What is Cryotherapy?
In a full body cryotherapy session, the patient stands in a chamber that is filled with liquid nitrogen. Temperatures dip to about -250 degrees Fahrenheit, thus the user is only in there for three minutes. Since it is unsafe to breathe in liquid nitrogen, the user’s head sticks out of the chamber. There is also a less common cryotheraphy method where you enter an entire room that is cold (which I have not done).
Why would anyone in their right mind do this?
The main benefit of cryotherapy is the reduction of inflammation and pain. The exceptionally cold temperatures active certain reactions in the body like the release of norepinephrine, which not only reduce inflammation, but can also positively affect mood, energy, and cognitive function. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has a cryotherapy chamber in his home.
The attention grabber when the average person hears about cryotherapy is weight management or fat loss. While I can see the theory behind this, in my opinion you would have to do it VERY frequently even to get the slightest effect.
My Experience
I attended Health Fusion Wellness in Freehold NJ after a friend turned me on to a promotion they had for two sessions. The first time they put me on ‘level one’ which is -250 degrees Fahrenheit, and the second time they put me on ‘level two’ which is -270 degrees Fahrenheit. Honestly, it’s not bad. In fact, I actually enjoyed the feeling in a way. Some people report shivering or extreme discomfort, but I believe that is a mental thing. The nature of the chamber can make some feel claustrophobic, and hearing numbers like -250 degrees will definitely get in your head. Putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation will make you a better person, and that is a benefit of cryotherapy that is never mentioned.
After the first session I’m honestly not sure if I noticed any physical or mental changes. But, the second time I did feel more energized and ‘loose’ overall. This could be because the session was more intense, or because it was my second time doing it in four days and there may be a cumulative effect. It’s hard to quantify these sort of things, but I think it is safe to say that I don’t feel as tight or stiff in my back. The interesting thing is that there is somewhat of a delay in the positive effects. It wasn’t until I got home and started working that I started feeling better from an energy perspective. I’m currently on a low carb diet so I’ll take all the help I can get!
Overall this stuff can get pricey but I can see myself going ‘as needed.’ I don’t have any acute injuries but working out obviously will wear on you after awhile. It’s nice to have a different recovery mechanism other than diet, supplements, or massage therapy.