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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

"Detoxing" and kombucha are yesterday's news. Now the latest health fad, cryotherapy, is facing regulation in Nevada [nytimes.com] after a recent death:

After the death of a spa employee, Nevada has created health guidelines for cryotherapy, a treatment that experts say has been growing in popularity but is largely unregulated and whose benefits are not proven.

The guidelines from the state health department recommend that the machines, which subject users to subzero temperatures, not be used by those younger than 18, under five feet tall or with certain health conditions, said Dr. Tracey Green, the state's chief medical officer. The health conditions include a history of stroke, high blood pressure, seizures and infections, as well as pregnancy, a pacemaker or claustrophobia.

[...] Chelsea Ake-Salvacion, 24, accidentally died of asphyxia caused by low oxygen levels while in a cryotherapy machine at the Rejuvenice spa in Henderson, where she worked, the Clark County coroner's office said. She was found dead on Oct. 20 after apparently using the treatment on herself the night before. Her death drew scrutiny to the treatment that has been used worldwide but is not quite mainstream.

Cryotherapy supporters claim it can ease pain and inflammation, aid blood flow and weight loss, improve skin and even ward off aging and depression. The treatment has been popularized by celebrities and sports stars who use it in lieu of a traditional ice bath. It can involve two- to four-minute exposures in a chamber the size of a telephone booth to temperatures ranging from minus 166 to minus 319 degrees.

Cryotherapy [wikipedia.org] has been used by athletes for muscle soreness and exercise recovery, although there is insufficient evidence to support its efficacy. It is not the same thing as cryonics [wikipedia.org] or medically induced hypothermia [wikipedia.org].

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