Trisha Ball on The Rise of Cryotherapy in Minneapolis

In the last few years, you may have heard of a thing called cryotherapy. It has been used by a wide range of people from athletes to celebrities, as a new treatment. However, the idea of cryotherapy is not new. It has been around longer than you may think, it is widely credited to Dr. Yamagushi for developing Whole Body Cryotherapy in the late 1970s. There are so many different forms of treatment that cryotherapy is being used for. It includes injuries, chronic health problems, and cosmetic reasons.

Overall, this treatment has been gaining in popularity across the country, as well as in Minnesota. The head athletic trainer of the Minnesota Vikings, Eric Sugarman, is a fan of cryotherapy. The NFL players on the Vikings use cryotherapy and have the NFL’s only electric cryotherapy chamber with a port for players to select a song from their phone. There have to be some great benefits from cryotherapy for multiple NFL teams to have their own cryotherapy chamber. Here are the benefits that make it such a popular treatment.

Recovery

Athletes are a group that is growing in terms of cryotherapy usage, and there’s a great reason why. Cryotherapy takes the idea of an ice bath after an intense workout to the extreme. A typical cryotherapy treatment reaches temperatures between -90 degrees Celsius and -120 degrees Celsius (-130 and -184 degrees Fahrenheit). These temperatures may lead to faster healing of athletic injuries. So many athletes have turned to this treatment for healing, including pro and college athletes like the UT men's basketball team.

Pain Relief and Reduced Inflammation

One chronic condition that could benefit from cryotherapy is arthritis, which is inflammation of the joints. Cryotherapy is used to reduce this inflammation and muscle pain. Whole body cryotherapy cools the air around the body to extremely low temperatures in a way that could help reduce swelling and inflammation. Numerous illnesses and diseases cause inflammation or muscle pain that cryotherapy could help which would result in an overall health improvement.

Wellness and Skincare

Cryotherapy is becoming increasingly popular amongst those who care about overall wellness and skin care treatments. It is believed that whole body cryotherapy will help improve skin health and even slow aging. The process of flashing the skin with extreme cold for a short period is believed to affect blood vessels and make them contract while in the cold then expand afterward, helping to oxygenate the blood and deliver good enzymes around your body. Skin health is extremely important, especially since it’s the largest organ in the body. Whole body cryotherapy is trying to help improve skin health, slow aging, and boost overall wellness.

Trisha Ball is an employee benefits professional from Minnesota with close to 20 years in this field. She is an expert in various forms of employee benefits especially healthcare. She is also very passionate in health and wellness, which has led her to an interest in cryotherapy.