Cryotherapy in Myrtle Beach: What It Is, Why It Works, and What's Coming to HST

Published: April 24, 2026

Cold has been used therapeutically for millennia. Hippocrates documented the use of cold water for swelling and pain relief around 400 BC. Japanese mountain healers practiced "Misogi" cold water immersion for physical and mental purification. In the 20th century, Japanese rheumatologist Dr. Toshima Yamauchi developed whole-body cryotherapy in the 1970s as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis — exposing patients to extreme cold air in a controlled chamber and observing dramatic improvements in pain and joint mobility. Today, cryotherapy has moved from clinical rheumatology into mainstream athletic recovery and wellness, backed by a growing body of peer-reviewed research.

At Himalayan Salt Therapy in Myrtle Beach, SC, we're proud to be bringing cryotherapy services to the Grand Strand through our Bio-Hacking Lab. Whether you're a competitive athlete looking to compress recovery time, someone dealing with chronic inflammation, or simply curious about what "the cold" can do for your energy and mood, this post explains the science honestly — and gives you a realistic picture of what to expect.

How Cryotherapy Works: The Biology of Cold Exposure

Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) exposes the body to extremely cold, dry air — typically between -110°C and -140°C (-166°F to -220°F) — for 2 to 4 minutes in a specialized chamber. At these temperatures, the skin surface temperature drops rapidly but core body temperature does not: the exposure is too brief for deep tissue cooling. What actually happens is a cascade of rapid physiological responses triggered by the skin's cold receptors.

The cold triggers vasoconstriction — blood vessels near the skin's surface constrict rapidly, redirecting blood flow toward the body's core to protect vital organs. The body simultaneously activates the sympathetic nervous system, releasing a surge of norepinephrine (which reduces inflammation and has antidepressant effects), beta-endorphins (natural pain killers), and anti-inflammatory cytokines. When you exit the chamber and rewarm, vasodilation occurs — blood rushes back to the periphery carrying fresh oxygen and nutrients. Research in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that this cold-rewarm cycle accelerated clearance of creatine kinase and other muscle damage markers by up to 43% compared to passive recovery.

What the Research Says About Cryotherapy Benefits

The clinical evidence for cryotherapy is strongest in three areas: athletic recovery, pain and inflammation management, and mood enhancement.

For athletic recovery, a 2021 systematic review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed 22 randomized trials and concluded that whole-body cryotherapy significantly reduced perceived muscle soreness and functional deficits following high-intensity exercise, with effects peaking 24–48 hours post-session. Professional sports teams — including numerous NFL, NBA, and Premier League organizations — now incorporate cryotherapy into standard recovery protocols between game days. For inflammation and pain, a 2022 Cochrane review found that localized cryotherapy produced meaningful short-term pain relief in knee osteoarthritis comparable to topical NSAIDs. For mood and energy, the norepinephrine surge produced by cold exposure has been documented in multiple neurological studies; a 2019 paper in Medical Hypotheses proposed that the sympathetic activation from cold therapy could provide a sustained antidepressant effect lasting several hours post-session.

Cryotherapy vs. Ice Baths: What's the Difference?

Both cryotherapy and traditional ice baths use cold to reduce inflammation and soreness — but they work differently and have distinct advantages. Ice baths (cold water immersion) rely on conductive cooling through water contact, which cools deep tissue more substantially. Cold water immersion has a strong evidence base for muscle recovery but requires 10–20 minutes of submersion, which many people find psychologically challenging. Whole-body cryotherapy uses convective cooling through cold air, which cools the skin surface extremely rapidly without deep tissue cooling — stimulating a more powerful sympathetic nervous system response in a much shorter window (2–4 minutes). Many athletes report that cryotherapy produces a stronger and longer-lasting "energized" feeling post-session compared to ice baths, likely due to the more intense norepinephrine response from the faster skin cooling rate.

Coming to HST: What to Expect

Cryotherapy is coming to HST's Bio-Hacking Lab as part of our expanding recovery services. Sessions are brief (2–4 minutes), safe, and non-invasive. You'll change into provided minimal clothing (shorts and a sports top), and a staff member will be present throughout your session. The experience is described by most clients as intense but invigorating — more like a brisk winter wind than painful cold. After your session, most clients feel a distinct boost in alertness and energ