11 Proven Infrared Sauna Health Benefits (According to Science)
It’s been a long day. Your muscles ache, your mind feels foggy, and stress seems to have taken up permanent residence in your shoulders. Now, picture stepping into a warm, cozy space where the heat envelops you like a gentle hug. You sit back, relax, and feel the tension melting away.
This isn’t just a daydream—it’s the experience of infrared sauna therapy, a perfected version of a practice that’s been used for centuries worldwide.
Infrared sauna health benefits are similar to those you get from traditional saunas, but with lower heat and less humidity. Unlike traditional saunas that heat the air, these saunas use infrared light to heat the body directly. The body temperature rises while the air around you stays cool.
The health and wellness benefits include detoxification, relaxation, and reduction of high blood pressure. If sauna heat stopped you from enjoying the sauna experience, infrared therapy might be a better option.
Key Takeaways:
- Infrared sauna therapy has been studied for cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, exercise recovery, and more.
- Far-infrared saunas operate at lower temperatures (104-140 degrees Fahrenheit) than traditional saunas (158-212 degrees Fahrenheit), providing a more comfortable experience and potential health benefits.
- Several studies have shown that sauna therapy can improve cardiovascular function, including increased blood flow and reduced blood pressure in patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular risks.
- For patients with chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, sauna therapy has demonstrated short-term pain relief and improved quality of life.
- Far-infrared sauna use may aid recovery after endurance training, particularly for leg muscle performance.
- Infrared sauna therapy has been associated with improved endothelial function and increased nitric oxide production, which may contribute to its cardiovascular benefits.
- Most studies report that sauna therapy is well-tolerated with few adverse effects, making it a potentially safe complementary treatment for various conditions.
Powerful Infrared Sauna Health Benefits With Less Heat
Infrared sauna health benefits are similar to traditional sauna results, but you don’t have to endure 190-degree steam to succeed.
Based on the scientific papers you’ll learn about below, saunas may help with pain, depression, and heart health. They offer help with fibromyalgia and chronic pain and exercise recovery. The infrared sauna is more than a luxurious way to unwind: it’s a proven health therapy.
Here are the best science-backed infrared sauna health benefits.
1 – Rheumatoid Arthritis
A 2009 study published in Clinical Rheumatology examined infrared sauna health benefits for patients with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. They studied 17 arthritis and 17 spondylitis subjects who used an infrared sauna at 151 deg. F for 15 minutes twice a week for four weeks. The study found that eight sessions significantly improved both groups’ pain, stiffness, and fatigue.
2 – Endurance Training Recovery
A 2015 study published in SpringerPlus examined the effects of far-infrared sauna (FIRS) bathing on men’s recovery from strength and endurance training. Ten men followed up training with an infrared sauna session.
The endurance group performed significantly better at the next training session than the controls who did not use the sauna. They jumped higher than they had in the first exercise session.
3 – Chronic Pain
In a 2005 study published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, researchers tested whether adding Waon therapy (far-infrared-ray dry sauna) to standard treatment could help patients with chronic pain.
The subjects were treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and physical therapy, and they exercised. Half used an infrared sauna, and half did not.
When measured four weeks after the interventions, the group that did not use the sauna had no significant gains. The sauna group, however, had statistically significant improvements in pain, depression, and anger. Two years after the intervention, 50% of the non-sauna and 77% of the sauna group returned to work.
4 – Depression
In a 2005 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers tested whether Waon therapy (far-infrared-ray dry sauna) could help mildly depressed patients with appetite loss and other complaints. They studied 28 patients, splitting them into two groups – one that received sauna treatments and one that didn’t.
After four weeks, the sauna group significantly improved in physical complaints, hunger, and feeling relaxed compared to the other group. They also had slightly better mental health.
The sauna group’s ghrelin levels (a hormone that makes you feel hungry) increased, and they started eating more calories daily. This suggests that sauna therapy has helped improve their appetite.
5 – Fibromyalgia
In a 2008 study published in Internal Medicine, researchers tested whether Waon therapy (far infrared sauna) could help patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Thirteen female subjects were instructed to use infrared saunas for 15 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of rest. They used infrared heat twice weekly for several weeks.
Subjects experienced an 11 to 70% pain reduction after the first session. After ten treatments, the pain-reducing effects settled between 20 and 78%. Their Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) decreased also dropped. They had fewer tender points. Five out of 8 subjects who had taken leave could return to work after the study.
6 – Wound Healing
In a 2021 study published in the Journal of Cardiology Cases, researchers tested whether Waon therapy (far infrared dry sauna) could help heal a stubborn wound in a patient with systemic sclerosis. This disease causes the skin and organs to harden, leading to painful sores on the fingers and toes that are hard to heal.
They gave the 77-year-old patient a bad foot sore that would not heal even after rehabilitation surgeries. Researchers gave her infrared sauna treatments over 173 days after the wound completely healed. A year later, the sore didn’t come back.
7 – Anorexia Nervosa
In a 2001 study published in the Eating and Weight Disorders journal, researchers tested whether heat treatment could help patients with anorexia nervosa who showed excessive physical activity. The study looked at three patients with anorexia who were very active or exercised a lot. The researchers tried three different ways to give heat: keeping the patient in a warm room, having them wear a heated vest, and having them use an infrared sauna.
The researchers found that all three heat treatments helped the patients. The patients became less active and were able to eat more. Their other symptoms, like fear of gaining weight, also improved. Even 2.5 to 3 years later, the patients were still doing well. They had gained weight and were feeling much better overall.
This showed that heat benefits are available without regular sauna use. A warm room and a heated vest also impacted overall health. The potential benefits of a heated vest might be comparable to an infrared sauna’s. The important task appears to be that you need to heat your body.
This study suggests that heat treatment might be a helpful addition to other treatments for anorexia nervosa, especially for very active patients. However, the researchers note that this was a small study with only three patients, and more research is needed to confirm these infrared sauna health benefits for anorexia.
8 – Heart Failure
In a 2005 study published in the Circulation Journal, researchers tested whether Waon therapy (far infrared dry sauna) could help improve heart function in hamsters with heart failure. They used hamsters that develop heart problems similar to those of humans with heart failure.
The researchers gave some sick hamsters daily sauna treatments for four weeks. They found that the sauna therapy increased the amount of eNOS protein in the blood vessels. This protein helps make nitric oxide, which is good for blood flow. The hamsters who got sauna therapy had more eNOS and nitric oxide in their blood than those who didn’t get the treatment.
This study shows that infrared sauna health benefits include significantly improved blood flow. Increased circulation explains why saunas help people with heart problems feel better.
In a 2006 study published in Circulation Journal, researchers tested whether infrared sauna use could help improve blood flow in mice with poor leg circulation. They used genetically modified mice to have high cholesterol and poor blood flow.
They found that sauna therapy increased blood flow in the mice’s legs compared to mice that didn’t get the treatment. The sauna therapy also increased the number of small blood vessels in the legs. Sauna use increased the eNOS in the mice’s blood, a healthy response indicating that saunas offer better circulation.
9 – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Researchers tested the health benefits of infrared saunas for chronic fatigue syndrome in a 2005 study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Could far-infrared sauna help two patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, which causes extreme tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest? The patients in this study had been sick for years and hadn’t improved with regular treatments.
The study found that after 15 to 25 infrared heat sessions, the patient’s symptoms, like fatigue, pain, sleep problems, and low-grade fever, improved. Even more impressive, the patients could go back to work six months after finishing the initial treatment. The heat seemed to help reduce pain, improve sleep, and increase energy.
10 – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Cardiology, researchers tested whether infrared waves could help patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They studied 13 patients who had COPD symptoms despite regular treatments.
After daily treatment for four weeks, the subjects had improved heart function. Their blood pressure dropped, and they could exercise more before reaching exhaustion. Blood oxygen levels improved as well.
11 – Oxidative Stress
This 2011 study published in Circulation Journal tested whether using an infrared sauna could help reduce oxidative stress in 40 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
After four weeks of treatment, the patients had less free radical damage and more nitric oxide to open the blood vessels, and their heart function improved.
Conclusion
Research shows that infrared sauna health benefits include improvements in cardiovascular health, chronic pain and exercise recovery. The non-invasive nature and tolerability of sauna therapy make it an attractive option for many patients.
However, it’s important to note that while these studies show promising results, many have limitations, such as small sample sizes, lack of control groups, or short study durations. Therefore, while sauna therapy is a promising complementary treatment, more robust, large-scale clinical trials are needed to establish its efficacy for different health conditions.
For now, sauna therapy, particularly FIRS, can be considered a potentially beneficial addition to conventional treatments for certain conditions under the guidance of healthcare professionals. It offers a comfortable, relaxing experience that may contribute to overall well-being but should not be seen as a replacement for established medical treatments.
References
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