through improved mood, pain relief, etc in many of the comments. But equally so are reports of feeling horrible or becoming sick after cold exposure. So I think we can probably at least agree that cold plunging is not right for everyone.
If my TCM take on cold plunge therapy upset you or felt counter to your positive experience, just know that we respect whatever you choose for your own health and well-being.
There’s no changing the fact, however, that in TCM practice (and many ancient medicine systems like Ayurveda) exposure to extreme cold is not pursued as a health intervention.
Quite the opposite in fact, one of our most revered clinical texts written in the 200 AD time period is literally called “Treatise On Cold Damage.” Often called the TCM herbal “bible” this thousands year old text describes many herbal formulas that rectify disease with roots in “damage by cold.”
In TCM we observe that extreme cold exposure can impact our energy channels and healthy organ functions. This may not be as obvious in young healthy folks as older folks or anyone with weak constitutions. While studies in men show increases in blood markers of health in the short term, what’s not being tested are long term impacts. I worry that regular use would burn out Kidney Yang Qi - which is similar in concept to adrenal energy.
Many of you responded to my request for links to studies on cold plunge and women (thanks to you all!). Most of what you sent me are magazine articles without research or with references to studies related to temperature differences btwn men and women (and we can’t use those to prove anything about cold plunging and women).
You can find studies that involve women but they are either too small to be conclusive, often including less than 20 participants. And none look at long term health effects over 1, 2, 5, 10 years. That research is what I’m most interested in as a TCM practitioner concerned about long term effects.
I don’t doubt that for many, the immediate effects of cold exposure therapy delivers positive effects as seen through improved mood, pain relief, etc in many of the comments. But equally so are reports of feeling horrible or becoming sick after cold exposure. So I think we can probably at least agree that cold plunging is not right for everyone.
