Your questions.

CELL Performance Lab is a clinician-led health and recovery clinic in Terrigal. We use advanced therapies (HBOT, red light, infrared sauna, ice bath and contrast), but always start with an assessment, so what you do here actually matches your goals.

No. The equipment is only the tool. The real value is deciding which therapy suits you, why, how often, and how we track your progress along the way.

We combine clinical oversight, a personalised plan, evidence-informed decisions and ongoing review. More sessions aren’t automatically better. Our aim is the right therapy, for the right person, at the right time.

CELL’s Founder & Clinical Director, and an experienced chiropractor with more than 25 years helping people improve their health and quality of life. Dr Sara Winchester (Chiropractor) leads CELL’s clinical approach: assessments, protocols and reviews.

A qualified practitioner assesses, guides and reviews your therapies based on your health history, goals and risks, not a fixed menu. Recommendations change as you do.

A plan built around your goals, health history, lifestyle and how you respond. It might be one therapy, or a considered combination, adjusted as you go.

You’ll talk through what you want to improve, your health history, medications, past therapies, lifestyle and any safety considerations. Dr Sara then decides whether CELL is right for you and what approach makes sense, often supported by tools like an InBody body composition scan.

No. Someone recovering from injury needs a different approach to someone focused on performance or healthy ageing. Frequency is based on you, not a standard package.

Through your original goals, symptoms, sleep, energy, recovery, pain and general wellbeing. From there your protocol can continue, change, pause or shift focus entirely.

Tell us. A realistic plan beats an impressive one you can’t stick to. We’ll prioritise what matters most and build something that fits your life.

No ethical health or wellness service can guarantee an individual result. Outcomes depend on you: your goal, consistency, underlying health and more. We’ll always be upfront about what’s known, what’s uncertain, and what’s realistic.

You sit in the chamber as pressure gradually increases. You might feel fullness in your ears, similar to flying. We’ll show you how to equalise. The pressure holds for your session time, then eases back down.

It allows more oxygen to dissolve into your blood plasma, increasing oxygen availability to tissues. HBOT is an established medical therapy for specific approved conditions, and research is exploring wider uses, though the evidence isn’t equally strong for every goal.

Yes. It’s a seated, side-entry hard-shell chamber chosen for comfort and easy access. Suitability still depends on your mobility, health and ability to follow ear-equalising instructions.

Entirely dependent on your goal and health. Research suggests best outcomes are generally seen between 20–60 sessions for many goals, but Dr Sara won’t prescribe sessions just because they’re available.

Ear or sinus discomfort, temporary vision changes, claustrophobia, low blood sugar in susceptible people, and rarely, more serious pressure- or oxygen-related complications. We pause or stop a session if anything doesn’t feel right.

People with certain lung conditions, ear or sinus problems, acute illness, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, cancer or cancer therapy, poorly controlled diabetes, pregnancy or recent procedures. An untreated pneumothorax is an absolute contraindication.

The use of red and near-infrared light at selected wavelengths. The leading science points to effects on mitochondrial signalling, nitric oxide and inflammatory pathways. It’s light-based, not heat-based.

Depending on dose and condition: musculoskeletal recovery, pain, inflammation, skin health, wound repair and performance recovery. Evidence varies by application, so it should always be tied to a clear goal.

More isn’t automatically better. Light therapy has a “biphasic” response, meaning too little does very little, but too much can also be counterproductive. Wavelength, distance and time all affect the dose you actually receive.

Most people feel gentle warmth or no strong sensation. Protective eyewear and device-specific instructions will be used where required. You should report unusual discomfort, headache, skin reaction or visual sensitivity.

Anyone with photosensitivity, light-triggered conditions, eye disease, active skin conditions, pregnancy or cancer therapy considerations should let us know before their session.

Infrared panels warm your body directly, in a lower air temperature than a traditional sauna. The physiological effect still largely comes from heat exposure: increased skin temperature, sweating and circulation changes.

Many people use sauna for relaxation, perceived recovery and heat adaptation. Observational research, especially traditional Finnish sauna research, has found associations with cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes, but association does not prove that sauna alone caused those outcomes.

You will sit or recline in the sauna for the prescribed duration, typically 25 minutes. Sweating, increased heart rate and warmth are expected. Hydration, gradual cooling and honest communication about how you feel are essential.

If you have a fever, are acutely unwell, dehydrated, intoxicated, or have unstable cardiovascular symptoms or uncontrolled blood pressure. Pregnancy and cancer therapy require individual medical advice.

Sweating is one of the body’s normal heat responses and skin is an important detox organ, but your liver, kidneys, lungs and gut do most of the heavy lifting. We won’t oversell sauna as a cure-all detox.

It creates a strong short-term physiological response and may reduce muscle soreness after some types of exercise. It’s not automatically the right call after every workout or for every person.

Frequent, immediate cold immersion after strength training may blunt some long-term training adaptations. If you’re chasing strength or muscle gains, timing your cold exposure matters.

Rapid breathing, an urge to get out, strong skin discomfort. That’s normal cold shock. We start conservatively and end the session immediately if you feel unwell, dizzy or unable to communicate normally.

People with cardiovascular disease, blood pressure issues, rhythm disorders, cold urticaria, Raynaud’s phenomenon, pregnancy or cancer therapy should get clearance first.

Contrast protocols create alternating thermal stress that can support recovery, resilience and blood flow. The sequence and timing should match your goal, not a social media trend.

The InBody 970 is a non-invasive body composition scan measuring muscle mass, fat mass, fluid balance and segmental distribution across your body. It is benchmarked against a database of more than 13 million scans, giving useful population context alongside your own results over time.

You stand on the device and hold the hand electrodes for a short, painless assessment. Allow 20 minutes including setup and results. No fasting or special preparation is generally required, though following your individual pre-scan instructions (such as hydration and timing around exercise) improves accuracy.

An InBody scan can form part of your initial assessment and be repeated periodically to help track how your body composition changes alongside your personalised protocol. Like all CELL measures, it is one input among several, not a stand-alone diagnosis.

Sometimes. A combined session can work well, but more isn’t automatically better. Order affects comfort, hydration and the response we’re after, so Dr Sara may separate therapies when that’s the smarter call.

A planned combination of therapies chosen for a specific goal: for example, a recovery-focused sequence. It’s not just “do everything available.”

Because you do. Your symptoms, training load, sleep, stress and life commitments all shift. Regular review stops your plan going stale or becoming excessive.

No. No technology makes up for consistently poor sleep, nutrition, unmanaged stress or an untreated medical condition. CELL works best as part of a bigger health picture.

We check every visit, not just once. Before a session we’ll ask about anything that’s changed: illness, injury, medication, pregnancy, symptoms or hydration.

Yes. Any client or staff member can pause or stop a session at any time. Safety always comes before schedules, packages or memberships.

No. We don’t replace your GP, specialist or allied health team. We work within our scope, won’t tell you to stop prescribed medication, and may refer you back or request medical clearance.

All medications and supplements, pregnancy, implanted devices, surgeries, cancer history or therapy, cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, diabetes, seizures, ear or sinus problems, fainting, skin sensitivity, and any recent change in health. Incomplete information can make a session unsafe.

Tell us straight away. Mild, short-lived responses can happen, but anything severe or persistent needs review. Treat urgent symptoms as a medical issue, not a “healing response.”

57 Terrigal Drive, Terrigal NSW, alongside Align & Activate.

Most people start with a discovery conversation, assessment or introductory CELL Experience. We’ll recommend the right next step rather than leaving you to guess from a menu.

Comfortable clothing, following any pre-session instructions for your specific therapy. Some sessions require you to remove jewellery, skincare or electronics.

Arrive normally hydrated. Don’t arrive intoxicated, severely dehydrated, or straight after a very large meal. If you manage diabetes or blood sugar, bring your usual monitoring gear and follow your own advice.

Give us as much notice as you can. Therapies need preparation and cleaning time, so late arrival may mean a shorter or rescheduled session, to protect the client booked in after you.

We generally discourage it, and electronic devices are restricted in the hyperbaric chamber for safety. Always follow staff instructions.

No. You can book single sessions, buy a pack, or choose a membership, whatever suits your goal, support level and how often you plan to come in.

Regular access is more practical and cost-effective, but only when the sessions are genuinely useful for you. We never want you attending just to “use up” a package.

That’s normal. Clinical plans evolve. We’ll talk through any changes transparently and explain inclusions, expiry, fair-use limits and cancellation terms before you commit to anything.

No. Your sessions reset each month, so we recommend booking in regularly.

Yes. Many couples and families start their CELL journey together, and some memberships are built for shared or family use.

We weigh up published research, clinical guidelines, manufacturer information, known risks, Dr Sara’s clinical experience and your individual circumstances. Evidence doesn’t remove uncertainty, and one study doesn’t prove a claim for everyone.

Because research quality, device settings and individual responses all vary. We separate established medical uses from promising evidence, early findings and personal testimonials, on purpose.

No. All health processes involve cells. That’s not licence for exaggerated claims. We use “cellular” to explain mechanisms, not to promise a device can fix any disease.

Yes. We’d rather educate you on the quality and limits of the evidence than sell you certainty the science can’t back up. If a claim sounds too good to be true, ask us.