Editor's note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Can you explain what cryotherapy is and how it works?
Cryotherapy is a modernized version of an ice bath. Unlike ice, we're not freezing your muscle tissue, we're not restricting blood flow. All we're doing is cooling off the skin surface, which allows us to get it much colder than an ice bath without it feeling much colder. The primary purpose is reducing inflammation. We tell people here that inflammation translates from Greek as fire. Cryo, the translation from Greek is cold. So we're using the cold to put out fires in the body. We have people coming in for pain management, lots of different pain issues and weight loss. Your body thinks it's freezing. As a byproduct, your metabolic rates kick into overdrive. There are a lot of anti-aging benefits. You also get what's called cold shock proteins released, which are anti-aging as well.
Are there different types of cryotherapy, and, if so, how do they differ in terms of application and benefits?
There's whole body cryotherapy, which you're getting benefits for the whole body. Your whole body is getting cold, either from the shoulders down, or, in some cases, even your head is subjected to the cold. They also have what's called localized cryotherapy, where we can target specific areas of soreness, such as the knee [or] the low back. If whole body cryotherapy is the modernized version of an ice bath, we say localized cryotherapy is the modernized version of an ice pack. If you're dealing with some acute pain, localized cryo is very popular for that. There are a couple of different types of whole body cryotherapy units. Electric units just use compressed cold air to cool you off. A lot of those are totally enclosed. Then, you have nitrogen gas-based units, which use nitrogen gas to cool you off. It has the same overall benefits; different means to the same end.
Can cryotherapy help with chronic conditions like arthritis or migraines?
Over the course of 10 years, we've had people come in with really all types of issues, including arthritis, headaches, migraines, and we've had really good results on that. A lot of our customers with arthritis will just notice better dexterity with those areas that are afflicted, such as hands. As far as headaches and migraines are concerned, we've had customers coming in spending $500, $600 a month on headache migraine medication. When they come to us, and within a matter of weeks, a lot of those customers have either weaned off of the medication, drastically, if not totally, gotten off of it.
Are there any risks or side effects associated with cryotherapy? If so, what are they?
Overall, it’s very safe. There are very few complications, pregnancy being one of them. Your heart rate can climb just a little bit while you're in the cryotherapy session. That's the primary reason why, just erring on the side of caution, we don't take anyone who's pregnant. There can also be complications for people who have had strokes and heart attacks, kind of for the same reason, your blood pressure when you go in there can rise by about 10 points during the session and a few minutes after you get out. [In the] long term, for people who've had high blood pressure, we've actually helped lower their blood pressure, and we have quite a few customers who've had strokes [and] heart attacks. [Before] doing cryo, we just tell them we recommend consulting with your doctor first.
What should people know before trying cryotherapy for the first time?
It's just much easier than what people anticipate. I believe everyone's at least a little nervous, especially if they haven't done something like ice baths or cold plunges or exposure that's similar. We try to walk them through it so they understand going into it, that again, it's a dry cold so you come out totally dry. There's no downtime.
How does cryotherapy compare to other recovery or wellness treatments, such as ice baths or saunas?
There's a lot of overlapping benefits. I'm a believer in all of them. I do all of them on the regular, especially cryotherapy and the sauna. They're all anti-inflammatory. They all boost your immune system. They're all good for the skin. The main difference between cryo and an ice bath is we're not freezing the muscle tissue, just cooling off the skin surface. So we're essentially tricking the body into thinking it's freezing with cryotherapy compared to an ice bath, which actually is freezing the muscle tissue. So that allows us, with cryo, to get the skin temperature much colder or get the ambient temperature much colder than an ice bath, and it elicits a different response in the body.
What role can cryotherapy play in helping mental health and reducing stress?
We've actually had doctors and psychologists who've sent their patients in cryo. You're getting an endorphin release, and it just helps relax the body. Studies have actually shown it helping with anxiety and depression. Then, also just going through something that a lot of people may be a little nervous, apprehensive to do, and they come out of the session and they feel good that from a mental perspective. That translates to other realms of people's lives.
What should people look for when choosing a cryotherapy clinic or provider?
You want to make sure wherever you're going, you're doing true cryotherapy by scientific definition. At a lot of cryo places, you're not doing true cryo, you're just doing a cold toy. A lot of the nitrogen-based chambers, while they're more than capable of doing true cryotherapy, you need a skilled operator to make sure that they have it at the a ideal temperature setting, that the pressure of the tank is good, that it's a drastic cool off process, and if it's a nitrogen-based chamber, you just want to make sure that the place you're going to is reputable, that they've been open for a while, and that they know what they're doing.
Is there an optimal frequency or duration for cryotherapy sessions to maximize benefits?
You want to be in a cryo chamber and within the cryo range of the cryo session for at least 90 seconds. That cryo range starts at negative 166 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. It needs to be a very quick skin temperature drop off to elicit that fight or flight survival mode. You want it to be a very even cold from the shoulders down to the ankles. If it's a big variation of more than 10 degrees, then you're not really doing true cryo. As far as frequency is concerned, we'll recommend doing cryotherapy at least twice a week, starting off for at least a month, especially for people dealing with more serious pain or recovery type issues.
Are there any new advancements or technologies in cryotherapy that people should be aware of?
I think it's a bright future. The industry is still, overall, in its infancy, so I think there's a lot of room to grow. They're still doing new studies and understanding how it helps with lots of age-related diseases. As the technology continues to improve, as more and more studies are coming out, and more people are understanding the full range of benefits with cryotherapy, I think it's just going to be more and more adopted by the mainstream and turned to as an alternative for medications and surgeries and other things that have a lot of unintended consequences.
