THE BACKSTORY

It’s always the same routine after softball. After pitching a couple games, me and my dad drive back home, I shower, then grab my ice pack from the freezer and my shoulder wrap from the drawer next to the dishwasher. I strap on the wrap for a couple hours and let the ice work it’s magic on my aching, abused pitching shoulder.

AND THEN

On Sunday, Oct. 6, after playing two hour and twenty minute games that day and 3 the day before,I was sore, to say at the least. Especially my pitching arm.

Me and two other girls on my team, Leena Wilson and Kaley Johnson, decided to go over to Cryotherapy on Sierra College Blvd. and try it. Worker Matt Winchell explained it to me like this: After u work out a toxin/ chemical is released in your body that’s breaks down your muscle tissue and by going to Cryotherapy it filters blood and pushes good blood to help heal your body get over soreness faster.

There are three different options techniques they offer. Usually you would get to choose two different things, if you’re a usual there. Being that it was my first time, I got to try all three for 30$. The options are; the quad chamber, the local ice treatment and the hydra massage bed.

-165 deg f isn’t that cold, I tried to convince myself as I put on the plastic gloves, wool mittens, high socks, slippers, surgery mask and thick headband/ear warmer.

Okay, so it’s a little cold. Cold enough for someone to get hypothermia if they were to stay in there long enough and if someone were to touch the wall their hand would freeze to the wall. We didn’t stay in long enough for any of that to happen, we went into the first chamber, which is -80 for 30 seconds and the -165 deg f for 2 minutes.

It was crazy cold, my eyelashes and leg hairs (that I probably should have shaven before) froze. It was like I was suddenly in Antarctica, only clothed in a tee shirt and shorts. We stood in the tiny room for 2 minutes listening to Headstrong by Linkin Park, feeling the chill.

When we came out of the chamber our bodies were not fully warmed back up so we had to go on the bike machines for 10 minutes.

The second option is the local ice treatment. You get to choose one spot where your most sore and they blow cold air until your skin temperature gets to 30 degrees. I had it done on my shoulder and it felt amazing. I felt like I hadn’t even pitched at all that weekend.

Last was probably the most rejuvenating option. The hydra massage bed, or the best, most comfortable water bed/ back massage I’ve ever had was really relaxing. You just lay in this darkish room on this jelly-like bed for 5 minutes. There’s warm water that jets up inside the bed and goes up and down your body for a full body massage.

THE VERDICT

All and all, Cryotherapy is a much more effective way of icing your body than actually icing.

by ABI BROOKS