Cryotherapy: what is it and how does it work?

No doubt the summer of 2018 has ignited a new appreciation for the invention of air conditioning.

Science tells us that cold does a body good whether it's a high school athlete enduring an ice bath to soothe inflamed, injured muscles or a senior citizen applying a bag of frozen peas to an arthritic knee.

What if either of them could undergo a hyper-cooling process for a just a few minutes to zap inflammation, reduce pain or even activate endorphins for overall feelings of well-being?

That is the thought process behind cryotherapy, also known as cold therapy.

What is cryotherapy?

The theory behind cryotherapy is that the extreme cold stimulates the skin, increases blood circulation, decreases inflammation and reduces pain in joints and muscles.

Just like au courant practices such as yoga and meditation have roots that stretchback millennia, cryotherapy can be traced to Egypt circa 3000 B.C. as cold compresses treated inflammation caused by infection. In the mid-1800s, James Arnott, considered the father of modern cryosurgery, used extreme cold to freeze and reduce the size of tumors, as well as ease pain, acne and neuralgia.

What happens in a cryotherapy session?

For whole body cryotherapy, you disrobe, wearing socks and gloves to protect the extremities, climb into the whole body cryotherapy chamber with your head peeking out the top and expose your body to subzero temperatures ranging from -100° F to -274° F for three minutes.

When I did a whole body cryotherapy session at Windy City Cryo Center in Crystal Lake, the technician measured my blood pressure then asked which level of the deep freeze I was willing to endure. I went all in at level three and was encouraged to slowly turn 360 degrees throughout the three minutes which ensures vapors are hitting all areas of the body.

I am claustrophobic, but the cold kept my mind completely free of that unpleasant sensation. The air in the chamber doesn't contain moisture, so yes, I definitely felt cold but not unbearably so. Skin temperature drops around 50 degrees during the session, but whooshes back up in no time upon exiting and that's the sweet spot. I felt invigorated and free of the typical soreness caused by genetic hip dysplasia from which I suffer.

The friendly technician, who stays in the room during the entire session (and exits when it's time to cover up in the robe), told me that many clients say they sleep better the night after a session, too.

Does it work?

At present, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there isn't sufficient evidence that whole body cryotherapy effectively treats conditions like arthritis, anxiety or chronic pain.

However converts, from celebrity athletes like Floyd Mayweather to local resident Jose Leon of Cary, laud the benefits of cryotherapy.

Leon, 24, a professional MMA fighter, full-time laborer and father, says whole body cryotherapy helps to alleviate fatigue and soreness from training everyday.

Jim and Jodi McKinney, husband-and-wife owners of Windy City Cryo Center, learned about cryotherapy while watching an episode of the television show "Shark Tank" and then began researching the protocol. Jim suffered pain daily in his lower back, fingers and a knee.

"After Jodi and I tried whole body cryotherapy for the first time I was sold, because I was pain-free for about three days."

Jodi put substantial weight onto her small frame during each of her three pregnancies which caused herniated discs in her lower back. Stepping into the cold eased her pain without the fog of pain meds.

After their personal experiences, the couple traveled to Texas visiting various cryo companies while planning their business in Crystal Lake.

Who shouldn't have cryotherapy?

The McKinneys warn that there are those who should not attempt whole body cryotherapy. The list of conditions, which they cover prior to your session, range from having a seasonal infection like flu or a cold to uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood vessel disease, prior heart attack or Reynaud's disease.

Other types of cryotherapy

In addition to whole body cryotherapy, there also are cryo facials, local cryo and cryo-skin.

During the 10-minute cryo facial, a stream of vaporized liquid nitrogen passes over your skin via a cryoprobe. The ultra low temps trigger an anti-inflammatory response flushing toxins from the skin and shrinking those pesky pores. After, blood and oxygen whooshes to the skin's surface.

Some say the facials alleviate acne and other skin conditions. There is a school of thought that says the intense cold also activates collagen production improving the appearance of scars and fine wrinkles.

For local cryo, that same beam of icy vapor can target a swollen wrist joint, puffy ankle or stiff neck and is administered while sitting or lying down. I had a local cryo session that lasted 10-minutes on an old wrist injury that frequently morphs into a swollen sore knot in the joint. In my case, the swelling and soreness was virtually eliminated for a week or more.

Cryo-skin is a noninvasive session that aims to slim or tone an area of the body through apoptosis of fat cells. Cryo-skin sessions last 30 minutes.

How much does it cost?

A whole body cryo, cryo facial or local cryo session each cost $45 at Windy City Cryo Center, but there are various memberships as well as some special pricing for first-timers. One session of cryo-skin costs $350.

For more information on Windy City Cryo Center, visit www.windycitycryo.com.