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Salt, Surf & Ice<br />

Businesses bringing alternative therapies to Corridor<br />

STORY BY CINDY HADISH PHOTOS BY SHUVA RAHIM<br />

Mr. Georgetti, 25, uses cryotherapy, float pods and<br />

more in his home state of New Jersey, so he was<br />

excited to find those health trends have made their<br />

way to Iowa.<br />

“I love this,” he said of the options offered at<br />

Total Rejuvenation, 1501 51st St. NE, Cedar Rapids,<br />

which opened in March.<br />

Mr. Georgetti opts for cryotherapy once or twice<br />

per week, in addition to massage and other therapies<br />

to relax his muscles and reduce inflammation. It also<br />

has the added benefit of promoting better rest.<br />

“I like doing it 24 hours before a game because it<br />

helps me relax and it refreshes me,” he said of whole<br />

body cryotherapy, performed in a chamber with hyper-cold<br />

air. “It gives you a good night’s sleep.”<br />

While scientific evidence is not yet conclusive<br />

on the benefits of these health trends, anecdotal<br />

evidence, like Mr. Georgetti’s, abounds.<br />

People with health conditions should consult<br />

with a doctor before using cryotherapy or other<br />

new therapies. Here is a look at a few of those<br />

available in the Corridor:<br />

Cedar Rapids Titans kicker Michael<br />

Georgetti trains during the off-season<br />

in Florida and California for the indoor<br />

football season and has come to<br />

appreciate various health therapies<br />

that are popular on the coasts.<br />

Josh Giles, owner of Total Rejuvenation in northeast Cedar Rapids, tries out the cryo<br />

chamber, which reaches temperatures of 260 degrees below zero.<br />

Cryotherapy<br />

Todd Diestler opened 40drop cryocenters in September<br />

at 568 Boyson Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids, offering<br />

whole body cryotherapy, local cryotherapy (for<br />

joints, for example) and cryo-facials. He is in the<br />

process of opening another site in the Quad Cities.<br />

Whole body treatments inside 40drop’s cryo<br />

chamber last three minutes. Clients are given<br />

socks, gloves, footwear and a robe. Men must wear<br />

underwear, or a bathing suit or shorts. Clothing is<br />

optional for women, but most wear shorts or underwear<br />

and a sports bra.<br />

The robe is removed once the client is inside the<br />

chamber to expose as much skin as possible to the<br />

nitrogen gas, which fills and cools the unit, with<br />

temperatures dropping to 260 degrees below zero.<br />

Vapors can be seen rising from the top, as the<br />

customer’s head stays above the chamber walls.<br />

Mr. Diestler noted that the extreme cold triggers<br />

a reaction from the central nervous system.<br />

“The increased blood flow is where you see the<br />

benefits,” he said.<br />

When 40drop first opened, Mr. Diestler thought<br />

he would see mostly athletes, but the majority of<br />

customers have been people with chronic pain,<br />

such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and back and hip<br />

pain; some as young as their early 20s.<br />

“They’re just looking for a way to improve their<br />

quality of life,” he said, adding that while it’s not a<br />

cure, customers report being able to decrease their<br />

pain medications, resume exercising or need to visit<br />

a chiropractor less frequently after cryotherapy.<br />

One commonality they report, Mr. Diestler noted,<br />

is they all “sleep like a baby” after the session. ><br />

8 CBJ BALANCE - SUMMER 2017

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