Cryotherapy isn’t solely in Los Angeles but my experience was in LA. With that said, there are few across the US. Still you can look for a Cryotherapy business or sports doctor that may have cryotherapy in your area.

My experience at Cryo Health Care on La Cienega up the street from the Beverly Center, in West LA, was Cool, let’s make that Cold, real cold.

I have an athlete I train in West LA and she does Cryotherapy on a regular basis. She suggested I try it. It was an interesting and fun experience.

First of all it can take some guts, especially if you are claustrophobic. You know you are walking into this freezing cold box (-200 to -240 F). There is a little window but you can barely see out when you are in there. They have music playing in the background and a timer that gives you updates on how long you have left to go.

The preparations are easy. when you enter building you sign “the waiver.” They take your blood pressure and make sure you are close to normal. Next you walk into a changing room, strip down to your underwear and put a nice, clean robe on, along with rubber clogs, ear muffs, gloves and a mask.

When it’s your turn you go into a chamber and take you robe off then you enter cryo chamber.

They let me go in for 2 minutes for my first time. The first 45 seconds weren’t too bad. Then it started getting cold. “1 Minute remaining,” the voice said. That wouldn’t be the difficult, I said to myself. It was a long minute, a real long minute. With 45 seconds left I started to slightly shiver. I focused on my breath and soon enough it was over.

As soon as you finish you go back into the changing chamber, put on your robe and stick you leg out the door. At this point they take your skin temperature. Mine was 30 degrees.

Now the question everyone is asking, “How did you feel afterwards and would you do it again?” Refreshed and yes are the simple answer. I felt great, awake and energized. I feel to really get the benefits of cryotherapy I think you need to do it on a regular basis. They offer monthly membership and I think that is the way to go for the best benefit. Right now you have to drive to West LA but they are expanding to Woodland Hills and plan on growing from there.

For a better explanation of their services, research and prices, please visit their web site: http://www.cryohealthcare.com

The language below is from the Cryo Health web site:

“Whole Body Cryotherapy can be administered in one of two devices, the Single Person Cryosauna and the Multi-Person Cryochamber. With Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) the body is exposed to ultra-low temperatures (-200 to -240 F). The client is placed in a cryogenic sauna/chamber for a short duration of 1.5-3 minutes which lowers the client’s skin surface temperature significantly and stimulates receptors.

This modality was first utilized in Japan in 1978 to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Studies conducted over the last two decades in Europe have established WBC as a powerful modality for inflammation reduction and injuries.

Professional athletes have discovered WBC as a powerful treatment to decrease recovery  time and increase athletic performance.  Although Whole Bocy Cryotherapy originated in Japan, it was a group of Polish scientists who took the idea and made Whole Body Cryotherapy the physical therapy it is today.”

Train Focused, Steve Mackel