Benefits of Infrared Sauna Therapy

One of the basic principles of complementary medicine is to treat the whole person, not just their symptoms as is the focus of traditional allopathic medicine. One treatment that is highly ignored in allopathic medicine for the treatment of pain and illness is detoxification and the one of the safest and most effective methods is Infrared Sauna Therapy. Our intent is to help provide knowledge and dispel myths and apprehensions about the use of infrared saunas. You may be hesitant to make such an expensive purchase so please consider this: toxic overload is one of leading causes of disease and illness and a sauna is cheap compared to the lifetime cost of having chronic disease, fatigue, fibromyalgia, heart disease, chemical sensitivities, cancer, chronic pain and so many other health problems.

HOW INFRARED SAUNAS WORK

It is a fact of human nature that we are afraid of what we don’t know so it is a challenge to explain that infrared saunas use infrared radiation without getting the impression it is going to cook your insides. But, without infrared radiation from the sun, life as we know would cease to exist. The energy from the sun’s rays, called photons, control vital processes in both plants and humans and are the catalyst for the production of sugars, fats and proteins. Photons stimulate the endocrine system, metabolic processes and enzyme reactions as well as activities in the brain.

Solar energy or “radiation” from the sun covers a broad range including infrared, visible light, ultra-violet, x-rays and gamma rays. However, 80% of the sun’s energy is in the infrared range and this range is divided into three segments by wave frequencies and lengths. It is the narrow spectrum between 5 to 15 microns, mostly in the far-infrared spectrum, that is the safest and most beneficial to all living beings.

Radiant heat is simply a form of energy that heats objects directly through a process called conversion, without having to heat the air in between. Anything that can be heated absorbs and emits far infrared (FIR) waves. The range of infrared waves generated by the human body is 3 to 50 microns with the greatest output around 9.4 microns. All humans send and receive FIR waves – your palms emit FIR at 8 to 14 microns. Know that luxurious feeling you get from the sand at the beach? It is the FIR heat from the sun that you are feeling.

All FIR saunas use heaters to produce the same type of beneficial heat that the sun provides for your body but without the dangerous spectrums of radiation or the high temperatures of traditional saunas. They are so safe that infrared heaters are used to keep newborn babies constantly warm in incubators. Even though most of the companies that market FIR saunas are fairly new, the technology is not. Whole-body infrared therapy, with different technologies, has been used for over eighty years by German physicians and over one million infrared thermal systems have been sold in the Orient.

WHY ARE INFRARED SAUNAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN STEAM OR DRY HEAT SAUNAS?

A conventional steam or dry heat sauna heats your body through convection; in other words, the air is heated first and then the hot air heats the outside of your body. Convection heat has no power of penetration into the body. This type of sauna is usually heated by a 220 volt heater and takes about 45-60 minutes to heat the air to a very high temperature of 160-220 degrees. The shock of sudden, very high heat actually has the opposite effect of what’s desired; it shuts down the body’s sweating mechanism. Only once the body starts to overheat does it start to sweat. Most people cannot handle more than 15- 20 minutes of this high temperature.

An infrared sauna heats the body directly through a process called conversion, without having to heat the air in between. Instead of just heating the outside of your body like a conventional steam or dry heat sauna, the heat from an infrared sauna goes directly into your body between 1.5 and 3 inches in depth, depending upon the fat and water content of your body and the ratio of fat to muscle. This type of heat penetrates further into the body for far superior detoxification and pain relief. Most people use their infrared saunas at a lower temperature range of 110-140 degrees and can stay comfortably inside for 30-60 minutes. Even at lower temperatures, researchers have found that you will sweat up to 3 times more sweat volume in an infrared sauna compared to conventional saunas. One study found that the sweat of conventional sauna users contained 95-97% water with only 3-5% toxins. The sweat from infrared sauna users contained 80-85% water with 15-20% non-water portion principally consisting of cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals, sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric acid. Also found was that normal exercise did not produce the same toxin release.

It has only been the last couple of decades that we as a society have become aware of the toxic exposure we are subjected to on a daily basis and the effects of toxins on our environment and our health. This page will present to you some information from government and other researchers and experts on toxic exposure and detoxification:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1982 National Adipose Tissue Study, on the amount of poisons taken from the fat cells of surgery patients and cadavers, reports PCBs in 86%, four out of five dioxins in more than 90%, eight of the nine benzene-related volatile organic compounds in more than 90% benzene in 96%, and 1,4-di-chlorobenzene found in all.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1986 National Human Adipose Tissue Survey – 100% of fat samples from Americans contain chlorinated solvents and heavy metal, including aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, lead, and mercury.

A study appearing in the 1995 Proceeding of the American Public Health Association states: The EPA reports that literally every American has accumulated measurable levels of some thirty different toxic chemicals in their tissues. More recent reports set the tally at 137. Every woman’s breast milk boasts pesticides, [and other pesticides such as] lindane, chloradane, dieldrin and sixty-five isomers of PCBs and dioxins. The average man’s semen has thirty-five different forms of PCBs. The human body has become the final repository, the final toxic waste dump. Increasing toxic burdens have been associated in the literature with increasing risks, health effects, and symptomatology. It is not surprising this chemical plethora is having an adverse effect on the population at large.

1982 article “Evaluation of a Detoxification Regimen for Fat Stored Xenobiotics” – Over four million distinct compounds have been reported in the literature since 1965, with 6000 new compounds added to the list each week….More than 3000 chemicals are deliberately added to food and over 700 have been identified in drinking water….Over 400 chemicals have been identified in human tissues, with some 48 found in adipose [fat], 40 in breast milk, 73 in the liver and over 250 in blood plasma.

Columbia University School of Public Health reports that 95% of cancer is caused by diet and environmental toxicity. A USA Today article indicates that the average city water contains more than 500 chemicals. Raymond Francis, in his article Saunas to the Rescue, states: “Modern living has created a problem the human body was never designed to handle - exposure to excessive amounts of environmental toxins, especially heavy-metal and oil- soluble toxins. Toxicity is one of the two causes of disease, and the overall chemical load to which we are now exposed is unprecedented in human history. Bioaccumulating in our tissues faster than we can get rid of them, these toxic chemicals have created an unprecedented epidemic of chronic disease.”

THE NEED TO SWEAT

So why sweat? Why invest your valuable time and money to own and use an infrared sauna. Simply, sweating is one of the most effective ways in which the body removes waste material. While heating the body in a sauna, you create what is known as “sensible” perspiration. Since waste-laden interstitial fluid is a component of sweat, it is obvious that sweating really does help the body eliminate toxins. Also, fat stores are universally recognized as depositories of toxins that are not easily metabolized as the lipids surround poisons to prevent them from contaminating the rest of the body. As the body is heated, the metabolism is increased so the body breaks down the fatty tissue to use for energy. Through this process, the poisons that were held by the fat cells get dumped into the bloodstream, broken down by the liver and removed through perspiration. It has been noted that during a brief 15-minute sauna session, the skin, through sweating, can eliminate the same amount of heavy metals as would require 24 hours for the kidneys to excrete.

One of the strongest summaries of the benefits of sweating, presented in a paper at the National Conference of Hazardous Wastes and Environmental Emergencies, by medical personnel David E. Root, David B. Katzin, and David W. Schnare. They state in their paper: “A considerable portion (10-15%) of the toxic materials excreted through the body will come out of the sebaceous sweat.”

HEALTH BENEFITS OF INFRARED SAUNA USE

Virtually all of us suffer from some dysfunction in our health from our birth to our death. The symptoms of these dysfunctions can be minor, such as allergies or skin problems, or they can be crippling, such as arthritis, cancer or chronic fatigue. When we experience symptoms, we typically seek to find a cause and relief from an allopathic-trained medical doctor. After being subjected to invasive tests to determine a cause, we are treated, again invasively, with synthetic drugs or surgery. Rarely is exposure to chemical toxins ever considered as a possible cause of our pain or illness.

Many people who purchase and use infrared saunas are dealing with chronic health issues that have improved, sometimes dramatically. Once you understand the physiology and biochemistry of sweating, it is easy to understand how sauna therapy can help. Virtually every condition of ill health can be either eliminated or substantially improved by improving organ function through better distribution and assimilation of nutrients, removal of toxins and microbes and balancing the pH of the body.

The following is a brief summary, excerpted from the book The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy, of the documented physiological effects of hyperthermia:

Accelerated heart rate and passive cardiovascular conditioning causing increased circulation. The body responds to this deep-heating effect via hypothalamic-induced increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate.

Coronary Artery Disease, Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension – one study shows significant decrease in arterial, venous and mean blood pressure that lasted for at least 24 hours and was linked to a persistent peripheral dilation effect. Another study showed that after each infrared session, there was significant decrease of blood pressure, cardiac ejection resistance and total peripheral resistance in every subject. Also noted was significant increase of the subjects’ heart rates, stroke volumes, cardiac outputs, and ejection fractions.

Enhanced lymphatic circulation – extremely beneficial for those in wheelchairs or unable to move or exercise. Helps to reduce edema and decrease pain through increased peripheral circulation.

Increase production of white blood cells – using a sauna can help boost the immune system to help prevent illnesses. This is why a hot bath, exercise or a sauna at the beginning of a cold or flu can prevent it from escalating, or stop it entirely. Increased production of enzymes and the killing or disabling of microbes, parasites, fungus, and bacteria. Relaxation of the muscles – the reduction of muscle spasms is possibly produced by the combined effect of heat on both primary and secondary afferent spindle cells and from its effects on Golgi tendon organs. Heat increases the extensibility of collagen tissues, which is especially valuable in working with injuries involving ligaments, joint capsules, tendons, fasciae, and synovium that have become scarred, thickened or contracted. Heat has the effect of ultimately lessening the excitability of muscular tissue, thus calming the receptors for pain. Heating of the muscles produces an increased blood flow level similar to that seen during exercise.

These effects in turn lead to the following benefits:

The elimination of stagnant blood and the decongestion of organs, which in turn stimulates better organ function.

Faster metabolism - the rate at which nutrients are assimilated and toxins are removed.

Increase in systemic alkalization – most illnesses and diseases thrive on an acidic pH level in the body. Bringing the body pH towards alkaline reduces the chance for viruses, bacteria, fungus, and microbes to exist.

Decrease or total elimination of pain in the nerves, muscles and joints in the majority of cases.

Reduction or elimination of disease.



With obesity and dieting a common condition in a majority of Americans, sauna manufacturers love to claim that sauna use helps weight loss. Many people feel that any weight lost during a sauna session is from water loss rather than fat. In the August 7, 1981 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Major Ward Dean wrote what might be the most concise claim regarding why one could lose weight by using a sauna. Part of the letter states:

The fact overlooked by most people who attempt to debunk saunas and other devices that cause enhanced sweating is that the water does not just “leak out” of the body. Sweating is a part of a complex thermoregulatory process of the body involving substantial increases in heart rate, cardiac output, and metabolic rate, and consumes considerable energy. In a sauna….the only means of maintaining body temperatures in the normal range is by evaporation of sweat, a process that consumes approximately 0.586 kcal per gram of water lost. A moderately conditioned person can easily “sweat off” 500 grams in a sauna, consuming nearly 300kcal [calories] – the equivalent of running 2 to 3 miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat 60 to 800 kcal with no adverse effects. While the weight of the water lost can be regained by rehydration with water, the calories consumed will not be…Regular use of a sauna may impart a similar stress on the cardiovascular system [as running] – and its regular use may well be as effective a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories as regular exercise.

The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy also states that “some increase in metabolism does occur in the body when it is subjected to high heat. We already know that the metabolic rate rises about six percent for every degree Fahrenheit rise in the body temperature. With the adipose [fat] cells heated at high enough rates to cause substantial molecular friction, the enzymes and hormones will break them down and transport them through the bloodstream for the body to use as energy. The more energy burned, the more weight the person loses.”

CANCER THERAPY – A NEW FRONTIER

Artificially induced hyperthermia is now being studied and tested by American medical researchers. These trials are using mainly other forms of heat other than infrared, however, researchers in Japan have used infrared heat in their studies. It is known that high heat kills tumors – cancer cells die at temperatures from 104 to 107 degrees. Dr. Jeffrey Freeman, founder of the Europa Institute of Integrated Medicine, explains the mechanism of this process:

“Researchers have found that the blood vessels in normal tissue actually open up [dilate] when heat is applied, in an effort to flush out the heat and cool the cell environment down. Because a tumor is a more tightly packed group of cells, blood circulation is restrictive and sluggish. When heat is applied to the tumor…temperature continues to rise to destructive levels. This process continues over a period of time even after the treatment…The tumor cells are now extremely susceptible to destruction by radiation or by additional heating.

Currently, the only approved treatments of cancer are surgery, drug therapy, chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is essentially poisoning the body with hope that the cancer dies before the patient, though recent research is testing drugs that are more site-specific. Many cancer patients suffer long-lasting side effects from these treatments and have turned to using infrared saunas in an effort to flush these toxins from their body. In addition, some alternative physicians use far- infrared saunas to reduce bio-chemical cancer markers in their patients. Beneficial results, similar to expensive European hyperthermic cancer treatments, have been obtained.

It is highly recommended that a cancer patient consult their treating physician before engaging in sauna therapy. For more information on the cancer trials, go to www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ and www.cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_3.htmp

HOW TO TAKE A SAUNA

For information on how to properly take an infrared sauna session and what you can expect during a sauna session, please look up our web site at www.backandbodysolutions.com



HOW TO BUY AN INFRARED SAUNA

Researching which infrared sauna to purchase can be intimidating as there are now quite a few companies that sell them. Even before we became sauna dealers, we spent years researching the effectiveness and learning about how they actually work. What we also found out is that many manufacturers put misleading and false information in their literature and internet site or totally leave out pertinent information. Without naming any specific manufacturer, we want to educate you about the components of an infrared sauna so you will be able to ask the right questions of the companies whose sauna you are considering.

The two major components of an infrared sauna are the wood cabinet and the heaters. The woods typically used by sauna builders are cedar, pine, poplar and aspen, mostly cedar. Some companies use a lighter colored wood such as basswood or spruce to make the sauna “hypo-allergenic”. The darker the color of the wood or the more fragrant or aromatic the wood is due to the natural oils that the tree produces to repel fungus and insects and repel moisture. These turpines contain unsaturated, aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbons that can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people. Most people really love the smell of cedar and have absolutely no reaction to the oil so it really is a matter of personal choice. We recommend that you have a session in saunas made from different woods and find out which one you prefer before you buy. For more information on woods, go to www.thewoodbox.com.

Some other misconceptions stated by sauna builders:

Cedar wood is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and that basswood and spruce grow bacteria - It is true that cedar is more anti- bacterial and anti-fungal due to the higher concentration of turpines in the wood, however, we have used and sold basswood and spruce saunas and neither we or any of our sauna owners have ever had a problem. You need to have a constant warm, moist environment for something to grow and it just doesn’t happen in a basswood or spruce sauna. Poplar wood is a favorite among some sauna builders, however, it is exceptionally soft and susceptible to rot and warping. When it comes to the heating elements, there are only two main methods of generating FIR waves. The first method is to coat a metallic or ceramic surface with a special ceramic material that is mixed with mineral oxides such as sand or aluminum. When these surfaces are heated electrically, the surface generates FIR waves. The second method used is to pass electric current through carbon, which then generates FIR waves. Infrared heaters come in various shapes and sizes, from rods to plates to carbon panels. What is most important, and most sauna builders avoid telling you, is the micron range output of the heaters. To explain this, we have to go back to some physics and physiology.

There is a mathematical formula that converts the surface temperatures of the infrared heater to its corresponding micron output. The relationship between temperature and wavelength is inverse. The higher the surface temperature of the heater, the lower the micron range. Since our body temperature is around 97.7 degrees, our skin radiates far infrared radiation at around 9.36 microns.

Our body is about 70% water. The water molecule is a very efficient absorber and emitter of FIR, notably in the 9 to 10 micron range, because it intrinsically resonates within these particular wavelengths. This characteristic is called resonant absorption. When a water molecule is penetrated by FIR wave in this 9 to 10 micron range, it will start to vibrate. There is a mechanical cleavage, and therefore a beneficial chemical separation, of the polluting substances from the water contained in the cells. Once dissociated from the water from the water molecule, the chemicals are managed more easily by the body for removal.

The most important question you can ask of the sauna company you are considering is to provide independent proof of the micron output of their saunas. Most will not publish these figures in their literature or their internet site. Saunas that use rod heaters typically run at 400 to 600 degrees and have low micron output. Saunas that use ceramic or aluminum plates or carbon panels run at a lower temperature and have the proper output.

702 Sutter St., Ste. K - Folsom, CA 95630 - 916-351-0700 - Fax: 916-351-0751 - Cell:916-806-8771 www.backandbodysolutions.com





All saunas will make you sweat but will not release toxins from the water molecules effectively unless their peak output is in the 9 to 10 micron range. This is a fact of physics and physiology no matter what their marketing hype says. We know for a fact that the oldest and largest manufacturer of saunas has been using heaters that only go up to 5.5 microns. For more information in this area, go to www.tempco.com.

Many sauna companies advertise heater warranties from one year to lifetime. The reality of infrared heaters is that they will last over 10,000 hours of use. If you used it one hour a day, it would take over 30 years for that heater to fail.

The efficiency of converting electricity to heat is another factor to consider. Some sauna companies make saunas with a lower efficiency, therefore, their larger models require 200 volt power. This may require an expensive electrical installation and a higher electrical bill. Another reality is that all saunas, no matter what brand, take about the same to heat up and cost about the same to run, about ten cents per hour depending on your local electrical costs. One company advertises a large carbon panel in the back wall that heats up in two minutes - we tested it and while the panel does get hot in two minutes, it still took 20 minutes for the whole sauna to heat to 110 degrees.

In regards to the size of sauna you need, it depends on where you are going to put it and how you are going to use it. If you have a small space, are going to use it by yourself primarily, and don’t need to lay down, a two-person or four-foot wide model will work. If two people will use it together or you wish to semi-recline, a three-person or five-foot wide model is preferred. If used by a family, in a commercial setting or you wish to lay down flat, a four-person or six-foot wide or larger model is recommended. Another feature to consider is the bench width - some models have very narrow benches and do not have enough width to lay down on. Also, check out the depth of the sauna as some have less legroom than others.

We recommend you get a copy of their warranty and ask about their return policy if you are not happy with the sauna you purchased. Remember that wood is not a perfect material to work with and your sauna can have some interesting patterns and blemishes in the wood that are not the fault of the manufacturer.

WHY WE CHOSE SUNLIGHT SAUNAS

As stated before, we have always had saunas to use in our facility to use for therapeutic and spa services. After becoming aware of infrared saunas and researched their effectiveness over several months, we began to carry a line of saunas. After a year of marketing at home shows and health fairs, we found out that many people wanted features in a sauna that our existing line didn’t have. Once we researched Sunlight Saunas, we realized that Sunlight is the only manufacturer that has the most features of any sauna company - choice of wood cabinet, four different sizes, lifetime warranty, indoor stereo, outdoor cover, wider bench, halogen lighting, etc. Including the SOLO and SOLOPAD, they offer more features and benefits than any other sauna line. We have had several customers sell their existing sauna and buy a Sunlight once they realized the micron range of their previous sauna was inadequate. In less than five years, Sunlight has grown to be a six-million dollar company and is the only sauna company to be recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of its “Hot 100” fastest-growing entrepreneurial companies for three years in a row.

TESTIMONIALS

Back and Body Solutions always sends a survey and testimonial letter to our customers about 4-6 months after their purchase. Results of the survey and testimonial letters sent back from our customers can be reviewed on our web site at www.backandbodysolutions.com.

REFERENCES

For the references used for this article and for more information on sauna therapy, please see our web site at www. backandbodysolutions.com.