A spa offering cryotherapy and float therapy is planning to open a location at 810 Valencia St. The space near 19th Street was formerly home to Gingko Furniture.
Images that evoke science fiction adorn the window storefront, announcing the June or July arrival of Reboot Float Spa, which already has two locations in Rockridge and the Marina.
Cryotherapy involves cooling the skin with gasified nitrogen to trigger the body’s cold-shock response. The treatment will “dramatically lower inflammation, increase collagen levels, boost mood, accelerate recovery, and increase focus among many other benefits,” according to Reboot.
“Floating,” reportedly enjoyed by star basketball player Stephen Curry, refers to being suspended in a small pod filled with water that has been saturated with epsom salts. The water is kept at skin temperature, and the floater is isolated from the world in a pool or a pod. Floating is said to allow for relaxation and for decompression of the spine.
Reviews are mixed on both therapies – inexperienced floaters can find the isolation as well as cryotherapy unsettling, and the FDA has its doubts about the cryo, but some swear by it.
Curry, for example, is reportedly a regular at Reboot. ESPN accompanied him and Harrison Barnes to a float spa to explore the practice. Some veterans diagnosed with PTSD have reportedly also found the treatment helpful.
Cryotherapy, too, is reportedly popular among athletes for its inflammation-fighting effect. Though the technology was developed in Japan, according to the Economist, it has been particularly popular in California. And while one death attributed to a cryochamber did cause a flurry of speculation about safety, statistics about more mundane activities like swimming pools are much more alarming. Most cryo sessions only last a few minutes, often with the patient’s head poking out over the top of the chamber.
Hoodline reports that Reboot will be the second specialty spa of its kind to come to the area soon, as another cryotherapy center is opening in the Castro next week.