Turn Up the Heat - Improve Health with the Infra-red Sauna

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Turn Up the Heat

Improve Health with the Infra-red Sauna

By Stefan Kuprowsky, MA, ND

_http://www.xmission.com/~total/temple/Articles/fir/heat_01.html_

(http://www.xmission.com/~total/temple/Articles/fir/heat_01.html)

 

For thousands of years, the sauna or sweat lodge has been used to improve

both physical and spiritual well being. Today, there are hundreds of scientific

studies attesting to the health benefits of sauna therapy, also known as

bio-toxic reduction therapy, hyperthermia therapy, or heat depuration.

Many integrated medical clinics are now employing the infra-red sauna as

part of the therapeutic treatment of a wide variety of illnesses.

The infra-red sauna is a new innovation that offers several advantages over

the conventional sauna. Most saunas employ a unit that heats the air through

convection (air movement) and conduction (direct heat transfer). These saunas

typically operate at between 180 degrees F and 220 degrees F (82 degrees C

to 104 degrees C). They are akin to sitting in an oven. They heat only the

skin until it becomes too uncomfortable to sit any longer. Water is often

thrown

on the elements to create steam. These saunas do not allow the person to sit

in them long enough to receive the health benfits associated with the

infra-red sauna.

Infra-red saunas produce heat using a ceramic heater, which does not turn

red hot but instead produces invisible, infra-red heat. Traditional saunas and

sweat lodges use hot stones, which also produce the same type of soft radiant

heat. This is the same type of heat as produced by the sun and our bodies.

Infra-red heat is very safe and not at all like the heat produced by

microwaves.

In an infra-red sauna, only 20 percent of the energy is used to heat the

air, leaving the rest of the energy to heat the body. The radiant heat can

penetrate the skin to a depth of one to two inches, producing a gentle warming

inside the body. The temperature inside an infra-red sauna is adjustable and

averages a comfortable 100 degrees F to 150 degrees F (38 degrees C to 65

degrees C). This allows a person to sweat faster and to tolerate a longer

period of

time inside the sauna, allowing for the therapeutic effects to occur.

Typical sessions last 30 to 45 minutes and can be repeated once or twice during

the

day to maximize the benefits.

Some therapeutic protocols call for spending up to five hours a day in a low

temperature, infra-red sauna. This is only necessary for the most extremely

chronic and toxic individuals. Most people will benefit from one 45-minute

session per day. Infra-red saunas leave you feeling invigorated, not depleted

like conventional saunas. Many people, including myself, choose to have their

sauna treatment first thing in the morning before work.

Health Benefits of Infra-Red Sauna

Heat therapy using the infra-red sauna can produce an impressive number of

positive health benefits:

* Assists weight loss and increases metabolism: burns up to 600

calories in 30 minutes

* Improves circulation to deep and superficial tissues

* Promotes detoxification of the heavy metals and organic chemicals

stored in fat cells.

* Helps to boost the immune response to kill viruses and bacteria

* Pain relief

* Muscle relaxation

* Accelerates the breakdown of fat and cellulite

* Promotes skin tone, elasticity, pore cleansing, and healing of skin

conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis

* Accelerates wound healing from injuries and surgeries and reduces

scar formation

* Passive cardovascular conditioning effect: enhances oxygen and

nutrients to deep tissues

* Regulates blood pressure

* Useful in athletic conditions to warm muscles before, and after,

activity

* Reduces physical and emotional stress

* Reduces fatigue and stimulates energy

* Anti-cancer effect through hyperthermia effect, immune enhancement

and elimination of carcinogenic chemicals

Detoxification

The effect of detoxification is one of the most interesting and wide-ranging

benefits of the infra-red sauna. The ability of hyperthermia therapy to

release a range of toxins stored in body tissues has been documented in a

number

of medical studies over the last 20 years. Heat causes chemicals such as

heavy metals, pesticides and fat-soluble chemicals to be released from the fat

cells and tissues into the lymph fluid. Since sweat is made from the lymph

fluid, toxins in the lymph are expelled from the body in the sweat. This

process

bypasses the liver and kidneys, which are usually already overburdened in

toxic and chronically ill individuals.

One study found that the sweat formed in conventional saunas is 95 to 97

percent water. In infra-red saunas, only 80 to 85 percent of the sweat is

composed of water; the remaining 15 to 20 percent consists of cholesterol,

fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals, sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric

acid.

 

Study after study has shown that infra-red sauna therapy, combined with

nutritional supplements, consistently and dramatically eliminates a wide range

of

chemical compounds including pesticides, PCBs, heavy metals such as mercury,

lead, cadmium and arsenic, and both prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Sweat produced during exercise does not eliminate the same amount of toxins.

 

The detoxification benefits of the infra-red sauna can be applied to a wide

number of conditions where toxicity plays a role, such as chronic fatigue,

fibromyalgia, chemical sensitivities, auto-immune conditions, neurological

diseases, allergies, and cancer.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

For the fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue patient, a consistent program of

infra-red sauna therapy will assist the problem of autonomic dysregulation,

which is common to these conditions. The autonomic nervous system controls the

unconscious functions of the body, including muscle tension, blood pressure,

sweating, digestion, and balance. Symptoms of autonomic dysregulation are

muscle pain, digestive problems, visual disturbances and dizziness. These

symptoms are reduced, as regular sauna therapy induces normal autonomic

functioning.

 

Physical Conditioning

Infra-red sauna therapy has a beneficial effect on metabolism and

cardiovascular conditioning. A session in the sauna doubles the flow of blood

to all

the tissues of the body and exercises the heart. This is comparable to a

similar time of exercise, although no muscle conditioning will result. This is

useful as an augmentation to a regular exercise routine and is a good

substitute

for those who can't exercise.

The infra-red sauna is a valuable tool in any weight-loss program. At

EcoMed, we routinely used the sauna for its excellent calorie burning effects.

We

find that the sauna accelerates weight loss in a person who is already

exercising and following a sensible and healthy alkaline diet. A half-hour

session

can burn up to 600 calories. Therefore, two sessions a day of 45 minutes each

can burn up to 1800 calories, per day, which is equivalent to almost two

hours of vigorous aerobic exercise.

There have been reports in marketing literature that hyperthermic therapy

increases human growth hormone, but I have not seen any scientific studies

verifying this fact.

Pain Reduction

A major health benfit of infra-red sauna is in the area of reduction of pain

in muscles and joints. Pain in muscles is alleviated by the reduction of

muscle spasms and increased blood circulation to muscles suffering from

ischemia

(insufficient blood flow). Hyperthermia also helps to reduce pain by the

acting on nerve endings as well as encouraging production of endorphins, which

act as natural analgesics. As well, heat therapy is useful in helping to

reduce inflammation and edema, resulting in a reduction of pain and

acceleration

of healing of injuries. Hyperthermia will also decrease joint stiffness and

increase the flexibility of collagen tissues such as tendons, ligaments and

joint capsules.

Infra-red therapy has been successfully used to reduce pain from a variety

of conditions including whiplash, soft tissue injuries, arthritis, sciatica,

back pain, neuritis, bursitis, menstual cramps, gout, migraines, and chronic

muscle spasms.

Skin Care

The sauna improves blood circulation to the skin and results in a deep pore

cleansing. This results in an improved skin tone and elasticity. Regular

users are said to have more youthful skin that " glows. " People with chronic

skin

condtions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema will benefit from regular sauna

sessions. If the person is heat sensitive, the temperature of the sauna can

be turned down to a level that the person can tolerate. Burn victims and

people with scars can also benefit from the improved healing of the skin.

Stress Reduction

Due to the many physiological effect of heat therapy, people feel less

stressed after a sauna session. A sauna session relaxes muscles, circulates the

blood, stimulates the heart, and releases endorphins, providing a feeling of

invigoration. People report being able to sleep better after their sauna

sessions.

The newest generation of sauna combines light therapy with infra-red heat

treatment by using full spectrum lights, installed inside the sauna. This is

useful to stimulate melatonin and for those suffering from seasonally affective

disorder (SAD).

The infra-red sauna has become an integral part of my naturopathic

pracitice. I can personally testify to its excellent results in a wide range of

conditions. As a preventive tool, I can recommend it to anyone wishing to

eliminate

toxins from their bodies. From a preventive health perspecitve, this may be

one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

__

 

Dr. Stefan Kuprosky is the director of the EcoMed Clinic in Nanaimo, BC and

the EcoMed Health Institute on Gabriola Island. His website is

_www.ecomedspa.com_ (http://www.ecomedspa.com/) , or email him at

info.