Cryotherapy is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy or the removal of heat from a body part. The term "cryotherapy" comes from the Greek cryo (κρυο) meaning cold and the word therapy (θεραπεια) meaning cure. It has been around since the 1880-1890s.

Interest in freezing of the prostate to kill cancer has surged since the procedure has been refined in recent years. Side effects and complications have been minimized by using ultrasound guidance to limit collateral tissue damage. Benefits include little pain, quick recovery, and a low risk of incontinence, but impotence is still to be expected. As a newer type of treatment, long term results are still pending. Cryotherapy is useful for older patients who are not candidates for surgery or for patients who have cancer recurrence after radiation. We have surgeons offering cryotherapy for appropriate patients.

Its goal is to decrease cellular metabolism, increase cellular survival, decrease inflammation, decrease pain and spasm, promote vasoconstriction, and when using extreme temperatures, to destroy cells by crystallizing the cytosol. The most prominent use of the term refers to the surgical treatment, specifically known as cryosurgery. Other therapies that use the term are cryogenic chamber therapy and ice pack therapy.

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