Considered fringe or alternative, practices like acupuncture, sauna bathing, cold water immersion and others are now entering the wellness mainstream. They’re touted for benefits ranging from pain relief and improved circulation to reduced anxiety and boosted immunity, according to local experts.

Embraced by athletes, health professionals and everyday people, these ancient and modern therapies are reshaping how we think about recovery, resilience and preventive care.

Helping steamroll the world of saunas and cold plunges and new to the Cranberry Township business landscape is SweatHouz, a contrast therapy studio that opened in early October. Contrast therapy focuses on alternating the body between hot and cold water immersions.

Ron Taylor, managing member of the Cranberry location, said the business focuses on infrared saunas, cold plunges and vitamin C showers.

At SweatHouz, individuals can rent a suite for one hour, and each suite is equipped with an infrared sauna, cold plunge and vitamin C shower.

“What we suggest to people is 30 to 35 minutes in the sauna and then a quick vitamin C shower and then hop in the cold plunge,” Taylor said. “You can do it however you want, but the best way to do it according to the science would be sauna, shower and then cold plunge.”

The effect of the infrared sauna is no different from a traditional sauna Taylor said, just that the heating mechanism is different.

“You are not going to get the steam in your face,” Taylor said. “The infrared sauna heats you from the inside out. You will get in and think it’s not that hot. Then, in about 10 minutes, it feels really hot.”

Taylor said traditional saunas offer cardiovascular health benefits and stress reduction, but while the high-heat environment offers many advantages, it is important to stay hydrated and consult a doctor before use, particularly if you have any preexisting health conditions.

“Your heart rate is going to elevate, your body temperature is going to elevate, and you are really going to get the effects of a low-to-moderate workout,” Taylor said. “These benefits come from long-term use of the sauna.”

The vitamin C shower is just how it sounds. It’s a regular shower, with a vitamin C cartridge in the shower heads that releases small traces of vitamin C in the water.

“It really helps to soften the water, making it better for your hair and skin,” Taylor said. “When you come right out of the sauna, you have had a chance to detoxify with your pores being wide open. You are sweating out any kind of microplastics and toxins from processed foods. Then when you jump in the shower, those trace elements of vitamin C can help with skin quality and anti-aging effects.”

Lastly comes the cold plunge, which can be daunting for first-timers Taylor said.

SweatHouz’s recommendation is to spend three to five minutes in the cold plunge of 50-degree water, with a recommendation of 11 minutes per week for experienced individuals.

Taylor said the short-term health benefits of cold plunges include improvements in attention, mood and energy. Long-term benefits could include reduced inflammation and an enhanced immune system.

“When you get into cold water your liver releases shock proteins and your blood draws away from your extremities and goes to your core because the body's natural instinct is to protect its most important parts, which are your kidneys, heart and lungs,” Taylor said. “You also get a lift in dopamine because your body is hitting that fight-or-flight response.”

Taylor said he has benefited directly from the SweatHouz experience, with increased energy levels and more consistent sleep. He said he has seen the same effect in others.

“A good friend of mine religiously tracks his sleep,” Taylor said. “A lot of Fitbits and smartwatches can do that now. Before SweatHouz, he had not slept through the night in 126 days. After his first session, that was the first night his watch tracked him sleeping throughout the night in a long time.”

For more than 2,500 years, the Chinese practice of acupuncture has been a trusted medicine for millions of people. It’s now making a mainstream push in the United States.

According to Laura Ellis, a licensed acupuncturist for Bridges Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine just outside of Harmony, acupuncture is based on the idea that a person has “rivers of energy” that are running up and down their body, and oftentimes those rivers get blocked.

“What acupuncture does is it uses very thin, sterile needles to remove those blocks,” Ellis said. “At the core of it, it is reminding your body how to function well.”

The needles used do not inject anything Ellis said, and are so thin that 10 of them could fit into one syringe.

Part of the art of acupuncture Ellis said is determining where to place the needles during the session, as there are hundreds of potential rivers of energy throughout the body and everyone’s needs are different.

“It is very different from person to person,” Ellis said. “It is good for anything, but what we see the most here is people are coming in for pain of some sort, like sports injuries.”

While relieving pain is the main health benefit, Ellis said patients will also see improvement in their anxiety and depression levels.

First-timers at Bridges Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine are treated to an hour-and-a-half session. The first 30 minutes are spent learning the patient’s needs and struggles, which helps Ellis determine the best course of action.

Everything done at Bridges falls under the eastern medicine umbrella, along with other services such as cupping, which is an alternative therapy that uses suction from cups placed on the skin to increase blood flow and promote healing. Cupping often is used to treat pain and inflammation.

“The suction helps to separate the connective tissue in the area the cup is on so there is increased blood flow,” Ellis said. “That is why you get the bruised marks because of that increase blood flow. It can help release knots and tension as well.”

She said the services at Bridges are not covered by insurance in most instances, and those that do only reimburse patients, who initially pay out of their own pocket.

She believes the practice of Oriental medicine is growing, but she feels better education toward its benefits is hindering further growth.

“A lot of people are mad at our conventional medical system,” Ellis said. “They get pharmaceuticals that only cause side effects instead of treating the problem. So they are looking for something that is effective.”

For those more in need of mental and spiritual healing, Tai Chi might be the move.

According to Bill Weber, a Tai Chi instructor at Butler YMCA, the ancient Chinese practice is a whole body exercise that separates itself from other martial arts. It emphasizes a “soft” approach, focusing on relaxation, balance and slow, circular movements to develop internal energy.

“Unlike some other martial arts, it's not a ballistic type with kicks and punches,” Weber said.

Weber, 86, has been doing Tai Chi for nearly 25 years. He earned certifications during stints in Canada and Texas.

There are hundreds of Tai Chi forms Weber said, and one class at the YMCA might cover upward of 20 forms.

“There is a lot to learn,” Weber said. “Sometimes people get frustrated and stop. The problem is I can show them what to do, but they have to go home and learn it themselves. Tai Chi is like medicine. If you don’t take your medicine you won’t get better.”

Some of the main benefits to Tai Chi include improved balance and strength, a reduction in stress, enhanced flexibility and cardiovascular health, as well as better management of chronic pain and conditions like arthritis.

Weber credits Tai Chi for the speedy recovery to his fractured pelvis about a year ago, allowing him to recover in three months, despite being in his mid-80s.

“I got people in there with bad knees, heart problems and Tai Chi has helped them in everything,” Weber said.

Weber teaches an advanced class and a class for beginners and regulars.

Weber recommends spending about three hours per week doing Tai Chi to experience the full benefits.

“You are meditating while you are doing this,” Weber said. “With meditation we lose ourselves. As you listen to the music and go through the forms, you lose where the heck you are at from time to time. Your mind just goes blank. It takes a while, close to a year before you get into that phase.”

This article originally appears in the November edition of Butler County Business Matters.