Cryotherapy is the process of immersing your body in a very cold chamber and exposing it to nitrogen gas, reaching peak low temperatures of -160 to -220 degrees Fahrenheit. It is only a 3-minute treatment but has a host of full-body benefits.
NBA superstars like Lebron James and Grant Hill have vouched for the benefits of cryotherapy for athletic recovery. It helps to enhance athletic performance, alleviates pain, and aids in recovery. Cryotherapy for athletes has shown compelling results, but cryotherapy is not just for professional athletes. If you enjoy tennis, weightlifting, running, or any kind of physical activity, cryotherapy is for you!
One of the most sought after benefits that cryotherapy offers is pain and inflammation reduction. Exposing the body to a quick burst of intense cold results in the reduction of tissue temperature. The change in tissue temperature also causes a reduction in core body temperature. This sensory shock leads to an activation of the autonomic, or unconscious, nervous system. When the body is exposed to extreme cold, the blood vessels are constricted and blood flow to the areas of inflammation is reduced. Once outside of the cryogenic chamber, the vessels expand, and an increased presence of anti-inflammatory proteins are found in the blood.
Very often, cryotherapy is recommended for migraines. A local cryotherapy treatment is used for numbing and cooling the area around the head, face, and neck. Cryotherapy works in treating migraines by cooling the blood that passes through the intracranial vessels. The local treatment is 7 minutes and can be used in conjunction with whole body cryotherapy for enhanced results.
What you might not know is that cryotherapy is a great way to boost your immune system! There are lots of things that weaken your immune system, such as constant stress, lack of exercise, too much exercise, an unbalanced diet, dehydration, abuse of alcohol, smoking, or lack of sleep. Of course, the best way to restore your immune system is to eliminate whatever is weakening it. A study in 2010 found that routine cryotherapy sessions caused an increase in white blood cells among otherwise healthy individuals. The researchers concluded that repeated sessions of whole-body cryotherapy have a “mobilization effect” on the immune system. If boosting your immune system is one of your goals, adding a few sessions a week of whole body cryotherapy, in addition to healthy lifestyle choices, is the best thing you can do for your body.
If you are feeling fatigued, cryotherapy helps to release endorphins, creating an energy boost. Many people like to do cryotherapy early in the morning to start their day energized, and many runners like to do a session before a marathon for enhanced performance. Fatigue can negatively affect your immune system as well. Staying ahead of that fatigue by doing a few whole body cryotherapy sessions per week will not only enhance your energy levels but improve your sleep quality as well.
As you can see, the benefits of this 3-minute blast of cold nitrogen gas are immense. Whether you are already living a healthy lifestyle and want to enhance what you’re already doing, or you want to make healthier choices, adding cryotherapy to your routine has so many benefits. We hope you will join us for a session and see for yourself!