{"id":38838,"date":"2015-04-08T07:15:53","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T11:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=38838"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:06:59","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:06:59","slug":"vitamin-b-energy-injections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/vitamin-b-energy-injections\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy Injections: Is This New Spa Trend Legit?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Energy
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spa days typically consist of massages<\/a> and face masks \u2014\u00a0but now, some \u201cwellness spas\u201d are offering more on the menu. How about an energizing injection of vitamin B, rather than a rub down?<\/p>\n

Launched by a group of board-certified physicians in 2012, Reviv Wellness<\/a>, a self-described wellness spa offers a B12 Pure Energy Booster for $29. It\u2019s meant to replenish the body of this essential nutrient, yielding improvements in everything from energy to metabolism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think of it as a combination of an Eastern philosophy of balance, compounded with Western medicine and Eastern medicine,\u201d says Reviv CEO Dr. Johnny Parvani, who has a background in emergency medicine. \u201cWhen your body is adequately balanced you function optimally, when you\u2019re off-balance, you don\u2019t. You\u2019re not as productive.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Your New Hangover Cure: An IV Treatment?<\/a><\/p>\n

Skeeved out by the thought of getting a shot at the spa? Dr. David Zich, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, warns that any feel-good effects from these injections could be due to the placebo effect. \u201cWhen there is no proven benefit of doing it, it seems strange that people would subject themselves to any chance of harm,\u201d Zich says.<\/p>\n

Should you spice up your next spa day with a shot\u2026or just say no to non-essential injections?<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Vitamin B-12 Injection, Exactly?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re feeling totally wiped out, getting a quick hit of energy from a simple pinprick might sound tempting. \u201c[Vitamin B] is an essential vitamin<\/a> that\u2019s used by the body for red blood cell production, and is also involved in various neural processes, sleep<\/a>, mood and metabolism,\u201d Parvani says. \u201cPeople deficient in B12 frequently present with fatigue<\/a>, lack of productivity and that can be related to underlying conditions.\u201d Vitamin B is naturally found in foods, and taking vitamin B supplements in pill-form is generally regarded as safe.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Benefits of Vitamin B Complex<\/a><\/p>\n

Parvani says some clients are referred to Reviv by their primary care physicians (though the spa doesn\u2019t accept insurance), while others hear about the benefits through word of mouth. \u201cWe have 60 to 70 percent repeat clientele rate, which speaks to how well these treatments work,\u201d he says. People come in as often as every two to three days for the injections.<\/p>\n

Each client who visits Reviv undergoes a screening exam to check their vitals and make sure they don\u2019t suffer from heart failure, or kidney dysfunction, which could cause complications. Certified medical professionals administer the injections. While Parvani acknowledges that people can get plenty of vitamin B from food<\/a>, or vitamins, he claims the feel-good benefits will be slower to take hold.<\/p>\n

\"Energy
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Risks of Over-the-Counter Injections<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sure, you know the vaccines<\/a> you\u2019re getting in a doctor\u2019s office are perfectly safe, but is the same true for \u201cspa\u201d shots? Experts agree that the risks of vitamin B12 are minimal. It\u2019s a water-soluble vitamin \u2014\u00a0so if you receive too much, you\u2019ll simply pee it out.<\/p>\n

However, Zich argues that most of the perceived benefits people are reporting from B12 injections might just be a placebo effect. \u201cSome are going to have a reaction to it that is not allergic, but will give you symptoms,\u201d Zich says, which could include anxiety, mild diarrhea, a temporary rash with itching or a sensation of swelling. Plus, if it turns out you\u2019re allergic to vitamin B (or anything else in one of these injections), you could suffer anaphylaxis, and even face a risk of death.<\/p>\n

Those who suffer from B12 vitamin deficiencies (such as people who\u2019ve undergone gastric bypass surgery, or those who suffer from anorexia or alcoholism) would be better off getting injections in a traditional medical setting, Zich notes.<\/p>\n

Plus, most people in the U.S. are not vitamin B deficient, according to the National Institutes of Health<\/a> \u2014\u00a0perhaps rendering the shots an unnecessary expense, unless prescribed for medical reasons.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 12 Energy-Boosting Recipes Rich in Vitamin B<\/a><\/p>\n

Overall, Zich advocates lifestyle tweaks, rather than shots, if you\u2019re feeling drained.\u00a0\u201cPeople know they need energy \u2014 they\u2019re tired all the time<\/a>. So they\u2019re looking to outside sources \u2014 spas, the energy drink industry \u2014 to save them from a tired, worn out existence,\u201d Zich says. \u201cAs physicians, we keep trying to stress: Please do the basics: back off your schedule, get seven to eight hours<\/a> of sleep.\u201d Or perhaps, load up on some energizing vitamin B-rich foods<\/a>, instead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some spas are now offering energy-boosting injections of nutrients like vitamin B. Here\u2019s why it might be risky to get a shot outside your doctor\u2019s office. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":38842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[192,280,341,388,215],"class_list":["post-38838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-metabolism","tag-sleep","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition","tag-vitamins"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}