Useful List Of Infrared Ray Sauna Health Benefits
The good news is that FIR Saunas have a good amount of clinical research to prove their safety and effectiveness. The bulk of the research is coming out of Japan. It turns out that controlled hyperthermia (raising the temperature of the body) through FIR Sauna therapy helps all of the body’s tissues to get activated and function better. To understand how FIR-Saunas benefit our health see the list below.
Acne: Three or four infrared treatments may open pores that have not been functioning in years, forcing out cosmetics which were clogging the pores and loosening dead outer skin. The sauna is thus a boon to teenage skin, clearing acne and blackheads.
Blood Flow/Circulation: Blood flow during whole-body hyperthermia is reported to rise from a normal five to seven quarts a minute to as many as 13 quarts a minute, which is a blood flow similar to that seen during exercise. Several reasons FIR sauna therapy boosts blood flow and circulation: 1. FIR Sauna Therapy increases your heart rate which relaxes the smooth muscles in the blood vessels and causes them to dilate, which in turn increases blood flow. 2. Temperature elevation which reaches the subcutaneous tissues produces an increase in blood flow and dilation directly in capillaries, arterioles and venules through direct action on the smooth muscles. 3. The heat radiated by FIR saunas causes a phenomenon called resonance when it is absorbed by the cells in the body. This invigorates and boosts cellular metabolism and blood circulation instantaneously. 4. The release of bradykinin from increased sweat-gland activity also produces increased blood flow and dilated blood vessels. 5. Heating one area of the body produces reflex-modulated blood vessel dilation in distant-body areas, even in the absence of a change in core body temperature; i.e., heat a forearm and both lower extremities dilate; heat the front of the trunk and the hand dilates. 6. Through other metabolic reflexes. This increase in blood circulation helps to flush out impurities and metabolic wastes from the blood out through the sweat and increased energy.
Cardiovascular Conditioning (Passive): 1. The August 7, 1981 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that regular use of a sauna may impact a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise. FIR Sauna Therapy makes it possible for people in wheelchairs, or those who have a disability that affect their ability to exercise to achieve a cardiovascular training effect. Due to the deep penetration of the infrared rays generated by the Far Infrared Sauna, there is a heating effect deep in the muscular tissues and the internal organs. The body responds to this deep-heating effect via a hypothalamic-induced increase in both heart volume and rate. This beneficial heart stress leads to a sought-after cardiovascular training and conditioning effect. Medical researchers confirm the use of a sauna provides cardiovascular conditioning as the body works to cool itself and involves substantial increases in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. 2. As a confirmation of the validity of this form of cardiovascular conditioning, extensive research by NASA in the early 1980’s led to the conclusion that infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flights. 3. A person using an FIR sauna will burn between 900 and 2400 calories during a 30 minute period. This is equivalent to the consumption of energy in a 6-9 mile run. For comparison, persons using a rowing machine or running a marathon burns only about 600 calories in 30 minutes. Therefore, the infrared sauna can play a pivotal role in both weight control and cardiovascular conditioning. It is valuable for those who don’t exercise and those who can’t exercise and want an effective weight control and fitness maintenance program, and the benefits regular exercise contribute to such a program. The cardiovascular demand imparted by thermoregulatory homeostasis (sweating, vasodilation, decreased afterload, increased heart rate, increased cardiac output) is similar to that achieved by walking at a moderate pace. As such, FIR saunas might be of particular benefit to those who are sedentary due to various medical conditions, such as osteoarthritis or cardiovascular or respiratory problems.
Diver Decompression Sickness (Bends): 16 divers were compressed in a high pressure chamber . Each underwent one dive in the chamber after a 30 minute far infrared sauna therapy session at 149F (65C) and one dive without the therapy. The results showed that circulating bubbles after a dive were decreased significantly in the FIR treatment group.
Fibromyalgia: 1. 13 female patients with fibromyalgia received FIR sauna therapy at 140F (60C) for 15 minutes and then covered by a warm blanket for 30 more minutes . Each received 10 treatments total. All patients received about a 50% reduction in pain after the first treatment. By the 10th treatment, the pain relief became stable. Pain symptom scores remained low throughout the study. 2. Fibromyalgia sufferers are universally found to be malnourished, have lowered immune function, have one or more viral, fungal, or bacterial infections (almost always not detectable by orthodox means), and cannot detoxify their heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, aluminum etc. Therefore, FIR Therapy provides a safe, natural form of detoxification which is so very crucial for fibromyalgia patients. Studies have shown that heat therapy is more effective than analgesics for fibromyalgia pain relief.
In 12 patient study of neonates with congestive heart failure due to ventricular septal defect, clinical signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure decreased, urine nitrate levels decreased and 75% of patients avoided surgical repair.
Inflammation: The increased peripheral circulation occurring with FIR sauna therapy provides the transportation needed to help evacuate the edema, which can help stop inflammation, decrease pain and help speed healing. Researchers have observed high success rates when applying FIR therapy to resolve post surgical infection, pelvic infection and frostbite with inflammation.
Joint Stiffness/Collagen Tissue Extensibility/Stretching : 1. In one case of rheumatoid finger joints, there was a 20% decrease in stiffness at 112F (45C) as compared with 92F (33C). Any stiffened joint and thickened connective tissues should respond in a similar fashion. 2. Tissues heated to 112F (45C) and then stretched exhibit a non-elastic residual elongation of about 0.5-0.9% that persists after the stretch is removed. It does not occur in these same tissues when stretched at normal tissue temperatures. Thus 20 stretching sessions can produce a 10-18% increase in length in tissues so heated and stretched.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 14 patients with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis that causes fusion of the spine, were treated with eight sessions of far infrared sauna therapy over four weeks . These patients experienced significantly decreased pain and stiffness in the short-term and clinically relevant long-term effects from the therapy.
Hopefully this list of health benefits will be useful. More positive results keep coming in from users and researches around the world so we will have to keep an eye on incoming information.
To find out more regarding the various health benefits discovered by the users of far infrared ray (FIR) saunas go to HEALTHandMED.com
