Ice bath therapy has seen a massive burst in popularity all over the country in recent years.

This is due to so-called health benefits – but is there any actual science behind taking a plunge?

Professor of physiotherapy at University of Limerick Kieran O’Sullivan told Newstalk Breakfast that the evidence is “pretty underwhelming”.

“There have been various cold therapies around for years from ice chambers and ice baths," he said.

"I suppose since COVID times, there’s been an increased interest in sea swimming and dipping in lakes and so on.

“But if we look at the effect on the most common reported target system, which is aches and pains, there’s in a positive sense, lots of evidence that people feel better in the short term.

“That’s not necessarily bad, however, that seems to be mostly related to the short-term shock of being exposed to very cold temperatures – but the effects don’t last very long.”

Swimmers from around the country take an annual Christmas Day swim for charity, in the Irish Sea, at the Forty Foot, Sandycove near Dublin.

Mr O’Sullivan said there’s nothing wrong with enjoying an ice bath, but if people are looking for long-term solutions to aches and pains, there “might be better ways”.

“The caveat when we talk about this, it’s compared to doing absolutely nothing,” he said.

“Anytime we offer some people an experience, it can seem better than just doing nothing, and that applies to, in this sense, cold water therapies."

According to Mr O’Sullivan, many people may feel that they have found a sense of community through these activities or just enjoy them for what they are.

However, he said he could not think of any potential patients that would be missing out by abstaining from these 'therapies'.

Main image: Man ice bathing in the freezing cold water of a frozen lake among ducks. Image; Michele Ursi / Alamy. 21 January 2024