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Icy sauna in Durango touted for pain relief

Cryotherapy uses nitrogen to lower skin temperature to 34 degrees

Surrounded by swirling nitrogen vapor at negative 200 degrees, the cold in a cryosauna can overwhelm the senses.

But some who have tried it say the relief cryotherapy provides from chronic pain is worth a few cold minutes.

David Strobel was nervous the first time he walked into the small cylindrical chamber at the Assertive Wellness Center, but immediately after he walked out, the pain from the bone spurs in his elbows eased.

“I wouldn’t otherwise be so excited about being super cold,” he said.

After the first session, he signed up for 10 more.

The treatment was developed in Japan in the 1970s, and it has spread across the U.S. in recent years, said Doug Young, general manager of Assertive Wellness.

The center started providing the treatment in late April, and interest has ramped up in the last six weeks, with about 250 cryotherapy sessions, he said.

Cyrotherapy is like a missing piece in naturopathy because of the immediate pain relief it can provide, said Shauna Young, the naturopathic doctor who founded the center.

The treatment caused a national buzz last year in Las Vegas, when a 24-year-old woman died alone in a cryotherapy device from asphyxiation, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Cryotherapy devices have not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

While the nitrogen in the units isn’t harmful to breathe, it does displace oxygen, and the specialist at Assertive Wellness reminds clients to keep their heads up while in the sauna.

At the Wellness Center, a cryotherapy specialist stays with the client and asks every 30 seconds if they would like to keep going. The cryosauna automatically shuts off unless a specialist pushes a button, Shauna Young said.

The center staff expects the treatment will appeal to Durango’s athletes who want to speed their recovery time between workouts or who have old, nagging injuries.

“There’s a lot of people who get kind of beat up,” said Doug Young, Shauna’s brother.

The center recommends the treatment for chronic pain, joint disorders, arthritis and muscle spasms, among other conditions. Each session is $60.

Like an ice bath, cyrotherapy can reduce inflammation right away.

Expanding nitrogen vapor cools the air in the cryosauna to between negative 130 and negative 250 degrees, lowering the surface temperature of the skin to 34 degrees, according to the center’s waiver agreement.

To protect extremities, the center provides clients with gloves, warm socks and soft rubber shoes. Men are asked to keep their underwear on and women may do so if they choose.

While in the cryosauna, blood retreats into the core of the body, and as that blood flow returns, it causes a tingling, Shauna Young said.

One patient, Julia Whelihan, was introduced to the treatment by her adult son. She watched him go through it first so she would know what to expect. Seeking relief from neck pain, she found it cold but invigorating.

“I left here with a lot more lilt to my step,” she said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com



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