In the bitter cold of winter, Mitchell residents can try an alternative way to heat up with the HOCATT sauna.
HOCATT stands for Hypothermic Ozone and Carbonic Acid Transdermal Therapy, and combines various types of therapy into one system, allowing for users to combat health challenges such as injuries and chronic pain, or undergo a overall health rejuvenation.
The sauna is a new addition to the Awaken Cryotherapy Spa - located at 302 N. Main St. - where users can go and undergo a 25-minute treatment. The sauna arrived Friday, according to Awaken owner Mary Wipf, and already there have been more than 25 people pre-purchase monthly memberships and single treatments for the sauna.
"They like the heat better," Wipf said, jokingly. "They don't like the cold, but you live in South Dakota."
Wipf said the biggest benefit of the ozone sauna is detoxification. The sauna uses technology to enhance the body's detoxification of pathogens, metals and chemicals.
ADVERTISEMENT
But that's not all the sauna can do.
The sauna uses the technology to help cleanse internal tissues, organs and cells while also improving blood and lymphatic circulation. The therapy also turns on the body's protective immune and regeneration systems.
These lead to benefits that include smooth skin, cellulite elimination, improvements of mental clarity, inflammation reduction, pain and tension reduction, increasing energy levels, a healthy maintenance of blood pressure, improvements of immune response and an increase in metabolism.
The ozone sauna compliments another therapeutic machine at the Awaken spa: cryotherapy. Cryotherapy uses extremely low temperatures of approximately minus 110 degrees Celsius to cool the skin surface of the body.
This causes the "healing powers to amp up," Wipf said. The defensive reflexes and reactions to the temperature stimulate blood circulation, the endocrine system, the immune system and central nervous system. This stimulation causes the therapy to be beneficial for a large range of conditions, from arthritis to anxiety.
The cold also causes the nervous system to release endorphins, and the body's natural anti-inflammatory reaction to extreme cold results in pain reduction.
"Pretty much both units actually compliment themselves," Wipf said. "With the cryo, it reduces swelling and the ozone sauna re-oxygenates and detoxifies the body."
