3 minute read
frozen TRAILBLAZER
Bringing Cold Therapy for Chronic Pain to the Fargo Community
Negative 250 degrees doesn’t sound pleasant, however such temperatures surprisingly have very beneficial results for those managing pain or muscle fatigue. And freezing for therapy is what Pam Bradow has introduced to the FM area with Glacial Peak Cryotherapy.
PAM BRADOW, a Fergus Falls, Minnesota, native and retired dental hygienist, opened Glacial Peak Cryotherapy to bring relief to the community. A significant car accident left her searching for a method to ease the constant pain from her injuries — pain that wasn’t being fully managed through traditional means. “With soft tissue damage and a concussion, you can’t really do surgery. I did a lot of neuro-feedback, acupuncture, massage therapy, but still, I was hurting,” Bradow says when talking about the lengths she went to for recovery. “I went to the cryotherapy place in Colorado Springs just to humor my massage therapist to see if it would work and because people kept telling me to try it.”
By her fourth visit, she realized the many benefits of cryotherapy and made the decision to bring it home with her to North Dakota. In 2016, she was the first to bring cryotherapy to Fargo, North Dakota.
As you walk into the room where the upright sauna sits, cold fog spilling over the opening, it feels as if you are walking into a science fiction movie. The small screen overhead, which monitors the time and temperature, reads negative one hundred and seventy degrees — the temperature at which the machine is pre-chilled to when you step in the sauna.
“This is not as painful as what we understand cold during North Dakota winters to be,” Bradow explains. “There’s no wind chill. There’s no moisture in the air.”
Sessions in the cryotherapy sauna last for two to three minutes in which the temperature continues to drop until it reaches negative two hundred and fifty degrees. How each person handles those three minutes is never the same. “It’s fun to watch people experiencing it for the first time,” Bradow says. “The first minute or two is pretty comfortable — you can handle it. But that last minute, if you go the full three minutes, it gets people dancing in the sauna.”
Bradow remains in the room during each session, providing a comforting voice and constant observation to ensure that everything goes well.
The benefits of cryotherapy are mainly physical, however, there are ways it contributes to mental health as well and Bradow is truly informed when it comes to knowing every aspect of cryotherapy. “This is tricking your body into going into that flight or fight mode,” she says. “It releases endorphins, elevates your metabolism, and stabilizes your mood and hormones so chronic or acute pain is relieved due to the decrease in inflammation. When your body is in flight or fight, trying to keep you warm, the blood is circulating closet to your heart where it re-oxygenates, detoxifies and picks up nutrients.”
After having gone through a session during our interview, there was no denying that my mood was heightened afterwards. Throughout the day, I felt more alert, more determined and had a general overall sense of wellbeing. The irritating aches that I carry with me daily were hardly noticeable. Other services are available at Glacial Peak Cryotherapy as well, including cryofacials, local cryotherapy, and compression therapy. During cryofacials, cold air is swept over your scalp and face for ten minutes, assisting in revitalizing your skin and stimulating the roots of your hair. Localized therapy centralizes the cold air on a certain affected area, whether it be the lower back, arthritic hands, or a recent knee surgery.
Bradow also offers compression therapy which does not involve cold and is popular with athletes and individuals with poor circulation. Compression sleeves designed for arms and legs are provided in a relaxing setting where you are able to sit back in an easy chair and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in front of the fire, watching television while the compression massages and helps remove lactic acid.
Bradow is currently providing services at an introductory rate of $50 for the first two sessions. More information and pricing can be found on her website at glacialpeakcryotherapy.com.
JUNE 6 and AUGUST 1
6:00 – 7:15 PM
"Living with Grief" is our monthly drop-in meeting on the first Tuesday of the month held at Boulger Funeral Home. A topic on loss and grief begins our conversation for the evening. for more info: boulgerfuneralhome.com
These meetings are led by our Grief Support Coordinators Sonja Kjar and Ann Jacobson. 701-237-6441 griefsupport@boulgerfuneralhome.com
