A young woman in her early thirties has been declared brain-dead after a cryotherapy session at a Paris gym took a devastating turn earlier this week. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Friday that she has shown no signs of brain activity since Thursday. The woman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition following the incident, which had already claimed the life of a female employee in her late twenties on Monday night.
Authorities believe a malfunction during the cryotherapy session may have caused a dangerous nitrogen leak inside the chamber. The first victim, the gym staff member, was found dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination revealed that she died from suffocation, most likely due to a significant drop in oxygen levels caused by the gas leak.
Cryotherapy, a treatment that involves exposing the body to extreme cold temperatures using vaporised liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide, is typically used to reduce inflammation, ease muscle pain, and treat certain skin conditions. The practice requires temperatures to drop well below minus 100 degrees Celsius, but for safety reasons, each session should last no longer than three minutes.
While nitrogen itself is not toxic, it becomes deadly when it displaces oxygen in enclosed spaces. This creates a suffocation risk without any warning, as nitrogen is both colorless and odorless. Although it makes up the majority of the air we breathe, an excess of it in one area can deplete the oxygen supply without immediate detection.
Supporters of cryotherapy claim it offers relief from stress, joint pain, and other physical ailments. However, medical professionals continue to caution the public, pointing out that the treatment remains largely unregulated and lacks definitive scientific backing. Calls for more rigorous safety standards and comprehensive research have grown louder in recent years, particularly as more wellness centers and gyms offer the service to the public.
This incident is not the first time cryotherapy has faced global scrutiny. In 2015, a similar tragedy unfolded in the United States when a 24-year-old woman was found frozen to death inside a cryotherapy chamber at a spa in Las Vegas. She had reportedly entered the chamber alone after hours to treat muscle soreness and was discovered the following morning by a colleague.
Investigations into the Paris incident are ongoing. The facility where the session took place has not yet been named publicly, and no official statement has been issued by its management. Meanwhile, health authorities and prosecutors are working to determine exactly what went wrong and whether there were any violations of safety protocols.
As the story unfolds, concerns about the risks of cryotherapy continue to rise. With another life now hanging in the balance and one already lost, experts are urging both the public and the industry to reassess the safety and regulation of these increasingly popular cold therapy sessions.
