Getting Cryo Cold

Cryotherapy is becoming a familiar term with whole-body cryotherapy locations beginning to bloom on every block of major cities. I first became interested in cryotherapy based on reviews of the therapy, especially being someone interested in trying new things, so I signed the waiver online and booked my appointment. I can barely remember my first experience but felt like a “fish out of water” given the natural flow of everyone else in the studio. When my three minutes started, I stepped in a vertical, cylinder- shaped tank where I was lifted higher into the place where I handed over my robe and was face to face with the tech. I understood the need for a watchful eye but did not understand why the tech needed to be standing on a stool face to face with me, asking questions the entire time. I left feeling somewhat invigorated but also that I had missed out on the experience due to the chit-chatting with a stranger about my day that had barely begun while they were face to face with me, naked. I was left with no desire to return.

As irony would have it, months later, I accepted a part-time position working at the exact WBC studio that I had first visited months before. Having gone through the start of nutritional coaching, I thought that a great addition would be some fieldwork in the wellness industry. Six months of hands-on training of the companies cryotherapy process and re-immersing myself into the three-minute machine was eye-opening of just what the cold therapy can do for someone’s body.

The WBC and Cryotherapy Differences

Cryotherapy has been used for more than 100 years to treat skin disease and is an accepted medical procedure when performed by a board-certified dermatologist. Whole body cryotherapy, or WBC, is a treatment using liquid nitrogen, creating freezing or near-freezing temperatures that can exceed minus 200 degrees to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Many machines come set in Celcius, so the degree temperature needs to be discussed with the technician. Whole Body Cryotherapy is the process in which one steps into a cylinder standing machine, allowing their entire body temperature to reach the freezing degrees for beneficial results both externally and internally. Said benefits associated with WBC have been that it corrects eczema, psoriasis, and other skin issues as well as performance recovery and skin tightening. While the benefits remain the highlighted points, WBC has also been linked to skin injuries such as frostbite and rash.

It is essential to understand what to expect when first going into any place, offering the whole body cryotherapy regarding the temperatures and proper protection of the hands and feet. Any questions should get asked before entering the machine and important to be aware that the “technician” is skilled in nothing more than to barely run the machine; there is no FDA approval of independently owned WBC studios or their technicians. While I worked briefly at the studio in Atlanta, I learned the safety requirements that would be standard throughout any studio. I witnessed new clients quickly discarded into a room and not taught the necessary safety precautions or discussed what their experience should reveal. I was a victim of that and also witnessed it from managing staff. I learned how different my first experience should have been and also how some returning clients are favored and not treated as a new client who comes in, which should not be allowed. Horror stories also flowed in and out of my ears, prompting a more investigative look into independently owned WBC locations be taken.

Other Ways To Get Cold?

Cryo Facials are vaporized liquid nitrogen and said to improve skin while boosting collagen and improving blood flow that helps in reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Facials are more centered around beauty and are sold more to middle-aged female clients in the search for youth rejuvenation. I kept up with my treatments as they were free for employees, and personally shared my reviews of the experiences as they were a migraine alleviator. Women of all ages battle stress-induced headaches, and migraines and the facials proved to be an alleviator.

Localized cryotherapy allows for the liquid nitrogen to be applied directly to the afflicted areas to reduce pain and inflammation. This was used typically, if not always, on athletes for recovery of ankles, wrists, knees, and necks. Athletes must remember that the FDA has not cleared any devices offered in any WBC spa’s or studio’s and that speaking with their physicians can allow another safer route that includes someone board-certified to administer cryotherapy.

Cryo Slimming Versus Cool Sculpting

Cryo Slimming, or Cryo Slim Cellulite, are both non-invasive solutions for fat sculpting and cellulite reduction using the same whole-body cryotherapy method of using negative temperatures to eliminate fat and reduce cellulite in stubborn areas. Cool sculpting, on the other hand, is an FDA- approved treatment that has an excellent track record of safety and results. Any practice that offers the procedure must first become certified to properly administer in contrast to WBC locations that do not require certification to either offer or run any of the procedures. While Cool Sculpting is backed with years of research and clinical reviews, the controversial practices of WBC treatments remain with the same cause for concern with a list of said benefits that can not be proven or confirmed.

Benefits and Reviews

As more independently owned studios and spas open, the list of benefits and the demand increases. The time I spent working and learning were just as instrumental in my experience as getting to know the clients and hearing their reflections on the cryotherapy experience. Many came in every day, some at the same time every day. Some chose one machine over the other each time due to their personal opinions that one was colder than the other. From severe illness, chronic pain, to fitness rehabilitation and therapy, each was the main reason that kept these clients coming in day after day, sometimes twice in one day.

While a growing number of wellness centers, spas, and sports rehabilitation centers are promoting whole body cryotherapy, beware of misleading claims about the practice. What happens physiologically to the body, and what effects do the cold temperatures have on blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolism is still not known. While the healing benefits of cryotherapy remain unconfirmed, the potential risks are readily apparent, and the FDA is also concerned that patients who opt for WBC treatment may experience a lack of improvement or worsening of their medical conditions. It remains crucial to discuss using whole body cryotherapy with a physician before trying it, or if using it already.