Recovery Room: A Way to Feel Better For Everyone
August 2019
The Recovery Room, a unique facility created by Konnie Komarovsky and his wife, Helen, more than three years ago, has a simple concept but utilizes state-of-the-art equipment. Basically, the Recovery Room exists to make people feel better. And they do that by using Cryotherapy along with other advanced techniques and equipment.
The Komarovskys opened a Recovery Room facility first in Carmel at Bridgewater Corporate Village and then another at the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield near Grand Park, after discovering such a facility was lacking in the area. “There was a huge need in Hamilton County for a place that helped people speed up their recovery process. A place that people can go to feel better that is not a doctor’s office. It’s somewhere between a doctor’s office and a spa”, says Konnie Komarovsky adding ,”But it’s very accessible and the number of reasons that people have for coming in here are so varied. That’s what makes it so unique.”
Cryotherapy for everyone
Komarovsky says the wide range of people that use his sports spa facility is amazing and runs the gamut from runners to pro athletes to grandmas with arthritis and he says it is truly for anyone who wants to feel better.
He cites one member named Gary who, at the age of 60, was over 300 pounds and was told by his doctor that he needed to lose weight and get himself in better shape or face significant health risks. Not only did Gary transform into a healthier person, getting his weight down to around 190 pounds, but by the age of 63, he was competing in body building competitions.
“And now he’s in probably the best shape of his life at 65. And we’re a pretty big part of the story,” says Komarovsky who goes on to say, “We were there for him helping him push through a lot of aches. Once we were added to his repertoire, whether for cosmetic purposes or for physical recovery, we were there to help. He has credited us for a lot of the tough times when he was dealing with injuries.”
Komarovsky says before he found the Recovery Room, Gary thought recovery meant taking a few days off, just taking it easy or cold baths or cold showers. The Recovery Room helped him with his weight loss by helping him recover from the workouts so that he could continue his regimen without giving up.
Gary continues to use the Recovery Room, but in different ways. Komarovsky says, depending on what he is training for, he might need Whole Body Cryotherapy or he might need local cryo to ice his trouble areas.
On the other end of the age spectrum, Komarovsky says the Recovery Room was there to help nine year old gymnast Hayden who regularly had four to six hour practices a few times a week. So much practice means more use of the body which can lead to a higher risk of injury.
“Hayden decided early that she wanted to compete at a higher level. Her determination was incredible so she used us on a regular basis. Especially leading up to competitions. She was dealing regularly with injuries that she had to push through and that’s where we fit in quite nicely,” says Komarovsky. Hayden is now 11 and continues to use the Recovery Room.
Runners and Triathletes also regularly use the Recovery Room to prepare for races or competitions and also for a week after to recover from the event. “Typically we see them a month or so before a competition as their training ramps up and we see them go from using us one or two times a week to possibly three and then again the week after to help with their recovery. That’s when they feel the worst,” says Komarovsky explaining that the Recovery Room trims down recovery time a lot.
He says Tri Loco, a triathlon and endurance sports team uses the Recovery Room regularly. Last year they had a runner that qualified for the first time for the Boston Marathon at 55 years of age. “She ran the Boston Marathon when it was the coldest weather recorded in history of the marathon. People at the finish line were keeping her warm and preventing her from going into shock. She told us that she was thinking during the race how glad she was that she had been using cryotherapy that prepared her for the conditions,” he says.
Is Cryotherapy Right For Me?
In determining if you need the services of the Recovery Room, Komarovsky uses the rule of thumb that anyone who pushes themselves more than the average person, such as marathon runners or triathletes, will especially benefit. However he says the Recovery Room is for everyone as everyone can benefit from the services they offer.
“The people that come in are so diverse. We like to paint the picture that we are for everybody. It doesn’t matter what demo you are in, if you are pushing harder than the average 9 year old or the average 65 year old you can use us.”
Cryotherapy Definition
Cryotherapy actually means “cold therapy” and is a technique in which the body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for several minutes. It can be done on just one area or you can do a Whole Body Cryo session.
It was developed in 1978 in Japan by a doctor whose mother-in-law had arthritis. So, any condition that causes inflammation can be improved with Cryo according to Komarovsky.
Komarovsky says it is an extreme environment but the benefits are well worth it and you’ll feel a difference immediately.
What Does Cryotherapy feel like?
For Whole Body Cryotherapy, you stand in the Cryotherapy chamber in very cold vapor. Men wear shorts, socks, gloves and slippers. Women wear sports bras, shorts, socks, gloves and slippers all provided by the Recovery Room. The session lasts for three minutes during which you can listen to music. The idea according to Komarovsky is to expose as many skin sensors as possible to the cold, which then triggers response. He says that it is a dry cold so your skin sensors feel it but it is not painful. He likens it more to the feeling you get with exercise.
Side effects of Cryo
Cryotherapy side effects include an ‘insane energy rush’ according to Komarovsky. With Whole Body Cryotherapy your body goes through cold shock. “When you get out, the amount of norepinephrine has doubled or tripled in the brain and that’s the hormone responsible for making you feel good, feeling happy; the general feeling of well- being which is what makes it so unique. That’s why our goal is just to get people to try it,” says Komarovsky who adds that once people try cryotherapy 99 people out of 100 return to use it again.
Other technology offered by the Recovery Room
Today, cryotherapy is the main thing that leads people to the Recovery Room but it’s not the only leading edge recovery technology that they offer.
What is Local Cryo?
Both Recovery Rooms also have Local Cryo equipment which uses a stream of nitrogen vapor to target painful areas. It is done in a three to five minute session and accomplishes in just minutes what would take hours of icing to do.
Komarovsky describes the localized cryo as a similar principle to the Whole Body Cryo but is more like icing.
Cryotherapy Benefits and Cryotherapy temperature
What are the benefits of Cryotherapy? There are many. Whole Body Cryotherapy, which is popular with professional athletes such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, is a three minute session of cold exposure that reduces inflammation and helps to increase circulation by exposing the entire body to temperatures as low as -220°F.
Does Cryotherapy work?
Normatec
Another pain reducer is Normatec which uses pneumatic compression to push excess fluid out of tight muscles and achy joints using a choice of leg, arm, or hip sleeves for just 20 minutes.
Komarovsky describes pneumatic pressure as being like a blood pressure monitor. “They have pockets that start at the feet and work their way up the leg. It squeezes your legs like a toothpaste tube. It breaks up lactic acid. The original design was for patients that were bedridden post-surgery to help circulation in their feet,” he says. People with heavy legs feel lighter after a 20 minute session adds Komarovsky. He says diabetics and anyone who has circulation issues can be helped by it.
GameReady
GameReady drastically reduces pain and increases circulation to a desired area by utilizing the effects of hot and cold contrast on the skin. GameReady sleeves will go from up to 113°F down to 38°F in just 10 seconds.
Komarovsky describes GameReady as a 15 minute session that you use on whatever your trouble area is such as your elbow, shoulder, hip, or knee. “It gets wrapped and a hose attached to it sends cold and hot water through. It goes a minute cold then a minute hot. That minute hot and minute cold contrast creates a lot of extra circulation to the area again reducing the risk of injury,” he says. This technique is used a lot for people in post-surgery situations.
Neurospa
The Recovery Room also offers help in the area of stress and mental recovery with NeuroSpa, which is a 15 minute session that allows you to sit comfortably as soft sensations captivate your body. The acoustic frequency neutralizes resistance and communicates directly with the nervous system which gradually relieves tension caused by stress.
In Neurospa you sit in a zero gravity chair that vibrates wearing noise canceling headphones that have sound going through them. A hood is pulled over your head giving you privacy and light is filtered through. “The light, the sound and the vibration synchronize and what it does is triggers a part of your brain that turns out cortisol,” says Komarovsky adding, “so in a 15 minute session it feels like you took a power nap and you may not have fallen asleep. You feel significantly calmer without feeling drowsy because you never enter into a sleep cycle. It’s a very interesting feeling.”
He says it’s similar to the sensation you get with Float Tanks but without water and Neurospa takes less time.
Flotation Tanks and Infrared Saunas
The Carmel location also offers Float Tanks and Infrared Sauna. The Float Tank is a 45 minute session that allows you to feel weightless as you float in 10″ of water saturated with 900 lbs. of epsom salt. This creates a sense of weightlessness that takes pressure off of tired joints, bones, and muscles.
The Infrared Sauna is a 45 minute session that uses gentle infrared light to heat you from the inside out causing a decrease in inflammation, a decrease in cortisol levels and an increase in circulation.
Which Technology is right for me?
Komarovsky says you can use one of the technologies or all of them. He says anyone is a candidate for the Recovery Room.
Cryotherapy Cost
The services at the Recovery Room are amazingly affordable according to Komarovsky. They charge $89.99 for one month for unlimited access to all services with no commitment. Komarovsky says some places charge that for just one single cryo session. For a 12 month commitment the monthly charge is $69.99. Day passes are available for $39.99 for those that want to try it out.
Cryotherapy near me
The Recovery Room has locations at Bridgewater Corporate Village at 4654 Killarney Dr. Carmel and at 200 E. 186th St. A, inside Grand Park. For more information go to www.recoveryroomusa.com.
