Infrared Saunas are the latest beauty and wellness trend hitting the market and here is what you should know about infrared sauna benefits so you can get behind it too! This is a new and innovative light-based therapy that is ideal to treat pain as well as inflammation in many areas of the body. Infrared therapy is painless and has been studied in many fields of medicine as an effective, safe and drug-free treatment for many conditions.

What Is Infrared Light?

Infrared light is naturally occurring from the sun and is the heat that our body typically emits. In concentrated doses, it encourages cell regeneration. Infrared light goes directly to the area of injury or inflammation at specific wavelengths, stimulating cell repair.

Infrared light is different from ultraviolet light since it is the heat you usually feel when you are exposed to the sun. On the other hand, ultraviolet light is the brightness you see when you are outside in the sun, which can usually be harmful. Infrared light is harmless and is the basis of infrared sauna benefits.

What Is Infrared Light Therapy?

Many people suffering from acute or chronic pain are seeking the sauna health benefits from infrared light. This therapy uses particular wavelengths of light that are set to areas of the body that have pain. Infrared light helps the body’s cells repair and regenerate themselves, unlike ultraviolet light which is quite damaging to the body’s tissues and cells. Also, infrared light stimulates the circulation of oxygen-rich blood in the body, encourages faster healing of deep tissue and alleviates pain.

One of the main features of infrared technology is that it can penetrate the deepest skin layers, which support a more effective method of pain relief. As a matter of fact, this natural, noninvasive and painless method of healing can also provide lots of health benefits, without causing harm to the skin.

What is the History of Infrared Therapy?

Using electricity to heal isn’t really a new concept, back in 2,750 BC there is evidence to prove that people used electricity for healing purposes. Obviously, in those days their form of electricity was still quite primitive, and their voltaic source originated from electric eels which would electrically shock people to rejuvenate and rehabilitate them.

Unfortunately, electricity and magnetism did very little for people. Although, in 1975 the development of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) came into effect to treat chronic pain. It was only a short while ago that infrared therapy was developed to improve wound healing, lessen arthritis pain, and increase endorphin levels and neuromodulators such as Noradrenaline, Dopamine, Serotonin and Cholinergic systems.

The boundless aspect of infrared technology is that people can utilize the benefits of the sun, without making themselves vulnerable to harmful ultraviolet rays. Plus, infrared therapy is safe and effective, without any negative side effects. Infrared therapy is so safe and effective that it is used on infants in neonatal intensive care.

How Does Infrared Sauna Benefits The Body?

Infrared light can reach the inner layers of the skin at approximately two to seven centimeters deep. Therefore, one of the sauna benefits of infrared is that it can penetrate the muscles, nerves, and surprisingly, the bones as well. Research suggests that the best frequency of infrared wavelengths heal inflammatory conditions ranging from 700 to 1,000 nanometers.

The body absorbs infrared light through the photoreceptors within the cells. When they are absorbed, the light energy triggers a succession of metabolic events, setting off natural bodily processes on a cellular level.

The main sauna health benefits of infrared could be none other than nitric oxide, which is a gas that is crucial for healthy arteries. Nitric oxide is a dynamic cell signaling molecule that helps relax the arteries, fight off free radicals to lower oxidative stress, stop platelet clumping in the vessels, and control blood pressure. Consequently, this molecule improves blood circulation to transport important nutrients and oxygen to damaged and injured tissues in the body.

When an increase in blood flow reaches different parts of the body, it makes it more possible for oxygen and nutrients to reach the cells and helps them function properly and effectively. That is why the far infrared sauna benefits human bodies and stimulates the regeneration and repair of injured tissues while lowering pain and inflammation.

Infrared therapy can be used to treat many health issues such as arthritis, back pain, bursitis, blunt trauma, muscle strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, neck pain, diabetic neuropathy, temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ), rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, joint pain, joint inflammation, muscle pain, nerve pain, spine injuries, sports injuries, wounds, surgical incisions and tendonitis.

Besides being an alternative treatment to conventional forms of medicine, infrared therapy plays many roles in the human body. The near, mid and far infrared wavelengths help the body to detoxify, relieve pain, reduce muscle tension, relax, improve circulation, lose weight, purify the skin, lower the side effects of diabetes, boost the immune system and lower blood pressure.

In the long run, infrared therapy is a safe and effective method to alleviate pain and treat a whole host of medical conditions. Many people turn to infrared light therapy because it is a safe, effective, and drug-free way for long-lasting relief from sometimes debilitating pain. Besides the pain, it can also help to heal injured parts of the body. When these injuries are treated, many health benefits are evident such as pain relief, reduced inflammation, and recovery of the affected body part.