Cryotherapy - Is It Right for You?

TRYING A COLD RUSH FOR LONG-TERM HEALTH BENEFITS

By Jane Coloccia

As you may have guessed by now, I’m always in search of ways to stay well. Wellness is a priority for me, particularly as I age.

Having had two immediate family members pass away from horrific illnesses and a cousin recently diagnosed with ALS, I’m a huge proponent of being pro-active in your healthcare, versus waiting for a disease to strike and then being at the mercy of the healthcare system.

I’ll try anything once. I’ve done colonics, acupuncture, Reiki, energy medicine, fasting detox diets, and the list goes on. My latest adventure into wellness has been cryotherapy!

The cryotherapy chamber looks a bit like something from a space movie where you get beamed up, but no worries, you aren’t really going anywhere. You enter the cryotherapy chamber with not much on besides your underwear, gloves, and socks and slippers, and spend up to three minutes in there at a temperate of -144 degrees! Men have to wear underwear, it is optional for women. You do have to have your hands and feet covered.

I have to say that my first time, it was uncomfortable for me the most in the mid-section as that is where I felt the biggest freeze. The second time, the technician told me to focus on deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth and three minutes went by much faster when you aren’t thinking about how cold you are. It didn’t hurt that they had a photograph of a desert for you to stare at while you are in the chamber!

In dropping your body temperature down (they strive for a 40-degree drop from before you enter the chamber to the second you are finished), your system goes into a “reset” of sorts and it works to detox you, build up your immune system, speed up your metabolism, balance your hormones, reduce inflammation, accelerate post-surgery healing, and all sorts of other benefits including some related to beauty like helping to cure psoriasis and other skin issues! For more detail on the benefits of cryotherapy, check out these articles in Travel + Leisure, Harper’s Bazaar and Healthline.

While this article is not meant to be a recommendation of cryotherapy by any means, and you should always check with your doctor to see if the treatment is right for you, I’m finding that after a few treatments I have seen a boost in my mood and a reduction of pain I have been feeling in my knees. I’m planning to invest in a treatment schedule of at least ten cryotherapy sessions as I believe anything that doesn’t involve prescription drugs or surgery is well worth the time and money.

]If you’d like to give cryotherapy a try, it turns out you can find day spas and cryotherapy practices from New York City to Aspen to San Diego. Just Google “cryotherapy” and see what comes up. You’ll probably even find one in a city near you!

I’ll be sharing news, information, and special packages and offerings to do with wellness travel as the “Wellness Patrol” for Boomer Patrol. I’ve also got a website which is an aggregator of everything people do to get in touch with their soul at SoulJourneyInspiration.com.