What is Cryotherapy:
Originating in Japan in 1978, cryotherapy was first used by Dr. Toshima Yamauchi to treat joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis.
Using a brief exposure of the body (3 minutes) to ultra-low temperatures (approx. minus 190 F, although at one point it registered at minus 220 F), cryotherapy quickly became known as a powerful treatment for inflammatory disorders and injuries. Whole body cryotherapy has gained popularity worldwide as top athletes and celebrities account for what they believe are its many benefits and uses.
Some centers make claims about weight loss and curing illnesses but the more ethical ones claim 3 main benefits.
Recovery
Just like the ice bath that professional athletes use after an extreme workout, cryotherapy reduces inflammation, for quicker muscle recovery and decreased muscle soreness.
Rejuvenation
It increases the body's metabolic rate and collagen production, stimulating higher energy levels and a sense of well being. Over time and with regular use, an improvement in mood, sleep patterns and skin tone have been noted.
Relief
It is supposed to offer relief from chronic pain. Specifically from inflammation-related diseases and skin disorders, or for quicker healing post injury or surgery.
So those are the claims for it, let's get onto our experience.
What it was actually like
It was quite ironic that the day we had booked our cryo appointment was the coldest day of the year so far. It was also a snow day where schools had been cancelled and the kids were at home. We didn't want to cancel as we had been looking forward to it, so we loaded up our 8 and 9 year old girls and off we went. If anything, it was going to be an experience for them as well seeing the cryo chamber at work. By the looks on their faces, I think they thought their mums had lost their mind.
We were welcomed into Capital Cryo in Bethesda, MD by the lovely assistant.
You then get stripped down to your underwear and are given a fluffy bathrobe, white socks and grandma slippers to wear. You are also instructed to remove any jewelry and to make sure that there is no exposed metal on your skin, which could cause a "burn". As it was our first time as well we were given ski-gloves and told to keep our hands and arms out of the cryo chamber. This is because it is a much more intense experience if you put your arms in.
Marlene chose to go first (and I am glad she did). She climbed into the chamber, she just made the minimum height restriction to go in, they raise and lower a platform inside dependent on your height.
And so it began!
The assistant talked throughout to keep her distracted while Marlene asked about the feelings she was experiencing. It came down to a prickling or tingling in the legs mainly which intensified as the 3 minutes went on.
I went in second and was glad that Marlene had verbalized the feelings as I knew what to expect and felt fairly relaxed for my first time. It was strange, you didn't feel cold, per se, but it was like the nerve endings in our skin had a heightened sense of feeling and the hair follicles felt "activated". The three minutes went by quite quickly and it did help that there was a timer counting down so you could see how much time you had left.
I came out feeling a bit dubious as to how that simple experience could reap all the health benefits it claims.
Fast forward to that night. My metabolism was super charged. My body was radiating heat like a furnace all night long, which is great for weight loss but didn't do wonders for my sleep patterns.
I definitely experienced some relief from the back pain I have all the time and, get this, after 3 days I had lost 5lbs in weight!
Marlene also noted a 24-hour relief from any aches and pains as well as feeling more energized and having a good night's sleep. Perhaps this came from the adrenaline rush afterwards, as explained by the attendant, that accounts for the increase in energy afterwards and the supposed good night's sleep.
Obviously, the more times you do it the better results are expected. So, 2 weeks after our first treatment we had a follow up appointment booked (there was a special offer of 2 appointments for the price of one at $60). Again, it was the next coldest day of the year that day as well, and the schools had a 2 hour delay due to snow conditions but we changed the time of our appointment and went once we had packed the girls off to school.
This time we both decided to try hands and arms in I wanted to do this for 2 reasons, one to get the full experience and 2 to allow my sore left shoulder to gain the benefits of the treatment. I went first and I felt very comfortable and more relaxed this time. So relaxed that we managed to shoot a little promotional video.
https://www.facebook.com/hazel.keating.1/videos/10156920230038745/
Marlene on the other hand, looked more uncomfortable and seemed to be shivering a lot more than before. She later attributed this to having had a poor night's sleep the night before. Apparently, lack of sleep can affect one's ability to tolerate cold temperatures.
Overall, while I am still skeptical about the health claims, I found it a good experience and it would be worth getting a session of treatments if you really had a chronically painful condition.
There are some really good articles out there about this therapy. Do some browsing and then see if it is for you. Don't be scared of it, it really was not that uncomfortable. You can do anything for 3 minutes, right!
On a more fun note they offer Champagne and Chill evenings, where for $75 per person you get a Whole Body sessions, mini-facial, bottomless Champagne (sold) and healthy Hors D'ouvres. So get a group of your girlfriends together and go have some fun, a bit of a change from bookclub!
Any questions, post in the comments.
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