A woman who spent "months in pain" has revealed how submerging herself in an ice tank "healed" her back injury when nothing else worked. Christina Doviak, 39, a broadcast systems engineer from Newquay, Cornwall, first began suffering with "horrendous" back spasms in June.
When not even medication eased the horrific symptoms, she felt at a loss. One day, she came across an outdoor Nordic-influenced spa and decided to plunge her body into an ice bath, alternated with a hot sauna, repeating the process over and over to 'shock' her body.
Just a week later, Christina claims the spasms that had haunted her for months had all but disappeared. "I never considered using the ice tank before as I suffer with the cold anyway due to poor blood circulation," she said.
"But after that first go, I just kept going with it."
Christina, an avid paddle boarder, saw an almost instant improvement to her physical and mental health – taking first place in the English National Stand-Up Paddle Surfing championship. The hot and cold therapy also improved her general well-being.
She said: "I never thought I'd be able to take part in the championship because of my back. All I know is that the ice tank makes me feel better, both physically and mentally.
"I suffer with mental health issues and have done so for a long time, I can't imagine getting through the winter without the spa. I work alone, throughout the day I have no human interaction, but this allows me to shut off from work and go and meet new people.
"I know I can go to the sauna and have deep and meaningful chats with people I don't even know. When I am not in the right mindset, I can't surf properly but having that interaction and space to clear your head gets me back on track.
"It really does change your mindset and puts me back into a normal headspace."
The spa in question, Water & Stone in Newquay, was launched by a local dad Ross Elliot, 46 and his wife Alissa, who are parents to three children: Sennen, 12, Rosie, seven, and one-year-old Hope. Ross, who originally owned a building company, launched his new career in 2021 and says it has helped with his own burnout.
"Before the spa, I had my own building company but I was constantly under an enormous amount of pressure," he said. "I was completely burnt out. At the time, my wife and I were also expecting our third child, Hope, who is now one.
"One of my friends who builds spa equipment was selling all of his festival gear and that's when I decided I wanted to take my career in a new direction."
Water & Stone is located in a previously unused garden at C-Space, a co-working space located a stone's throw from Cornwall's popular Towan Beach. Ross said: "I wanted to find a place for the spa in Cornwall because I knew it would be great for surfers and the local community.
"I was terrified that starting up a second business, along with the financial input and new family responsibilities, would push me into a deeper burnout state. But Water & Stone has been nothing but positive from the outset."
Ross uses the spa most days too, while tag teaming with wife Alissa for spa sessions. His two eldest children also join him from time-to-time and the dad says it has very positive effects on them.
Ross said: "Recently I had my seven-year-old use the spa with me for a two-hour session. We sat in the 70-degree sauna – she is encouraged to drink lots of water and to go into the ice bath too – and she comes out feeling as if she has achieved something.
"The kids are so relaxed and ready for bed, having been unburdened from any screen-influenced negative effects."
In addition to the authentic 80-90 degree Nordic-style sauna and ice tank, the spa also has two wood fired wooden hot tubs, a cold water dip tank, hot outside showers and two lotus belle tents for changing and relaxing. Owner Ross has been left blown away by people's reactions to the spa and he hopes he can encourage more people to take the icy plunge in coming months, despite the cold weather.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU DO HOT AND COLD THERAPY
Ross said: "Physically you just feel absolutely amazing, all your muscles are totally relaxed and your blood vessels are restricting and opening up with the hot and cold.
"In short, when you're in the sauna and get really hot, the body releases cooling hormones called dynorphins.
"You'll feel uncomfortable but if you can push through it, breathe and focus inward quietly, your opioid receptors flare up.
"When you then go into the ice tank, you'll naturally get an endorphin release – this then binds and sticks to the opioid receptors.
"These endorphin hits can last for days or weeks and with more regular sauna you just keep building the good feeling up."
