Cheyenne's new IV bar offers custom wellness treatments
Feb. 26—CHEYENNE — You might not be ready for this yet, but your kids will love it.
That's because many might not think a free hour would be best spent with an IV in the crook of their arm, but that's exactly what Push IV + Wellness, located at 1601 Capitol Ave., delivers to its customers.
Their services offer more than a cure to a raging hangover — though IV treatments are highly effective ways to combat hangover symptoms. Push IV is attempting to serve the "in-between" population that doesn't require treatment from a hospital, but seek the benefits of an IV infusion.
"When you eat or even take a vitamin supplement, it's got to go through your stomach. It's got to go through your liver, so you're only getting a portion of what you're taking," co-owner Thieta Stuart-Nathan said Tuesday morning.
"This puts it straight into the vein, and sometimes, for certain people, they don't absorb through their gut. People have chronic bowel problems or had gastric bypass surgery, (so) they are not going to absorb it in their stomach like you and I would."
Push IV operates off of both walk-ins and scheduled appointments. There are four recliners in the treatment area that face toward the window with a view of the Depot Plaza and passers-by on Lincolnway. The duration of the appointment varies based on the customer's choice of treatment.
Stuart-Nathan and co-owner Jennifer Favilla have spent the majority of their professional careers as nurses. For any first-time customers, they are willing to walk patrons through the benefits of each specially ordered and federally approved concoction.
Before any treatment, customers also undergo a health screening to ensure that there are no medical issues that will conflict with the liquid's contents. With other locations in town already providing this service in some capacity, the goal for Push IV is to be as transparent and informative with customers as possible.
"There are a few practices here in Cheyenne that offer the services, so we know that there's a lack of education (around the practice)," Stuart-Nathan said. "We're happy when people come in and ask us. We'll have the same conversation and offer them the same options, and we have something for everybody."
Among their long list of variably priced treatments, there are IVs that aim to boost the immune system, enhance cognitive function, encourage weight loss or muscular recovery, relieve stress and headaches, or simply provide the recipient with an "energy boost."
The nutrients within each formula aren't presented on the menu, but Favilla or Stuart-Nathan will explain the effect before the treatment begins. They also don't intend to sell customers anything they don't need.
"People want a different way of managing their health. I've been a primary care provider in Cheyenne for almost nine years," Favilla said. "The traditional approach to health care isn't doing it for a lot of people. They want to work on being better instead of just having to do some repair at the cellular level, which is what these infusions do."
While cities like Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado, have had IV bars for years, Cheyenne has yet to see a business quite like Push IV, until now.
Only time will tell how the idea will fare in Wyoming's capital city, but with Cheyenne Frontier Days expected to bring a major boost in business, Favilla and Stuart-Nathan are optimistic that residents will venture in and learn more about the unique service they provide.
"Either they love it and they're all excited that we're here, or they don't know anything about it and they want to know everything about it," Stuart-Nathan said. "We're looking forward to offering something new to Cheyenne, educating people that they have a choice for wellness, and give them a little push."
Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_.
