Here at Lisa’s Thermography and Wellness, we’re always looking for groundbreaking ways to improve your health in a holistic fashion. Learn about this popular new stress relief tool and by the end of this post, we are sure you’ll be wanting to try it out yourself!
What is an infrared sauna?
You may not know that heat treatments have been used to help heal the body for thousands of years. The earliest forms of heat treatments were “hot air baths” and sweat lodges used commonly by the Native Americans, Eastern Europeans and the ancient Chinese. About 100 years ago, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg invented “light-near infrared lamp saunas.” His invention has come a long way and today is used by holistic health practitioners around the globe. An infrared sauna is a type of sauna that uses heat and light to help relax and detoxify the body. Also called far-infrared saunas or near-infrared saunas, these saunas omit infrared light that causes the body to make heat that will sweat out stored up “toxins.”
How do infrared saunas work?
Many people believe infrared sauna therapy has a natural inflammation-lowering effect. This technology acts similarly to antioxidant nutrients, activates the cells, helps with wound healing. It can even boost the metabolism and helps remove toxins from the body. Infrared lamps are able to cause positive body changes such as helping restore balance in some people who suffer from chronic problems related to pains, inflammation, low energy and poor circulation. Some reactions infrared sauna’s cause in the body are as follows:
- Increased heart rate
- The same type of clarity-of-mind feelings as moderate exercise
- Relaxation responses triggered by the body’s parasympathetic nervous system
- Increased sweating
There are two types of infrared sauna’s: far light-omitting and near light-omitting.
Far light omitting: these omit far light waves and use metallic, ceramic or black carbon elements for heating.
Near light omitting: Near-light saunas use incandescent reddish “heat lamps” for heating. These light waves are capable of a heating effect on the body and might also have effects on how “energy” moves throughout the body.
Infrared lamps in general, have a way of heating the body from the inside out which helps kick those “toxins.”
What are the benefits?
There are several benefits your body can experience from using and infrared sauna. Here are a few:
- Improves Heart Function: A review by the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver found that infrared saunas can normalize blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It can treat congestive heart failure and help with chronic pain. With this being said, this technology is great with preventing high blood pressure and promotes good heart health.
- Helps Lower Chronic Pain: Researchers from Saxion University of Applied Science in the Netherlands found that infrared sauna treatments can help reverse chronic pain with little to no side effects. Thanks to this study, it was found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis experienced no adverse side effects and a significant percentage of the tested patients experienced less pain and stiffness.
- Helps with Diabetes Side Effects: Do you or do you know some one who has diabetes? People who battle diabetes often suffer from pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, congestive heart failure and other heart problems. Sauna treatment greatly improves the pain threshold and improves the overall wellbeing of a diabetes patient. Its a natural way to treat diabetes!
Will infrared sauna treatments help me?
If you battle any of the following health issues then you should try out sauna treatment:
- cardiovascular disease
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- congestive heart failure
- rheumatoid arthritis
- chronic fatigue
- poor digestion
- depression and anger
- chronic muscle and joint pains
This seems too good to be true, what are the side effects?
There’s no need to worry! There are little to no adverse side effects that come with sauna treatment. It may feel like you’re laying in a tanning bed (and we’ve all heard about the dangers of tanning beds) but this is not the same kind of infrared light. A lot of sweating is to be expected when undergoing sauna treatment. Many people are said to feel lightheaded after leaving and infrared sauna. Be sure to pair treatment with lots of rest and drinking and healthy amount of water. Outside of that, people report to not feel much different! People experiencing high amounts of pain say the feel a huge improvement almost immediately. It is definitely worth a try if you think you could benefit from sauna treatment, plus it’s relaxing!
Here’s to a Holistically Healthy You!
Here at Lisa’s Thermography and Wellness we believe that we can help you become even healthier. Ask about where we are serving throughout the week to bring you Thermography and Medical Thermography throughout New Jersey.
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