Nitrogen or Electric-Powered Cryotherapy — Which Is Best?
A Comparison of the Two Most Popular Cryotherapy Methods
Chilling out has a whole new meaning.
Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain from a recent surgery or want to recover more quickly from a hard workout, cryotherapy can help. It has been proven to increase happiness and health in many people’s lives.
Not all cryotherapy is the same, though. After all, you can’t compare a cold shower with wading into a frigid lake.
There are two main methods to get the benefits of cryotherapy: electric cryotherapy and nitrogen cryotherapy. While both have similar functions, electronically cooled oxygen cryotherapy is the best cryotherapy on the market today.
At the Human Optimization Centre (HOC), we only offer the best. Keep reading to learn about electric cryotherapy verus nitrogen cryotherapy, and why electric is the superior cold therapy on the market.
The Benefits of Cryotherapy
Let’s examine cryotherapy’s benefits before diving into the differences between nitrogen cryotherapy and electric-powered chamber cryotherapy.
Cryotherapy can help with anything from general pain relief and injury recovery to weightloss and flexibility. It is a fairly new technology whose main concept is the body’s response to extreme cold.
When exposed to cold temperatures, blood vessels constrict, reducing inflammation. Then when warmth is reintroduced, blood vessels open and circulation is enhanced. This triggers a series of reactions that can aid in pain relief, muscle recovery, and overall wellness.
Cold exposure stimulates the nervous system, releases endorphins, and enhances the body’s natural healing processes. Here’s what cryotherapy can help with:
- Chronic pain and inflammation
- Acute pain after surgery
- Muscle pain after exercise
- Reduced inflammation
- General pain relief
- Muscle healing
- Weight loss
- Increased flexibility
- Faster workout recovery times
Why It Works
Cryotherapy (or cold therapy) works because cold temperatures redirect blood flow from your extremities to your core. Afterward, your heart pumps new blood back out to your extremities, giving you a sort of recirculation therapy, where your ultra-nutrient-rich blood floods back into your joints and muscles.
Now let’s examine what each cryotherapy process is and the differences between the two.
What Is Nitrogen Cryotherapy?
Nitrogen cryotherapy is a cryo process that introduces a person to extremely cold, dry oxygen. Extremely cold oxygen is defined as oxygen that is below minus 100 degrees Celsius (-100 C) or minus 148 degrees Fahrenheit (-148 F).
The Process
The process for using nitrogen cryotherapy is simple: A technician fills a chamber with liquid nitrogen, and the vapor cools the surrounding air. Then, you sit inside the chamber as it fills with nitrogen-cooled oxygen and cools your body for the session.
You feel the cold from the neck down (mostly around your ankles, where the nitrogen is pumped in) when you’re in it. You sit in the chamber alone, nearly naked, with your head and neck out of the chamber, without much movement.
The experience can take some getting used to. And since your head and neck are exposed, nitrogen cryotherapy cannot be considered an authentic full-body cryotherapy experience.
What Is Electrically Cooled Oxygen Cryotherapy?
Electric cryotherapy is a true whole-body cryotherapy experience (because it includes your head).
Electrically cooled cryotherapy is a method that utilizes electricity to cool the air in a specially designed room to lower the temperature of a specific area or the whole body. Unlike traditional cryotherapy, which often uses liquid nitrogen, electrically cooled systems rely on refrigeration compressors to chill the air to the desired therapeutic temperature.
This approach allows for more controlled and uniform cooling, making it a preferred option for treating various ailments, reducing inflammation, and enhancing recovery in sports medicine.
The Process
All you do is step into the large room (by yourself or with others), perform some slow movement exercises for two to three minutes, and then step out. The chamber cools your entire body, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet.
Do not confuse electronically chilled oxygen cryotherapy with CryoSkin 2.0, a treatment we’ve developed to help with body sculpting.
What Are the Key Differences Between Electrically Cooled and Nitrogen Cryotherapy?
While both nitrogen and electronically cooled cryotherapy qualify as cold therapy treatments, they differ significantly.
Electric-Cooled Cryotherapy Has Multiple Treatment Options
First, whole-body, electric-cooled chamber cryotherapy can be either full-body or localized cryotherapy. Technicians can target a tiny part of your body that needs the therapy, or you can visit the cold therapy chamber for full-body benefits.
Nitrogen cryotherapy only offers one type: sitting in the chamber with your head and neck exposed to ambient, room-temperature air. This means you can only get partial body cooling and not full body.
Electric-Cooled Cryotherapy Gets Better Results
Electronic cryotherapy will cool more of your body due to the complete enclosure. It will also trigger a more significant autonomic response than nitrogen therapy and has a higher cellular activation rate.
Nitrogen therapy cools just a part of your body from the neck down, and the cooling rate is inconsistent throughout your body. Ankles and lower extremities tend to cool more as the cooled oxygen is pumped in through the bottom of the chamber. The head and neck remain at or near room temperature and don’t receive much therapeutic cold.
Nitrogen cryotherapy does not cool the entire body like an electrically chilled oxygen cryotherapy chamber. The air often has hot and cold spots, leading to diluted therapy for taller clients or those who may not be centered within the chamber.
This unequal distribution only partially cools the body, meaning there’s no activation of the vagus nerve, which is vital for overall health and well-being as the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system.
In short, your body responds more consistently and thoroughly to electronic cryotherapy.
Electric-Cooled Cryotherapy Is Safer
The other point of concern with nitrogen cryotherapy is the nitrogen itself. Your head and neck are kept out of the chamber because vapor from the nitrogen can cause lightheadedness and breathing problems. Additionally, the liquid nitrogen may cause burns if accidentally spilled on you.
An electrically cooled cryotherapy room has no liquid nitrogen use. The air is cooled with electricity, not chemicals, making it much safer.
Electric-Cooled Cryotherapy Can Be Done With Others
You can do an electric cryotherapy session with a friend or group of people. Electric-cooled therapy is done in a room where more than one person can benefit. With nitrogen cryotherapy, you must sit alone for the treatment.
Here is a table that summarizes the differences between nitrogen and electrically-cooled cryotherapy.
| Aspect | Electrically Cooled Cryotherapy | Nitrogen-Cooled Cryotherapy |
| Coverage | Cooling applied to the entire body | Cooling focused on specific body parts |
| Temperature Monitoring | Near the body’s core | Near the ankle or not monitored |
| Cooling Method | Even cooling throughout the room | Cooling directed from the feet upward |
| Air Quality | Fresh oxygen, safe for the entire body | Liquid nitrogen is used, which can be toxic (the head must remain outside) |
| Number of People | Up to five | One |
| Target Area | Stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) for better results | Mainly affects the lower body parts |
| Safety Record | No incidents in 500,000 treatments | Reports of burns and respiratory issues |
Here’s How HOC’s Electrically Cooled Oxygen Cryotherapy Works
The cryotherapy method is simple yet effective. Here’s the basic process we go through at the HOC at Walnut Creek:
- Check Skin Temperature: One of our technicians will check your skin temperature before entering the chamber and ensure you wear protective gear correctly.
- Enter and Perform Slow Movements: You enter the cryo chamber and shut the door. You can then do slow, controlled movements in the room for two to three minutes to keep the blood flowing and prevent frostbite. You can stretch tight muscles or do some pushups or squats. You can ask your technician for any help you need with this.
- Remain for the Optimal Time: Your technician will time your session to ensure you spend the optimal time in the chamber. (You will know your optimal time after filling out the form in the link below.) After your time is up, the technician will instruct you to leave, and they will retake your skin temperature.
After you leave the chamber, you’ll feel the nutrient-rich blood rush back to your extremities, and you’ll feel the benefits almost immediately.
A chilled oxygen cryotherapy session will make you feel young again. After only a few sessions, your body will look better and feel healthier. You can also use it in conjunction with our other services. Explore our services page to find other areas we can make you healthier and happier overall.
Contact us today if you want to look and feel healthier through electrically-cooled cryotherapy at HOC. We’d love to help you live a healthy life, and we’re so serious about it that we’re even offering THREE sessions for the price of ONE to new clients for a limited time! Click the link below to see our recommendations and pricing.
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