Cryotherapy Frequently Asked Questions

Whole body cryotherapy was originally developed in Japan in 1978 by Dr. Yamaguchi and the benefits have been studied and refined in Europe since that time. Initially explored for the purpose of treating rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Yamaguchi found he could significantly reduce the soreness and pain his patients usually felt during manipulation of their joints, because the rapid decrease of temperature of the outer layer of skin led to the immediate release of endorphins and therefore less sensitivity to pain.

:  Yes, Cryotherapy has been used in Europe and Asia for almost thirty years.  There are numerous clinical studies and severak are listed on this website in the Links tab.

Our cryosauna works by using nitrogen cooled dry air to expose your body to temperatures from -95 to -210˚F for 2 to 3 minutes. Your body responds by constricting peripheral tissues sending blood from the skin surface, muscle tissue, and surrounding joint space to the vitals to protect core temperature (vasoconstriction). As the blood travels to the core it passes through the cardiovascular system where it is cleansed of toxins and supplied with oxygen, nutrients, and enzymes.

Once you step out of the cryosauna, your body immediately begins vasodilation, returning the enriched blood to peripheral tissues that have been cleansed of toxins.  This physiological response stimulates the healing process.

No, nitrogen is a friendly, non-toxic gas.   Nitrogen composes 78% of the air that we breathe.  The other components are 16% Oxygen, 1% Hydrogen and 5% other gases.  Nitrogen is as common and safe as Oxygen.

The air is very dry, its rare that you will even shiver. The cooled air flows over the skin, which in turn, creates the beneficial results. This process never freezes the skin tissues or organs. Only the sensation of being cold is perceived. The temperature in the cryosauna progressively cools, the last 45- 30 seconds are the coldest.

WBC treatments result in a very different response from the body. You are simply unable to achieve the same results with an ice bath. After 12-15 minutes of a shockingly cold ice bath the skin temperature only arrives at 41 degrees whereas with 2-3 minutes of whole body cryotherapy the skin temperature gets as low as 30 degrees, this allows for a different physiological response from the body increasing your speed of recovery and overall healing. During an ice bath, the cold actually penetrates into deeper skin tissue and can be damaging to the skin. In the cryosauna, the skin is never penetrated, yet the body responds on a deeper level, even improving the skin’s overall condition.

During each session the body releases endorphins, which are your “feel good” hormones. The effects from each session last at least 6–8 hours. As with any new regimen, consistency is key and increased results will be noted with regular use. Many report a higher pain tolerance when exposure is pre-workout, and decreased inflammation is noted with a post- workout exposure. You will also burn 500 calories or more per exposure, due to the body’s increase in metabolic rate.

Yes. In fact, it is recommended. If you workout before your exposure, you can expect greater recovery due to the inflammation reduction. If you work-out after your exposure, you can expect a higher pain tolerance, more energy and greater flexibility.

No. The immediate cold impact of the exposure will raise the internal body temperature for a short period of time. The triggering of detoxification can actually help your body recover from a cold.

Yes, you can. The chamber is open at the top and your head is raised above the level of the upper rim of the chamber, so you are never fully enclosed. You will remain in complete control as the door is never locked and you can step out if you ever experience discomfort.

For optimum results, 2-3 times a week. It is safe for you to do two sessions a day but it is only recommended for those in heavy training or rehab.

No, you don’t. This procedure is absolutely dry and does not make your skin wet.

The method of hyper-cooling the skin is so sudden that the body is triggered to pull blood from the extremities to protect the body’s core temperature. The vessels around the core then constrict, holding the blood in the core. We simply protect the areas that are most affected by this reaction to ensure your comfort and safety during your exposure.

The following conditions are contraindications to whole body cryotherapy: Pregnancy, severe Hypertension (BP> 180/100), acute or recent myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, arrhythmia, symptomatic cardiovascular disease, cardiac pacemaker, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, venous thrombosis, acute or recent cerebrovascular accident, uncontrolled seizures, Raynaud’s Syndrome, fever, tumor disease, symptomatic lung disorders, bleeding disorders, severe anemia, infection, cold allergy (being allergic to cold), acute kidney and urinary tract diseases. *Any client with a recent history (within the last six months) of cardiac disease or episodes will be required to have a physicians statement clearing them to try whole body cryotherapy.

We can accommodate clients up to 350 pounds in our cryosaunas. * Please note: You will also have to be able to stand comfortably within the chamber without touching the sides in order to be allowed to purchase an exposure. We will assist you in accessing and measuring in the chamber for your safety.

Yes. Although the cryosauna triggers normal body responses to cold, ours are only designed for an adult-sized body. It cannot hurt children, yet they are simply too small for our cryosaunas. We recommend clients be at least 16 years old with parental consent. For those clients who are between 14-15 years old , both a physicians release and parental consent form are required.

Whole-body cryotherapy is very well tolerated and has minimal risks: Fluctuations in blood pressure during the procedure by up to 10 points systolic (this effect reverses after the end of the procedure, as peripheral circulation returns to normal), allergic reaction to extreme cold (rare), and activation of some viral conditions (cold sores) etc. due to stimulation of the immune system.