Chiropractic office brings cryotherapy deep freeze to Whitefish

Tim Dudley likes to cue up a little AC/DC to accompany his 2 minute journey to minus 230F.

Others go for country-rock or even the “Frozen” soundtrack for a touch of humor. Whatever it takes to go the entire 120 seconds without yelling uncle.

Dudley opened The Chiropractor studio at 124 Central Ave., earlier this year. Along with traditional spinal adjustments his practice offers one of only two whole body cryotherapy chambers in the state.

Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen converted to gas to quickly super-cool the body. Clients wear only socks, mittens and underwear as vapors dipping below minus 200F fill a tube-like chamber. A session typically lasts 2 to 3 minutes. Frostbite and hypothermia aren’t factors, Dudley explains, because exposure to the cold vapors is limited to only a few minutes.

“It’s a dry cold,” Dudley describes of the sensation. “It’s an ice bath on steroids.”

More common in Asia and Europe, cryotherapy is catching on in the U.S. Dudley notes that many professional athletes regularly use cryotherapy to speed athletic recovery. In fact, NBA star Lebron James has the same type of cryotherapy chamber that Dudley brought to Whitefish.

Some purported benefits of deep freezing include tissue repair and reduction of inflammation. Described as a fountain of youth, some even suggest cryotherapy aids in depression, arthritis, weight loss, and can be used to slow the effects of aging.

Dudley stops short of calling cryotherapy a “cure all.” It’s not, he said, “but there is a lot of anecdotal and research-based evidence out there.”

Endurance cyclists, cross-fit and mixed martial arts athletes, in particular, have become regular clients at Dudley’s studio. He’s even started a “cryo night” where multiple people gather to use the chamber in succession. These nights offer more of a social and fun setting with each client cuing up their song of choice for the 2 1/2 minute freeze.

A lingering back issue from his days as a competitive bareback rider prompted Dudley to first try cryotherapy himself.

“I was in a yoga class when my back just exploded,” Dudley explained.

After 10 cryo sessions, he said his back pain was reduced by 70 percent.

Cryotherapy fits right in with Dudley’s philosophy of seeking natural solutions for health.

“Anything that restores the body to its natural ability, I’m in,” he said.

He began his chiropractic career in earnest more than 18 years ago. After attending Parker Chiropractic school in Dallas, he opened a clinic in Boise, Idaho.

A few years ago he decided on a whim to sell the practice and move his family to Whitefish. He found the former Crush Lounge space on Central Avenue up for lease and remodeled the location to fit his needs.

“It’s been fun to establish new relationships and see new miracles,” he said of opening in Whitefish

Originally from a small Alberta town, Dudley says his rural upbringing and athletics played important rolls in shaping his career.

At 19 years old, he was cut from his college football team and dropped out of school to take up rodeo.

“I was a terrible student,” he said. “So I said, ‘forget this, I’m going to be a cowboy,’”

His first attempt on a bucking horse didn’t go so well.

“I got bucked off right away in the chute,” he said. “But I knew at that moment it’s what I wanted to do. I never felt so much raw power.”

He got bucked the next 21 rodeos before eventually becoming a College National Champion bareback rider in 1990.

He finally gave up the sport when he got engaged to his wife, Kara.

“The last rodeo I got knocked out,” he said. “I was interviewed for the paper and don’t remember any of it.”

Today, he uses much of what he learned through rodeo as a motivational speaker.

“I got my butt kicked, but from that I learned a lot,” he said.

He is the founder of A Man Named Tim, which is devoted to training others to achieve success. He continues to travel the country for speaking engagements.