BAL052217
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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