Sinead Corcoran Dye discovers what really happens during cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses extreme temperatures as low as -130C to tackle inflammation, pain, and stress. Photo / Getty Images

Sinead Corcoran Dye finds a chill way to put a pep in her step.

Having cryotherapy done looks exactly like that scene in one of the Austin Powers films – you stand inside a human-sized tank and freezing smoke gushes around you like 100 chilly vapes.

It's been hailed by super-sporty celebrities like basketball star LeBron James and footballing ace Cristiano Ronaldo as a "miracle cure" to alleviate inflammation after strenuous exercise and training.

I am obviously no athlete, and my exercise routine consists of going to the gym twice a year, so I did not care about this part. What did appeal, however, was that it claims to reduce stress and increase endorphins – which, if we borrow from another film and quote Legally Blonde's heroine, Elle Woods, "endorphins make you happy, and happy people don't shoot their husbands".

Cryotherapy uses extreme temperatures as low as -130C to tackle inflammation, pain, and stress. It allegedly works by inducing the body to release anti-inflammatory proteins and produce highly oxygenated blood that helps repair and strengthen muscles, as well as reducing post-workout fatigue.

Unlike ice baths, which terrify me, because I'm not Art Green, cryotherapy does not freeze muscles or tissue which allows for treatments pre-workout and then again post-workout.

First developed more than 40 years ago by a Japanese doctor as a therapy for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, full-body cryotherapy became popular in Europe when athletes found a preference for the technology over traditional ice baths.

Physical therapy professional Jill Somerville says it works by first activating thermoreceptors of the skin before promoting the body to release key enzymes and proteins for anti-inflammation.

"The thermoreceptors on the skin send a message to the brain, the brain then puts you into survival mode and contracts all the small blood vessels in your arms and legs," Somerville explains.

"When you come out of the sauna and your body hits room temperature, all of those vessels that have contracted start to dilate four to five times their size and all of that oxygen-rich blood gets pumped through your system."

To give it a whirl, I hooned over the Auckland Harbour Bridge to North Shore's Cryo Health Solutions clinic. The clinic itself is beautiful and looks like a day spa, so for a moment I forgot what I was there for and got excited about my hot stone massage. But it was not to be.

Although the clinic offers cryotherapy anti-aging facials and localised treatments for specific sore spots, I was there to do the whole frozen hog, also known as Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC).

WBC is touted as a non-invasive, hyper-cooling process that exposes clients to cold, dry air for up to three minutes, promoting natural healing at the cellular level. The body's exposure to extreme cold, triggers a systemic anti-inflammatory response. WBC can be used to help treat a number of conditions and to improve overall health.

You're probably wondering if the experience was like falling-off-the-Titanic-into-the-freezing-ocean cold, but I'm glad to say it was very bearable.

It basically felt like going to Snow Planet in a T-shirt and shorts, so quite uncomfortable and it lasted only three minutes.

For me the only pain I felt was in my tight calf muscles, which are my problem area, but the treatment was over before I knew it. Post deep-freeze, I felt relaxed, invigorated and quite sprightly.

I was told I need a few sessions to notice a significant difference, but I think it would be a good thing to add into your wellness routine if you have pain or injuries – or just want a startling wake-up in the morning to really put a pep in your step.