Wolves enjoy frigid benefits of cryotherapy

January 30, 2012 | From: Alex

The Timberwolves organization has been feeling a little bit of pressure from the players to write a big check for a cryotherapy chamber — and they have the Dallas Mavericks to thank.

Looking to quickly recover from the rigors of a condensed season, the Wolves took turns last week with the Mavericks' brand new rehabilitation aid. The chilly tub can expose the body to temperatures as low as -160 degrees (F).

Cryotherapy is a recovery technique that has origins dating back to the late 1800s. It wasn't until 2000, however, when a Polish group of scientists began using a chamber with liquid nitrogen to essentially give the effects of an abbreviated ice bath. Players only spend three minutes in the chamber and take extra measures to avoid frostbite.

The best part of this therapy has been seeing the Wolves play jokes on each other by taking unexpectedly candid snapshots of someone mid-treatment... and then posting these photos on Twitter for everyone to enjoy. Joan Nielsen of Fox Sports North wrote a great story on cryotherapy and included several of the players' photos.

Derrick Williams and Kevin Love have both expressed their approval of the technique, and you can bet that the organization is looking into investing in a chamber of their own.

I wonder if they would let me try it out?

Alex Conover
Web Editorial Associate
conover@timberwolves.com
@alex_cono