Cryosauna Introduction

My Introduction to the Cryosauna

After 20 years of practicing natural health care, I have seen a lot of therapies that have big claims that don't have the expected benefits. However, cryosauna therapy is a welcome addition to improving one's health because of all the positive adaptational responses it triggers. If I'm going to stress my patients into health, I find cryosauna is a great way to do it. If you haven't heard, the cryosauna craze is here to stay and spreading across the U.S. at warp speed.

While no medical cures or claims should be made about cryosauna, frequent users experience effects such as:
  • Enhanced weight loss
  • Improved mood
  • Improved sense of well-being
  • Pain reduction
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Increased energy
  • Improved relief from arthritic conditions
  • More restful sleep
Before I ever tried cryotherapy, I had numerous patients tell me that they "do cryosauna" and that it's helping them feel better in general, reduce pain, help their mood, and aid in weight loss. Perhaps like you, I was doubtful that three minutes in subzero temperatures would provide such a wide range of health benefits, so I decided to try it for myself. The only real symptoms I had going into my first session were muscular aches and pains, and fatigue from a long work day. After I did my first session, I immediately thought, "Wow, I feel amazing! I have to offer this to everyone!" Within six months I opened the NYC health spa Chill Space.

As a Chiropractor and Applied Kinesiologist, I had to understand better how cryotherapy was so effective. How would a rapid cooldown of about 40 degrees of the skin in three minutes (which is not related to the core body temperature) create a nationwide craze and a therapy used by celebrities, professional athletes and everyone else who has tried it?

Because it works! It works by introducing short-term stress that makes your body adapt, and that adaptation promotes healing.

One of the key mechanisms of survival is your ability to adapt to stressful situations. Your body's ability to change is your most important asset in preserving health. This process is called hormesis. Hormesis is not unique to cryosauna, but cryosauna therapy is an easy and effective way to achieve hormesis and reap the benefits that do the body good. Stressors provoke adaptation, and often adaptation creates resiliency, strength, and tolerance. A great example of hormesis in action is weight lifting. The muscles adapt to the stress of the weights and then become noticeably stronger.

Too much stress on the body can cause harm, but stress can also heal. Everything that makes our bodies adapt can be perceived as a type of stress. When the body can no longer adjust, it will compensate and eventually create symptoms, illness, pain, disease, etc. until the stressor is removed.

What Is a Cryosauna Session Like?

A typical cryosauna session will last two to three minutes. You will be in a tube-shaped cabin enveloped in nitrogen-cooled air that can reach temperatures ranging from -170 to -220 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature seems to be the best for optimal effects and results. Any colder is all based on ego, and any longer than 3 minutes and that positive stress can turn into negative stress, plus the potential of being exposed to frostbite. Men will wear boxer shorts, and women wear shorts or underwear and a sports bra (no underwire bras). The equipment is operated by a trained technician.

There are currently thirty or more studies on the benefits and safety of cryosauna therapy ranging from allergy reduction to the effects it has on hormone levels. Cryosauna research is also showing that it helps activate brown body fat (helps to raise body temperature in cold environments and triggers body fat loss), helps with depression, anxiety, eases the symptoms of autoimmune disease, improves lipid profiles, improves muscle recovery, and boosts athletic performance.

Think of the benefits of taking cold showers, swimming in cold water, or when athletes sit in ice baths. Cryotherapy delivers the same health benefits; it is just more comfortable, quicker, and more relaxed to do.



About the Author

Dr. Josh Kantor D.C. owns and manages Chill Space, a leading Manhattan Health, and Wellness Spa. To learn more about scheduling a cryosauna session please visit his website at ChillSpaceNYC.com.

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