The Health Benefits of Infrared Saunas
As a health care practitioner, I am always staying up to date with researching new ways that my patients can experience a better quality of life through simple modalities. Lately, I have been looking into the health benefits of infrared saunas and I can’t wait to share this information with you!
First off, you may be thinking, “what are infrared saunas?”. They are infrared lamps that directly warm your body using electromagnetic radiation without warming the air around you (5). This type is sauna is often referred to as a “far-infrared sauna” with “far” being used to describe where the infrared waves fall on the spectrum of light (5).
When you think of the word “sauna”, you like think of traditional saunas like wood stoves or steam saunas, but infrared saunas are unique in the way that they only heat to approximately 60°C, which provides a more comfortable experience and allows for heightened relaxation (1). Traditional saunas typically heat the air to approximately 85°C, which relies mainly on convection to heat the user (1). Infrared saunas use 120-V infrared elements that penetrate deeper than the warmed air, which helps you to develop a more vigorous sweat without the same high temperatures of a traditional sauna (1). Infrared saunas can be compared to warming the body in a similar way as natural sunlight (5).
If you’re wondering more about how you can get your hands on an infrared sauna, they are approved by the Canadian Standards Association and are available for purchase to the public (1). Manufacturers of these saunas advertise a variety of therapeutic effects from the regular use of their saunas (1).
Some of the benefits that are advertised are:
better sleep
relaxation
detoxification
weight loss
relief from sore muscles
relief from joint pain such as arthritis
clear and tighter skin
improved circulation
help for people with chronic fatigue syndrome
So, what does the research show?
It’s been shown that using an Finnish bath 4 times per week has been associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (63% lower) and can also reduce all-cause mortality by 40% in men (3). The results found around the benefits of infrared saunas on cardio-vascular health are the more established (3). The cardiovascular demand from the use of these saunas (sweating, increased heart rate, increased cardiac output) is comparable to walking at a moderate pace, which means that it can be extremely beneficial for persons who are primarily sedentary due to medical conditions, such as osteoarthritis or cardiovascular/ respiratory issues (1).
There are still studies being conducted on many of the other benefits that manufacturers advertise, but one study I came across showed that the use of these saunas improved anxiety, depression, and fatigue in the participants. However, the pain levels did not significantly change.
If you’re curious about some of these benefits, definitely consider giving this therapy a try! I am looking forward to seeing more research come out on this topic so that I can bring it to you.
Have you tried infrared saunas before? I’d love to hear about your experience!
References
Beever R. (2009). Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 55(7), 691–696.
Crinnion W. J. (2011). Sauna as a valuable clinical tool for cardiovascular, autoimmune, toxicant- induced and other chronic health problems. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic, 16(3), 215–225.
Hussain, J. N., Cohen, M. M., Mantri, N., O'Malley, C. J., & Greaves, R. F. (2022). Infrared sauna as exercise-mimetic? Physiological responses to infrared sauna vs exercise in healthy women: A randomized controlled crossover trial. Complementary therapies in medicine, 64, 102798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102798
Mero, A., Tornberg, J., Mäntykoski, M., & Puurtinen, R. (2015). Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men. SpringerPlus, 4, 321. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-015-1093-5
Soejima, Y., Munemoto, T., Masuda, A., Uwatoko, Y., Miyata, M., & Tei, C. (2015). Effects of Waon therapy on chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study. Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan), 54(3), 333–338. https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.54.3042