Cryotherapy

Short bursts of time spent in sub-arctic temperatures is called Cryotherapy or Cryostimulation. While this may sound like a new phenomenon, cold therapy was used by ancient Egyptians and even Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine. However, the first Whole Body Cryotherapy chamber only came on the scene in 1978.

In 2000, a team of Polish scientists invented the Whole Body Cryosauna to use on Olympic athletes for repair and recovery. After two decades of further study, Cryotherapy has been proven an effective additional treatment for reducing pain and inflammation from numerous chronic conditions.

But how does Cryotherapy work? Extreme cold exposure causes your body to go into Fight or Flight mode. This causes an increase in enzymes that fuel your mitochondria, the “power plant” of your cells. At the same time, your organs are flushed with fresh, nutrient rich blood restoring oxygen and enzymes throughout the body. Cryostimulation also increases endorphins in the brain and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.

At Cold Rush Wellness, we use a combination of Local Cryotherapy machines and a Whole Body Cryotherapy chamber in our treatment programs. Our Whole Body Cryotherapy chamber reaches sub-arctic temperatures of -200 to -240°F while our Local Cryotherapy machine reaches an astounding -270°F!

But isn’t that too cold?!? Won’t I get frostbite? No. Whole Body Cryotherapy treatments only last 1½ to 3 minutes. This short duration reduces the temperature of your skin surface only about 40°, which creates a cellular metabolic reset, igniting the healing process and reducing pain. Your core body temperature never changes during the Whole Body Cryotherapy treatment which protects your vital organs.

Local Cryotherapy treatments vary in length and are closely monitored in their entirety by a team member. The temperature of your skin is taken before, during and after treatment.  Additionally, the blood flow to the specific body part is taken into account, so have no fear and see what Cryotherapy can do for you!