Should You Try Whole Body Cryotherapy?

Is It RIght For You?

Leasha West's body has been through the wringer. As a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former combat instructor, she hiked 15-plus miles several times a week with a 150-pound pack on her back. The bottoms of her feet turned raw and blistered, her toenails fell off, her legs went numb. For a few minutes almost every morning for the past three years, she's stepped, nearly naked, into a negative 250 degree F (or colder) chamber. That's more than twice as cold as dry ice. "It's the best way to start (the day)," says West. What for? Initially, to ease her back pain and muscle stiffness after hearing rave reviews from her professional athlete clients. But West has continued the treatments because she finds they lead to benefits including more energy and focus, a boosted metabolism, improved tolerance to cold and pain, faster-growing hair and nails, younger-looking skin and sounder sleep. "I can really tell the difference ... when I skip a few days," she says.

Cryotherapy is a therapeutic recovery procedure using gasiform nitrogen, by exposing the body to extremely cold, dry air at temperatures between −130°F to −184°F for approximately 2-3 minutes. The treatment releases endorphins, stimulating your body’s natural healing abilities to reduce chronic pain and inflammation. During the 2-3 minute treatment of extreme cold, the brain stimulates the body’s organ regulatory functions resulting in energy increase, cell rejuvenation, immune system boost, and overall system self-healing. Cryotherapy is safe and no severe adverse reactions have been recorded over the last 30 years with proper cryotherapy use. Clients must be completely dry, as water will freeze immediately at these temperatures. The nitrogen being used to cool these chambers is the same nitrogen that makes up about 78% of the air we breathe. You don’t want to breathe in nitrogen for extended periods of time, as this can lead to oxygen deficiency. The operator will raise the platform you stand on so that your head remains above the heavier nitrogen vapors and you can breathe fresh air. In order to protect the more temperature sensitive areas such as your hands and feet, clients are required to wear dry socks, slippers, and gloves, which we provide. The treatment shouldn't be used by pregnant women or people with various health conditions including severe hypertension, various heart problems, etc. Children under 18 need parental consent.