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Are Cryotherapy Treatments Too Dangerous?

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Cryotherapy is under new scrutiny in the state after a Las Vegas spa employee was found dead last month in a chamber chilled by liquid nitrogen. Reno Public Radio’s Marcus Lavergne reports that Nevada officials are expanding their oversight of the industry.

The controversial treatment involves entering a chamber and spending two to four minutes in temperatures ranging from minus-166 to minus -319 degrees Fahrenheit. Supporters say the procedure can treat pain, inflammation, blood flow, weight loss and even ward off aging and depression.

Although a growing number of people are seeking cryotherapy, Dr. Marie Jhin, a board-certified dermatologist says there’s reason to be weary of the treatment’s rumored health benefits.

“Well first of all it is not FDA approved,” Jhin said. “It’s not really regulated so that means it did not have to go through any of the strict studies to show that it’s safe and that those claims are real. There really is nothing to support those claims.”

Jhin recently spoke to our public radio partner, KNPR, in Las Vegas.

Cryotherapy has grown popular among pro-athletes, but for Nevadans, the safety of the icy treatment is expected to be examined more thoroughly.

NOTE: This story was produced with information from a recent interview produced by our public media partner KNPR in Las Vegas.