Braelee Conticchio, the public relations director at Cryo Innovations, shares three types of cryotherapy your facility can offer.
Looking for the coolest profit center for your club? Well look no further than cryotherapy, one of the most sought out recovery modalities.
Cryotherapy is simply the therapeutic application of extreme cold as a recovery treatment. What started with ice packs and ice baths has evolved to technologically advanced methods including whole body and local cryotherapy. Not only is new age cryotherapy a lot more tolerable for users than traditional styles, but it also requires a fraction of the time. Cryotherapy can help reduce pain and inflammation, oxygenate blood, increase speed of recovery and more.
With whole-body cryotherapy there are two options regarding the machine’s cooling system — nitrogen-based and electric. In addition to whole body saunas and full body chambers, there are also localized units for focused treatment. All options have the same goal of lowering the temperature of the whole body or certain parts. When considering cryotherapy it is important to understand each type and their pros and cons before making a decision.
Nitrogen-based Cryotherapy
Inception of the cryotherapy sauna began with nitrogen-based technology. Over the past 20 years since the very first machines popped up, there’ve been major technological advances with nitrogen-based units. Typically, nitrogen-based equipment treats users from the neck down, for up to three minutes and reaches temperatures as cold as -230 degrees fahrenheit. These whole-body cryotherapy machines do require dedicated space, ranging from a 5×5 area to a 10×10 room depending on the make of the equipment. The price of whole-body cryotherapy machines can range anywhere from $39,000 to $61,000. Some argue some of the nitrogen-based units are less safe than electric options but the units themselves are less expensive, very simple to install and have constant colder temperatures.
Electric Cryotherapy
The electric, full-body chamber is another option when considering cryotherapy. Most of the time, electric cryotherapy units are full walk-in rooms that are air cooled without using nitrogen gas. Electric equipment treats the entire body including the head and runs on electric heat exchange technology. Generally the treatment lasts the typical three minutes and cools to about -160 degrees fahrenheit. The electric chambers tend to take up a bit more space than nitrogen-based, as they are usually bigger and constructed like a small room. The costs of the electric machines are a bit higher, ranging from $100,000 up to $280,000. Electric chambers are favored for their safety as you can breathe the air without danger and for their spacious and premium feel. However, the downside is they are more expensive, complicated to install, require certain power requirements and do not reach as low of temperatures as nitrogen-based.
Localized Cryotherapy
Localized cryotherapy differs from whole/full body cryotherapy as it uses targeted application to treat specific parts of the body. Local cryo machines are much smaller devices and only cost from about $10,000 to $20,000. The portable and convenient units can be used in a variety of applications from cosmetic to therapeutic. From cryo facials to pain management, this modality is a great option for a range of industries. Localized cryotherapy units are the most mobile, inexpensive and require the least space of all the cryotherapy machine options. However they are less effective on the body as a whole.
There are benefits to all three options and definite revenue potential when adding cryotherapy to a club or opening as a standalone center. Not only is there ROI, this modality promotes healthy recovery and attracts new customers. Besides the info outlined, keep in mind your clientele, the space you have available and your budget when deciding on the cryotherapy machine that’s right for you.
