RED BANK – The ‘coolest place in Red Bank’ has some of its clients dancing “the cryotherapy shuffle” on a regular basis.
ChillRx Cryotherapy, 64 Broad St., offers a three-minute treatment during which a client in an enclosed chamber is exposed to temperatures as cold as -220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Owner Paul Musho said cryotherapy, which is also called cold therapy, is defined as the use of sub-zero temperatures in medical therapy. The business, which offers other services, opened in November 2018. There are about 200 appointments each week for all of the services, Musho said.
Cryotherapy has been used in medical treatments for decades, Musho said. The treatment was initially introduced to treat Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects an individual’s joints, Musho said.
According to the company’s website, after a client is exposed to air vapor that has been chilled by liquid nitrogen, that person’s body experiences a physiological reaction. Blood rushes to the core of the body causing vasoconstriction – narrowing – in skin, muscles, tissue and extremities.
“A body senses that cold temperature and (the body) produces a natural release of endorphins because you are fighting to stay warm,” Musho said. “The endorphins are good (for combating) chronic pain and reducing inflammation in the body. Since your body is fighting to stay warm, (an individual) can burn 500 to 800 calories in one session.”
Musho said the chamber is safe for daily use and he said some clients visit each day.
However, Musho said, clients must follow proper safety protocol. Before entering the cyrochamber, a client must cover their hands, feet and ears. Clients, who undress before a treatment, must wear socks, clog shoes, gloves and a hat before they expose themselves to the extreme temperature.
“Since your body has a natural response to the cold, there is no danger,” Musho said of the treatment. “… Some people think (the treatment) is too cold for them and compare (the treatment) to jumping in an ocean … It’s just not the same … (The treatment) is not painful in any way. It’s very refreshing and rejuvenating.”
Musho, who referred to ChillRx Cryotherapy, as “the coolest place in Red Bank,” said clients are able to play music “and do the cryotherapy shuffle” in the frosty chamber.
Not everyone is a suitable candidate for cryotherapy, Musho said. The treatment is ideal for some individuals who battle chronic pain, arthritis or skin conditions. Some athletes are good candidates for cryotherapy, he said.
Individuals who have certain underlying medical conditions require approval from physicians before undergoing cryotherapy.
Liz Murphy, a personal trainer from Red Bank, has used the cryochamber once a week since December 2018. Murphy said the treatment helps her body recover after a strenuous workout. She recommends the treatment to her own clients.
ChillRx Cryotherapy also offers holistic treatments such as compression therapy; IV therapy in which vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants are administered to an individual through IV drips and injections; and a 150 degree infrared sauna with chromotherapy.
Chromotherapy is defined as the science of using colors to adjust body vibrations to frequencies that result in health and harmony.
“(The infrared sauna) is really good for detoxifying your body,” Musho said, noting that clients can spend up to one hour in the sauna. He said the treatment can be coupled with a cryotherapy session.
Once in the sauna, clients can choose one of several colors to radiate on their bodies. Different colors coincide with unique wellness benefits, Musho explained.
“Different colors penetrate the skin in different ways,” he said. “… Different colors through different wavelengths of the light will (penetrate) deeper and deeper levels of the skin. Some (colors) go down to the epidermis and other (colors) go to the veins.”
The introductory rate for cryotherapy is $40 and subsequent sessions cost $65. For more information, visit redbank.chillcryo.net
