Standing in a chamber of frozen liquid nitrogen might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but for Ethan Taft, practice is essential to maintaining athletic performance and recovery.
After being trained and certified in cryotherapy last year, Taft opened Cryo Kalispell to bring alternative health services to residents of the Flathead Valley.
“I got into cryotherapy for sports performance and recovery since I do mixed martial arts. I do it two to three times a week and it allows me to train at a higher level than I could without it,” Taft said.
Using cold to treat injuries and promote healing is nothing new, but whole-body cryotherapy didn’t begin until 1979. According to Taft, cryotherapy originated in Japan to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Since then, cryotherapy has been used for sports recovery, to help with injuries, to boost metabolism and to reduce inflammation.
During a session, patients stand in a room for 3 minutes while liquid nitrogen is sprayed over their body. Temperatures can drop as low as -186 degrees Fahrenheit, and patients can lose anywhere from 500 to 800 calories during a single session.
“The body goes into thermogenesis to try to warm itself. In thermogenesis, blood goes from the extremities essentially to protect the organs. The blood that goes into the core organs is reoxygenated and filled with antioxidants, and then it’s released throughout the bloodstream again in the body. The cold shock promotes healing within the body and the effects last for 3 hours after the session,” explained Taft.
After a single cryotherapy session, patients often experience increased energy and increased focus, Taft noted. It can also help with depression, anxiety and acclimatization to winter.
“Winter is my favorite time of the year. I love the cold,” smiled Taft.
In November, Taft will offer a rate compression system for its services, and in December, it will add an infrared sauna.
Taft developed his passion for health and wellness after his journey to fight gut issues and hopes to pass his knowledge on to the residents of the Flathead Valley so they can get back to their lives.
“I had a daughter who had a bad ankle injury and she was on a stretcher and couldn’t get up in the shower. She used the room and after just one session, she was up in the shower,” Taft said. “I want to help people who are struggling. If someone is dealing with a serious injury or has a lot of pain, or chronic inflammation, I want to encourage them that this can be beneficial to them and improve their quality of life. I just want to help as many people as I can.”
Cryo Kalispell is located at 2593 US 2 East, Suite 1 inside Montana Spine and Neuro. To schedule an appointment, visit cryokalispell.com or call 406-952-3768.
