Frequently asked questions
How and Why Does Local CryoTherapy Work?
Localized Cryotherapy works for the same reason that an Ice Pack works when you put it on a sprained wrist or ankle, or when you put it on sore feet or muscles - by reducing the throbbing pain, inflammation, and constricting blood flow to the area temporarily - allowing your body to catch up and get back on top of the increasing shooting pain and natural inflammation your body is using to heal the injury or problem area.
If you'd like a scientific biological explanation or have a curiosity about the technical aspects of what happens to the body with Local Cryotherapy, we recommend you watch this very accurate video we found online.
Is Local Cryo Safe?
Yes, because as we lower your skin temperature the heat from the soreness, problem region or injury within starts to dissipate outward as the heat attempts to equalize. The skin temperature is constantly measured as to prevent frostbite and the procedure on any one area from start to finish never lasts more than ten minutes - from the time the vapor is at the desired temperature until the time it is turned off. In that amount of time it is perfectly safe, thus there is no need to worry anyway.
At Ventura Cryo we have trained technicians who constantly monitor the surface temperature of the skin, keeping it optimally cooled and never letting the skin get into a zone where frost-bite might start to occur. Since different people's skin responds differently - if you feel any stinging or pain on the skin, or we see any adverse redness, we simply move the vortex nitrogen spray further away, work on the peripheral area for a moment to let your body adjust to this new environment, thus slowing down the process, and/or stop altogether if you ask or we see anything that isn't 100% right, and we do so without any hesitation.
We take this very seriously because we care about you. We are here for you. We love to see you in a euphoric pain-free state. We feel that energy too, we love it, that's why we do what we do.
Which Is Better Whole Body CryoTherapy or Localized CryoTherapy?
Each of these methods has its own claim to fame and area of expertise. For instance, nothing seems to make you feel as healthy and rejuvenated as Whole Body CryoTherapy, the endorphin rush and the euphoric high makes you feel like a superhero, plus it does wonders in activating your immune system and your body's defenses with a rush of positive, healthy healing enzymes, and production of everything your body needs to stay on top of its game. It also takes away any pain you have by reducing your body's inflammation.
Of course, to do this you have to be brave and submit your body to a chilling subzero chamber for 3-minutes, which only the toughest amongst us is able to do. Localized Cryotherapy, on the other hand, is used to treat specific areas of pain, injury, swelling (inflammation). If you want to really see results, you can do a 3-minute Whole Body CryoTherapy session and then immediately following have us work on any problem areas with localized cryotherapy treatment lasting an additional 10-minutes. This gives you a double-whammy, as your skin temperature is already cold, so the local cryotherapy works three times better, plus it's faster and you can do multiple problem areas quickly and in an extremely targeted way.
There are some areas of the body that Whole Body CryoTherapy cannot serve. Those areas like hands and feet, which are covered up to prevent frostbite. These areas can easily be treated with localized cryotherapy - things like ankles, wrists, arches, and arthritis pain in those areas. Also, the neck, head, and face which are outside the Whole Body Cryo Machine, we can easily work on these areas directly, carefully and in a targeted fashion using the streaming vapor flow with our new Metrum Cryo-T Elephant™ localized cryotherapy machine.
We especially recommend doing Whole Body CryoTherapy in conjunction with Localized CryoTherapy for anyone who wants longer lasting results or is super beat up from something like running a marathon, playing football, or a mixed-martial arts fighter, boxer, or anyone with an ailment or real medical condition that just has you in excruciating pain, hurting all over.
What Is The Difference Between Using Ice Packs And Localized CryoTherapy?
It is TRUE that ice packs do help the swelling go down after injury. Ice Packs do this by reducing inflammation and causing the constriction of blood vessels which are throbbing as the blood delivers injury fighting, protecting and healing enzymes and nutrients to the area. Unfortunately, the body often gets into a runaway state and this causes excruciating pain. Ice Packs slow this process down, let your body catch up and the pain temporarily goes away. Yes, we humans have been using ice packs for 1000s of years. So why use localized CryoTherapy now, if ice packs work, why switch?
That's a good question, so let me explain. There are big differences between Local CryoTherapy and Ice Packs, and I am not about to get into the hardship of holding the bags of melting ice on the injury for an hour or more, making your hand as numb as the area you are trying to rid of pain.
One big difference is that it's not a wet feeling, so the cold doesn't numb you for hours afterwards, only to find out when the numbing stops the pain starts all over again. In fact, with localized cryotherapy once you are completed you can walk on those sore feet or use your hands or whatever muscles are injured almost immediately (within minutes) without numbness or pain. Well, unless you have a bone break, I guess you'd still have some pain, but if so you are in the wrong place, as broken bones are fixed at hospitals not at Ventura Cryo.
Oh, another big difference is that Local CryoTherapy works 10x's faster than ice packs, no need to spend 1-2 hours with ice packs melting when you can do all this in 10-minutes… oh wait, 2-hours is 12x's longer than ten minutes, so it actually works 12x's faster - well you do the math?
What Does Localized CryoTherapy Feel Like?
Good Question - Well, you know how when a loved-one touches your skin, and you say; "Hey, your hands are cold," and teasingly say; "don't touch me!" It kind of feels like that, and just as your skin warms their hands and eventually it is fine, the same process happens with localized cryotherapy. It feels like a part of your body is in a mini-blizzard whirlwind, it's kind of a cool sensation actually, and it doesn't really feel super cold at first, it's gradual, which is the opposite of a cold ice pack that feels super cold right away and you think; "OMG, this is really cold, burrrrr."
With Local CryoTherapy, your skin cools and the heat from beneath moves to equalize, you can still feel your heart beat in the injury area, that's your body reacting to both the injury and the introduction of the blizzard breeze being applied by our trained Cryo-Technician. Within minutes the throbbing slows, the soreness goes down, and the swelling and inflammation retreat all while the pain is minimized. You don't have to feel like you are freezing the area for hours like with ice packs.
Towards the end of the treatment, last 7-10 minutes, it starts to feel cold all over the region where the Local CryoTherapy is applied, that's when you are happy because you feel like it's actually working, although, you are going to be happier when it's over and the cold goes away.
How Long Does It Last?
Okay so, this is a good question and the truth is; it depends. It depends on the injury, what you are going to do afterwards, for instance; play tennis after getting treated due to 'Tennis Elbow" pain, or go trim grape vines after coming into see us for 'carpal tunnel' pain, or go for a 10-mile mountainous trail run after coming in for a sprained ankle type pain. In those instances generally 48 hours or so. This is what our customers tell us. Luckily, if and when the pain comes back, it won't be as bad, or it will have completely disappeared.
If it's a reoccurring injury, it's quite possible that it will come back again, due to your body's current cycle of injury, inflammation, abstaining from activity and then re-injury. CryoTherapy breaks the cycle and helps the body become better at healing itself over time without the huge swings in the cycle. This is especially true for foot arch problems, heel problems, ankle pains, and most muscle groups.
It is quite possible if you come in for a one-time muscle pain that the pain will not come back anytime soon, but we bet you will be back to Ventura Cryo next time you have such a pain somewhere else on your body. In this case, we both are the ultimate winners. We love happy, pain-free customers.
Our goal is to get you back to a point where you don't need to come back for any specific injury at all. We'd rather you are coming back to the Ventura Cryo for Whole Body Cryotherapy because you love the way you feel during the week when you come see us.
Also note that if you have a 'medical condition' like MS, Fibromyalgia or issues with back pains, often you can stop the current flare-up until a future flare-up, which sure beats popping pain pills that can be addictive and dangerous. In these types of cases, we are helping you control the pain and the medical condition to allow you to live a robust effervescent life even with the medical challenge.
Can Localized CryoTherapy Work For Cellulite Reduction?
Yes, it can, and localized cryo works really good for this. We recommend a one-hour session. It starts with Whole Body CryoTherapy session of 3-minutes. Next, we target the areas of the body you wish to sculpt by reducing cellulite. By working on 3-4 specific areas and keeping those areas at exactly the right temperature for an hour, your body will turn those fat cells into heat energy, and even after the session, your body will continue to burn those fat cells to bring those areas back up to your body's normal temperature. Although this can be a little expensive, $200 for one hour, it's probably the best way to reduce cellulite and as long as you follow it up with a little exercise and proper diet, you will be quite pleased with the results. At Ventura Cryo, we'd love to be part of your transition to a new happier and healthier YOU.
Will My Health Insurance Pay For Local CryoTherapy Treatment?
Yes, no, maybe. Some health care insurance providers do pay for local cryotherapy treatments, especially if you've had a surgery and want to reduce post-surgery scarring, or if you have an ailment or medical condition. If you've had an implant or replacement joint, a doctor can recommend or sign-off on localized cryotherapy, often such treatments can then be paid from healthcare insurance. Some injuries or conditions like sprains, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, etc. are often covered. Of course, you'll need to do a little homework on this first and talk to your insurance provider. There are so many different plans and types of coverage it's hard to say what your particular status on this might be. We do expect in the future that localized cryotherapy will be covered for any type of physical therapy rehabilitation as well as any medical condition it can serve. Check your provider, you might be pleasantly surprised.
What Is The History Of Local Cryotherapy?
When cryotherapy first became a 'thing' and had been given its name, it was all localized and at that point, there were no cryo-chambers or cryo-machines, thus no such thing as Whole Body CryoTherapy. This is because in modern times cryotherapy's first use was to treat ailments that carried with them large amounts of pain, Arthritis for instance.
It wasn't until years later that scientists learned how and why cryotherapy worked so well, someone decided to start doing whole body cryotherapy, but at first, it was just cryotherapy. Thus, traditionally speaking Localized Cryotherapy is the original or traditional treatment method of applying sub-zero temperatures to the body using an inert gas, nitrogen.
