6 Ways Saunas Help Fight Cancer

BeatCancer.org posted this great blog post on their health and wellness blog. We thank them for allowing us to share it with you:

Saunas and sweat baths have been used by various cultures throughout history to flush out toxins and disease and maintain optimal physical and mental health. Saunas, and particularly infrared saunas, can also play a big role in preventing or reversing cancer.

In a 2004 article in the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Lawrence Wilson, MD, wrote, “If I were to single out one method to combat cancer, it is the sauna. It assists removal of chemical toxins and heavy metals, increases oxygenation, enhances the immune system, and reduces the radiation burden in the body.”

Using heat to treat illness is not new. Over 2,000 years ago, the famous Greek physician Parmenides said, “Give me the power to create fever, and I will cure any disease.” Modern medicine has also noted that cancer patients who developed a fever sometimes went into remission. Such an observation prompted New York Memorial Hospital physician Dr. William Coley in 1891 to publish a paper on how inducing a fever in the body of a cancer patient might stimulate the immune response and cause cancer remission. Cancer clinics in Germany and Mexico routinely apply this principle by using both infrared hyperthermia and infrared saunas with their patients. Hospitals in more than 20 of the United States are offering some form of hyperthermia treatment for cancer – either locally, regionally or systemically.

While saunas are not nearly as potent as hyperthermia treatments (which can expose the body to up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit), infrared saunas can heat the body a few degrees and cause a fever. This is a much gentler and slower method, but it is much safer and easier to tolerate and control.

Infrared saunas provide a form of whole-body hyperthermia that boosts health in many ways. Dr. Wilson noted that infrared sauna therapy for cancer offers a combination of healing mechanisms that act simultaneously and synergistically to support the fight against cancer.

1 – Direct Cancer Cell Death: The principle of hyperthermia is that cancer cells are much more sensitive to and intolerant of the effects of excessive heat than normal cells. Tumors have an impaired ability to adapt their blood circulation to the effects of high temperatures. Said simply, because cancer cells are weaker than normal cells, they are more susceptible to damage from heat. In fact, high temperatures can actually kill cancer cells, usually without damage to healthy cells.

According to the National Cancer Institute, “Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures. Research has shown that high temperatures can damage and kill cancer cells, usually with minimal injury to normal tissues. Many studies have shown a significant reduction in tumor size when hyperthermia is combined with other treatments.”

In a clinical study published in 2009 in the Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy, scientists studied far infrared’s effects on human cancer cells in vitro and on cancer cells in mice. Far infrared therapy reduced tumor volumes 86% in just 30 days.

In another study, researchers in Japan discovered that whole-body hyperthermia with far infrared strongly inhibited the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice without deleterious side effects. Researchers believe this therapy is a promising noninvasive treatment for breast cancer.

2 – Improved Circulation: Infrared saunas boost circulation, which helps to bring essential nutrients, oxygen and other substances to the cells of the body. Since cancer often grows in tissues with poor circulation – and thus poor nutrition and oxygenation — and since cancer cells do not thrive in a high oxygen environment, improving circulation can help reverse the cancer process.

During a sauna, the pulse rate jumps by 30% or more, allowing the heart to greatly increase the amount of blood it pumps each minute. Most of the extra blood flow is directed to the skin. Saunas powerfully shunt the blood from the internal organs to the periphery of the body in an attempt to get rid of the heat. They also increase circulation to the lungs, improving oxygenation. This combination can be of great benefit for cancer patients, many of whom cannot or should not exercise much, especially older or physically impaired patients.

3 – Elimination of Toxins: Without efficient circulation, not only do health-promoting nutrients and oxygen not get into our cells, but also waste materials cannot get out. Saunas help purge the body of hundreds of toxins, such as heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides. Sauna treatments can help remove lead, copper, mercury, arsenic and cyanide and help to balance the body’s pH by neutralizing excessively acid body chemistry.

The heat that saunas produce creates perspiration which cleanses the skin from the inside out. Although the skin is designed to be a major organ for eliminating body wastes, in most people, it’s inactive because they don’t sweat enough. The deep penetration of infrared heat releases toxins from the fat layers just beneath the skin and flushes out those toxins through the sweat. The dry heat of a sauna can cause skin temperature to rise to about 104° F, and many persons – especially those who drink several glasses of water before entering the sauna — will pour out a pint of toxic sweat during a short stint in a sauna.

In addition to cleansing the skin, infrared saunas also help decongest and eliminate toxins from the internal organs. The liver, kidneys and other internal organs can become burdened with estrogen, chemicals, and toxic metals. Overload, sluggishness, and congestion of these eliminatory organs greatly inhibits the detoxification of all toxic substances in our bodies. This is a very critical problem for cancer patients. Saunas move blood away from the center of the body toward the extremities to get rid of the heat. By causing blood to move toward the body surface, infrared saunas help to decongest the body’s internal organs as well.

To see how this works, researchers analyzed the sweat from both traditional and infrared saunas. Sweat from traditional saunas was about 97% water and 3% toxins. Infrared saunas produced a sweat that was only 80-85% water. The remaining 15-20% was made up of heavy metals, sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia, uric acid and fat-soluble toxins.

4 – Weight Loss: According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, obesity is a known risk factor, not only for cancer, but also for cancer death. There are many reasons for this, among them the fact that cancer-promoting hormones and carcinogens are lipophylic – they hang around in fatty tissue and have a tough time metabolizing out.

Infrared saunas have been clinically shown to help burn fat and dramatically aid in weight loss. A 2009 study showed that infrared saunas provide significant results in lowering weight and waist circumference in just three months. And for those who are sedentary due to medical conditions such as cardiovascular or respiratory problems, results were even more profound. Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a well-known integrative cardiologist, states in his article on the many benefits of far-infrared saunas: Their penetrating infrared rays increase blood circulation, which helps speed up your metabolism and burn calories — up to a few hundred calories per session. During a 30-minute sauna session, core temperature increases, and the body works hard to cool itself, often burning 300-500 calories in the process.

5 – Immunity Activation: While conventional cancer treatments often suppress immune function, hyperthermia can actually enhance it — through a whole cascade of immune cell responses. According to German professor Rolf Issels, MD, PhD, of the University of Munich, hyperthermia produces ´heat shock´ proteins on the surface of the cancer cells, making them more prone to attack by the immune system.

Doctor Gurdev Parmar, of the Integrated Health Clinic in Fort Langley, British Columbia, agrees. He explains that heat makes cancer cells look distinct from healthy cells, thereby generating an immune response that is both immediate and long-lasting. Because the damaged proteins on the surfaces of tumor cells look very different from healthy cells, the immune system is alarmed, and natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages are immediately sent to the tumor. These cells then activate dendritic cells (DC), which in turn present the heat-damaged proteins to T cells. Hyperthermia promotes the maturing and migration of the DCs to the lymph nodes, where T cells become activated against the cancer cell proteins. The activated T cells, called Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes, then attack and kill tumor cells.

Doctors at Clifford Hospital Hyperthermia Center in Guangzhou, China — possibly the largest hyperthermia center in the world – concur that heat treatments, in particular whole body hyperthermia, “can stimulate and reinforce the function of the body’s immune system.” At a core temperature of 41.8 ℃ (about 107 degrees Fahrenheit) it can activate long-acting T-lymphocytes. At body temperature of 39.8 ℃ (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit) maintained for a period of six hours, whole body hyperthermia “can increase the activity of T- and B-lymphocytes and the anti-tumor activity of…NK cells, and can facilitate the redistribution of the body’s white blood cells to improve the monitoring function of the body’s immune system.”

Although there are many techniques for generating hyperthermia, infrared sauna is definitely one of the easiest and safest. In an article published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, the authors conclude that “materials emitting electromagnetic radiation in the far infrared range, which are widely used in Japan for cosmetic [and] therapeutic… purposes, appear capable of potentiating leukocyte functions without promoting oxidative injury.”

6 – Stress Reduction: Inside a sauna, there is peacefulness. One can easily shut out daily cares and interruptions from the world outside. One can read, listen to music, meditate or pray without interruption. But saunas do more for your nerve system than make you feel good.

Saunas have the ability to powerfully reduce the activity of the sympathetic nerve system. Excessive activity of the sympathetic nervous system is a contributing factor in many cancer cases. The sympathetic branch of the body’s autonomic nervous system activates the brain, muscles, thyroid and adrenal glands in its fright – fight – flight response to stress. However, it also strongly inhibits digestion, immune response and eliminative organ function. Cancer patients desperately need more immune, digestive and eliminative activity.

Therefore therapies such as infrared sauna that inhibit the sympathetic nervous system are helpful for cancer recovery. The body heals when it is in parasympathetic dominance, the part of the nerve system that promotes rest, relaxation and recovery.

Saunas can support parasympathetic activity in several ways. Sauna heat greatly slows normal heat production, a sympathetic function. To dissipate heat, saunas draw blood from the center to the periphery of the body. This opposes an important sympathetic nervous system activity, which is to draw blood to the central part of the body as a protection against attack. Furthermore, saunas eliminate toxins that irritate the body’s tissues and keep it in a sympathetic state. Inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system can also promote cancer healing by helping to reduce excess acidity in the body. Cancer, as we know, thrives in an acid environment.

The effect of saunas on the nerve system can also potentially impact appetite loss, pain and depression, all of which are common among patients with cancer. A study published in Psychosomatic Medicine looked at a group of 28 mildly depressed patients. Half of the patients utilized an infrared sauna once a day for four weeks and the other half had just bed rest for four weeks. The sauna group showed a significant improvement compared with the control group.

Beyond Detox: Uncovering Infrared Sauna Health Benefits

Detoxification is a well-known health benefit of infrared saunas, but did you know that you can dramatically improve your overall health, wellness and sleep quality all at the same time. When using your Clearlight Infrared sauna you may experience the following benefits: raising of your core body temperature, increased heart rate, improved blood circulation and profuse sweating. As a result, saunas are quickly gaining in popularity as the health benefits have been proven to make a dramatic difference in the lives of dedicated sauna users. For instance, many people say that stress relief is one of the first benefits they receive. Here are a couple other infrared sauna health benefits you can expect to see with regular infrared sauna use.

Detoxification of the Body

The body naturally accumulates toxins through a process called “toxic bio-accumulation,” and these toxins are generally maintained in fatty tissues where they can re-enter the bloodstream when individuals feel stressed or anxious. Sitting in a heated sauna actually places gentle controlled stress on the body, which then allows for the release of these stored toxins through body sweat. Saunas detoxify incredibly well, and far infrared saunas have been shown to do an exceptional job at removing toxins from the body due to their deep-penetrating infrared waves.

Improving the Immune System

Many experts believe that direct exposure of the skin to the warming heat of a sauna helps stimulate the rapid production of infection-fighting white blood cells that can strengthen the immune system. Medical research in Germany has recently shown that incidents of colds and the flu can be reduced by up to 30% by using a sauna regularly. The benefits to the immune system are significant, and with the number of people we come in contact with each day, it simply makes sense to guard against infection and illness.

Enhanced Sleep

Saunas help you sleep better, producing positive benefits for your overall health and wellness. Your body is relieved of tension or fatigue as sauna use may lower cortisol levels. Also endorphins are released into the body, which create a calming, almost tranquilizing sensation that can lull virtually anyone into sleep. To add to the overall effect, you can use deep nasal breathing techniques to deliver the utmost in relaxation – you’ll be ready for bed in no time. Just make sure to cool down adequately with a lukewarm shower to keep your body prepped for bed.

Stress Relief

Stress relief is another one of the key health benefits of infrared sauna sessions. Studies repeatedly show that hyperthermia, or the higher, safe heat levels endured by the body when in a sauna, can prevent protein degradation and muscle loss when the body is subjected to harmful stress or external stimuli. Heat shock proteins are produced when an individual spends time in a sauna, and these substances are used by your body’s cells to counteract the impact of toxins, extreme heat or cold, or stress brought on by exercise.

Infrared Saunas have also been shown to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) relaxing the body and allowing your body to heal. This is a necessary break from the sympathetic mode (fight or flight) we are all in these stuck in traffic or always connected on your phone.

Heart Health

Heart health is an important concern for many of us, and spending time in an infrared sauna can help virtually anyone strengthen their heart and cardiovascular system. A research study by the University of Eastern Finland that spanned more than 20 years and included thousands of study participants showed a reduction in life-threatening cardiac events among participants who regularly used a sauna. Those who took sauna 2 to 3 times per week showed a 23% lower risk of fatal events, while those who completed 4 to 7 sauna sessions per week indicated a 48% lower risk. The amount of time spent in the sauna was deemed important, too, with longer-duration users seeing increased heart health benefits.

Increased Metabolism and Weight Loss

In a comfortable 35 minute sauna session one’s heart rate can reach an aerobic state. Consistent aerobic cardiovascular workouts lead to a healthier heart and increased metabolism. This boost in metabolism burns calories and can trigger weight loss in individuals who have a little extra weight. Just as jogging increases heart rate and burns calories, infrared sauna use can trigger the same cardiovascular stresses by simply sitting in the sauna. An added plus – we are also seeing infrared saunas the world over as a comfortable effective way to help minimize cellulite.

Minimizing Joint Pain

Another big health benefit of infrared saunas is the minimization of joint pain and inflammation. This type of radiant heat therapy is used around the world to effectively treat patients suffering from bursitis, neuralgia, muscle spasms, stiff joints, and arthritis. From customers of all levels of fitness and health, we hear about lasting relief from soreness, aches, and pains with consistent sauna use.

Athletic Recovery

Athletic recovery is made easier, too. Growth hormone is naturally and safely increased when sauna sessions are combined with consistent exercise routines, and blood flow is boosted. This means the skeletal muscles are better fueled, and are more easily flushed of lactic acids and calcium ions – two fatigue-inducing substances.

There is no doubt that infrared saunas provide serious and lasting wellness boosts. Like with normal exercise, the extent to which these health benefits prevail depends on the time spent per session as well as consistency of use. Whether you’re looking to use infrared saunas for detoxification, weight loss or as a sauna stress relief technique, one thing is certain – your overall health and well being is improved!

Knowing Your Sauna: Near Infrared vs. Far Infrared Heat

You’ve made the wise decision to add a sauna to your home or business, and now it’s time to consider the details. What size sauna will best fit you? Where should you place the sauna? What style will fit most elegantly with your existing décor? And, what heat source do you want to use for your new sauna. While that last one seems like a no-brainer, this consideration is probably the single most important element to decide upon before purchasing the sauna. Sauna heat sources can take many forms, but we’ll focus on the differences between near infrared and far infrared heating elements, as infrared is truly the new standard in sauna heating systems today.

What Exactly Does Near Infrared Mean?

Near infrared light is contained within the spectrum of natural sunlight. The sun emits nearly half of its total energy in the near infrared (NIR) spectrum. We are biologically wired to use near infrared energy, much like sunlight is needed to produce vitamin D. Our bodies require this energy from sunlight to survive and to thrive.

Near infrared systems are effective at rejuvenating the skin, help raise core body temperature, improve circulation and can provide pain relief.

What Is a Far Infrared System?

Far infrared, now considered to be one of the leading heat sources for contemporary therapeutic saunas today operates in a similar manner to near infrared but differs in terms of wavelength. Science aside, the tangible benefits of far infrared are significant, as this system heats the body from within and produces the kind of profuse sweating normally only seen with traditional wet-dry sauna systems.

Most clinicians who recommend infrared saunas for healing or wellness purposes will tout the health benefits of a far infrared system. The additional benefits of far infrared saunas are detoxification, increasing your metabolism, weight loss and stress reduction just to name a few.

How Do Benefits Compare for Near vs. Far Infrared?

Detoxification

While both near and far infrared systems can detoxify the body, they go about it quite differently. Near infrared systems provide topical relief for skin issues and shallow body pain. The results are often less dramatic than what one would expect to see when using a far infrared system.

Far infrared systems can detoxify the body as much as seven times more effectively than standard sauna units because they produce heavy natural sweating that moves harmful elements out of the body quite quickly and also mobilizes toxins by inducing a fat based sweat.

Relaxation

Many sauna users report relaxation is one of the biggest reasons they purchased their new unit or visit their local sauna. Infrared sauna therapy, especially far infrared heating units, promote relaxation by balancing the body’s levels of cortisol – an important hormone in the body that regulates stress. The infrared heating units help muscles to relax and loosen, and since far infrared wavelengths mimic the body’s own emissions, they tend to impart a sense of rejuvenation in most individuals.

Weight Loss

According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association entitled Effect of Sweating, researchers discovered a simple half-hour sauna session could burn as many as 600 calories. This study was conducted using an infrared sauna system.

Near infrared saunas effectively raise your core body temperature to help burn calories. Far infrared saunas stimulate your metabolism, lower cortisol levels and slightly raise HGH to help with weight loss as well.

Due to the fact that far infrared sauna units tend to more effectively increase the body’s core temperature and safely increase heart rate, they may burn calories more easily than a near infrared unit or traditional sauna.

Skin Rejuvenation

One of the most exciting benefits of using a sauna is the glowing skin you’ll witness after just a few sessions. Two basic things have to happen in order to rejuvenate the skin – improving the body’s circulation and eliminating toxins from the pores of the skin.

Saunas, especially those using infrared technology, accomplish both of these. A near infrared system will effectively improve the topical surface of the skin, while the far infrared units help to promote toxin release through profuse sweating. Most sauna users will find that the sweating component helps to cleanse the skin quite effectively, thereby improving skin tone from the inside out.

Improved Circulation

While all saunas can therapeutically improve circulation and enhance blood flow to key areas of the body, infrared saunas do an impressive job of boosting circulation, all while keeping the user comfortable. Middle to far infrared heating units penetrate deeply and help to stimulate blood flow, minimize pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance muscle recovery.

Are Near & Far Infrared Saunas Safe?

The answer is – yes! Think about it this way, hospitals use infrared heating lamps to warm newborn babies. Unlike exposing yourself to UV rays from the sun or a tanning bed, you cannot burn yourself with infrared heat. There are no known dangers to using an infrared heat source in your sauna.

As always, you’ll want to monitor your body temperature to ensure you don’t overheat. Keep adequately hydrated, too. And, check with your doctor to make sure you are medically cleared to use a sauna and that you don’t have any preexisting conditions that would make sauna use inadvisable. Saunas are incredibly safe, and infrared units provide real therapy without the oppressive heat of a traditional sauna.

Now that you have a good understanding of near infrared vs. far infrared heat, which sauna type do you feel will serve you best? Near infrared units tend to promote topical healing and mild pain relief quite effectively, but far infrared heating units are incredibly effective at removing toxins, improving circulation, and relaxing the muscles. Most experts agree that if you’re really looking to get the maximum therapeutic benefits from your sauna session you’ll want to go for a unit that offers all three spectrum. These are called Full Spectrum saunas and offer near, mid and far infrared.

Infrared Saunas and Allergies

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), consisting of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components, operates below consciousness to control these systems. The ANS controls heartbeat, digestive function, respiratory rate, salivation, stress and immune response, dilation of pupils, sexual arousal and adrenaline secretions of excitatory hormones. The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems balance out each other, working together or sometimes inhibiting specific responses. In allergy patients subpar or hypo-sympathetic inhibiting activity allows for the over response of the immune system. The ANS then over responds in a big way to supress this over response when it may not be necessary.

Allergies include stuffiness, itching and sneezing and can be caused by pollen, dust and animal dander. An inflammation of the nasal airways, allergic rhinitis is linked with a sensitized immune system that overreacts to what should be a benign stimulant. For example, cat hair should not be a cause for concern to your health, right?

Khon Kaen University, Thailand Study

Current medicinal therapeutic options include avoidance, drugs and immunotherapy, but recent investigations suggest that to eliminate allergies an infrared sauna may be used to modify the body’s ANS. The clinical findings from the School of Physical Therapy, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, were published in their June 2013 article in the Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology.

The study looked at the impact of six weeks of sauna treatment on the ANS, peak nasal inspiratory flow and lung function in patients suffering allergies. They were looking to see if infrared sauna use shifts the body’s ANS and therefore impacts the underlying cause of the allergic reaction?

The 26 patients were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. Some received health education and otherwise maintained a normal life. The sauna group received sauna treatment over a six-week period, three days per week, totaling 30 minutes. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured to study the autonomic nervous response including the balance of sympathetic to parasympathetic activity; peak nasal inspiratory flow and lung function were measured at the beginning and after three and six weeks of sauna.

There were significant changes in HRV after six weeks of sauna indicating a favorable shift in ANS for treatment of allergic rhinitis. The high frequency or overactive component of the ANS was lower while the low frequency inhibiting component was higher in the sauna treatment group than the control patients. The peak nasal flow and the forced expiratory volume were “significantly higher” in sauna patients. The six weeks of repeated sauna treatment can increase sympathetic activity as well respiratory volume in patients with allergic rhinitis, the article says.

Journal Ter Arkh, Russia Study

In a Russian language journal doctors who used sauna therapy for children with atopic dermatitis, which can be allergy related, found it “improves the condition of their autonomic nervous system.” They noted the “marked clinical response” that could “necessitate long-term sauna treatment to cure this disease.”

In the journal Ter Arkh, the use of an infrared sauna as part of therapy of 107 patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis “resulted in a rapid time course of clinical symptoms of diseases, reduced the adaptation period at a health resort, produced a bronchodilatatory effect and helped to return cardiodynamics to normal…”

Each symptom of rhinitis was rated on a 4-point scale according to severity. During the period of far infrared therapy, the symptoms of eye and nasal itching, stuffiness, rhinorrhea and sneezing were all improved. Smell impairment was not improved until after the last treatment. No obvious adverse effect were observed in the patients during treatment and follow-up. The scientists concluded that FIR therapy “could improve the symptoms of AR” and “might serve as a novel treatment modality.”

Staying Hydrated Can Taste and Even Look Good Too!

Our bodies transports most of our nutrients in the blood and the blood is made up of 82% water. Our muscles are composed of 75% water: our brain 76% water; our lungs 90% and our bones contain 25% water. It is imperative we drink enough water when you sit in your Clearlight Infrared Sauna.

So how can we spruce up our water to make it enticing? These recipes will make you want to drink more water . By washing your organs daily with fresh water, we assist our bodies in eliminating toxins.

Ideally one would drink your water at room temperature but cooler is fine too – and for me more enjoyable while in my infrared sauna. You can flavor water quickly with just a slice of fresh ginger and a slice of something citrus and an ice cube.. If you want to make a pitcher to drink throughout the day, here are a couple quick recipes. (The pitcher can be left on the counter or refrigerator for the day, but discard at the end of the evening)

Tasty Citrus Water
Fill a pitcher with 8 cups of purified water
Cut citrus fruits thinly:
2 organic organic lemons
2 organic limes
1 medium size organic orange
3 one inch pieces of raw organic fresh ginger (great for digestion and gives the water a “kick”)
For maximum taste, let the water marinate for a few hours before drinking
Berry Good Water
Fill a pitcher with 8 cups of purified water
-Cup of strawberries raspberries – any berries cut in half,
-A couple lemon and or lime slices
Ice Cubes
Into each cube of your ice tray, fill and freeze overnight:
Add purified water and place a single mint leaf and a small piece of pineapple in each cube
Place lemon water in each cube
Add a single strawberry and piece of lemon rind
Note: These fancy ice cubes can spice up any water glass of still or sparkling water.

Stay hydrated during your infrared sauna sessions. Drink water before you get into the sauna and then bring a large bottle of water into the sauna with you to keep hydryated. One rule of thumb we recommend is if you feel thirsty after you get out of your sauna, you did not drink enough water during your sauna session.

Infrared Saunas and Pain Relief

Relieve Pain With Infrared Sauna Therapy

The soothing and relaxing heat from a Clearlight Infrared Sauna offers a variety of healing benefits including a significant reduction in chronic pain often even after the first use! According to Dr. Jeffrey Spencer, a sports medicine expert from the University of Southern California and consultant to Lance Armstrong, “infrared wavelengths penetrate the body to create heat, which creates profound therapeutic benefits. They increase blood flow to the muscles, delivering more concentrated oxygen, which creates more energy to heal.” 1

A study reported in Clinical Rheumatology showed that infrared saunas gave significant relief for patients with chronic pain (such as rheumatoid arthritis). Four weeks of 30-minute, twice-weekly sessions in an infrared sauna resulted in a 40 percent improvement in pain and stiffness. 2
A recent study published in Internal Medicine, showed that patients with chronic pain saw their pain levels drop by nearly 70% after their first session of infrared sauna therapy. Pain scores remained low throughout the observation period. 3

How Do Infrared Saunas Work To Ease Pain?

Our bodies are held together by a web like structure that weaves itself all through the body called fascia. A good metaphor for understanding how fascia plays a role in relaxation is to think of a knitted sweater: if you pull on one string of yarn the entire sweater can unravel. Similarly, as one part of the fascia web begins to relax and unwind, your whole body follows in kind.

With infrared therapy, the infrared wave penetrates 1.5” to 2” into the body stimulating a relaxation response allowing the muscles and tendons to unwind and release tension. The penetrating heat also raises the core body temperature which creates a “false fever” in the body forcing the immune system to spring into action and start making more white blood cells. The result is a reduction in swelling and inflammation, two major factors in easing chronic pain.
In addition, as the infrared heat elevates your core body temperature, capillaries and arteries dilate to increase blood flow allowing more oxygen rich blood to travel to areas of tension and pain. Your muscles, joints, and soft tissue experience relief and healing.

You emerge from a 20-30 minute session in your infrared sauna feeling relaxed and renewed!

http://www.cancerdefeated.com/newsletters/Infrared-Saunas-A-Fun-Relaxing-Way-to-Detox.html
Clinical Rheumatology, January 2009
Internal Medicine (Tokyo) Aug 15, 2008 by Matsushita K, Masuda A, Tei C. The First Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan.

Benefits of Sweating – Infrared Saunas

The health benefits of infrared saunas are numerous. In a Clearlight Infrared Sauna you will sweat profusely. In addition to the detox benefits, there are actual benefits just from sweating. Ward Dean, MD, a US Army flight surgeon who has researched the physiological effects of sweating in a sauna, finds that it can be as effective as regular exercise in conditioning the cardiovascular system and burning calories. Sweating in a sauna, he says, is a good workout for people unable to exercise, such as disabled people in wheelchairs or immobilized athletes recovering from injuries.

You can see the article published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) by CLICKING HERE.

How Does Your Clearlight Infrared Sauna Reduce Stress?

Today, our fast paced lives can be exciting and rewarding, but doctors tell us that the chronic stress that comes with it is literally killing us with increased levels of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, premature aging and even death that can arrive years before our time.

Regular use in an infrared sauna has been shown to reduce stress, but just how does this actually work?

Our autonomic nervous system is set up with two opposing positions, fight or flight (sympathetic) and rest and digest (parasympathetic). We need both to survive but our ANS system evolved when we lived under real survival threats (think tiger). When faced with such a threat the sympathetic part of our ANS informs the hypothalamus to immediately release sugar from our liver and cortisol from our adrenal glands so we can run like lightning and live to see another day. Today, our higher thinking brain can perceive threats like being stuck in traffic or being behind at work or a news program about trouble far away as actually being a real threat, just like a tiger. We can get caught in what is called a cortisol cascade until we are burned while our immune function becomes depressed making us susceptable to colds and flu. We can literally get stuck in this harmful loop. It is only when we get back more into the parasympathetic mode that our health has a chance to return. This is where the infrared sauna comes in.

When we get into the infrared sauna, the first thing that happens is vasodilation. This is the blood vessels opening up as the warming infrared wavelengths penetrate into the soft tissue. Your muscles relax and pain starts to disappear both in muscles and joints. When the body senses these changes it naturally starts to relax and calm down. Breathing becomes slower, blood pressure drops and you may even feel a little smile appear feeling this good. This is the parasympathetic part where healing occurs and it happens naturally in the sauna. This is the simple secret.

Using the infrared sauna for twenty minutes, three times a week is a good way to affect this sympathetic/parasympathetic set point. Regular sauna usage will actually diminish stress over time. The harmful cortisol cascade will lessen or leave entirely as the body/mind learns how to live without the harmful effects of paper tigers. It works, it really does.

Top Alternative Medicine Therapies

In the past several years, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, including Reiki, meditation, and infrared sauna sessions, have gained tremendous acceptance not only with patients but also with healthcare professionals in virtually all fields. This rising popularity can be attributed to factors such as affordability and safety when compared to traditional drugs and procedures, as well as overall effectiveness.

Although CAM therapies take a number of different forms, here is a brief list of some of the most common treatments used today:

Specialized diet: From weight loss to detoxification and disease management, larger numbers of patients are following specialized diets—Atkins, raw food, macrobiotic, gluten-free, vegan—to achieve their health goals.
Body manipulation: Based on the belief that mind and body should be in perfect harmony, body manipulation therapies like chiropractic, yoga, and tai chi bring spiritual tranquility in addition to physical relaxation.
Sauna: The health benefits of saunas have been thoroughly discussed here on our site. Pain relief, weight loss, detoxification, and stress reduction are just a few of the positive effects of heat therapy.
Herbal remedies: More and more people are turning away from prescription drugs in favor of natural herbs to treat their ailments. St. John’s wort, ginger, chamomile, caraway, ginseng, and Echinacea are all widely used.
Reiki: Performed by a trained Reiki master, this CAM therapy focuses on restoring energy balance throughout the body by means of light touch on or above specific areas in the head, neck, and elsewhere.

While complementary and alternative medicine therapies are not for everyone, their safety, affordability, and effectiveness make them worth looking into. If you’re currently experiencing health problems or would like to prevent them before they arise, getting an infrared sauna for your home, taking up yoga or tai chi, or changing your diet might be just what you need.

The Benefits of Infrared Saunas for Olympic Athletes

One of the most interesting aspects of the Olympics, aside from the intense competition, is learning how some of the participating athletes reached world-class status. In the coming weeks, we’ll see countless athlete profiles and interviews describing punishing training regimens and practice schedules that would make mere mortals collapse. We might even hear about the role far infrared saunas have played in the athlete’s injury prevention and treatment program.

Sports medicine practitioners are well aware of the healing properties generated by a sauna equipped with infrared heaters, and many of them insist that athletes under their supervision sit through both pre- and post-workout sauna sessions to prevent injuries and speed recovery. By doing this, athletes can:

Loosen their muscles and joints before a workout to increase flexibility
Increase their tolerance for anaerobic activity
Eliminate harmful toxins that might hinder performance
Reduce lactic acid buildup in muscles, allowing them to loosen and relax
Boost their blood circulation to promote muscle repair
Ease muscle and joint pain stemming from overuse, strain, or repetitive motion
Feel refreshed and reinvigorated even after the toughest workouts
Burn extra calories and retain cardiovascular fitness while recovering from injuries that inhibit full workouts

Of course, you don’t have to be an elite Olympic athlete to enjoy the benefits listed here. A sauna with infrared heaters is also a wonderful workout supplement for weekend warriors in all sports, as well as dedicated runners, martial artists, yogis, and more.

To minimize time lost to sports injuries and accelerate recovery so you can get back to the action faster, check out our line of far infrared saunas today.

Category: Sauna Health Benefits