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Infrared
Sauna Therapy
Passive
Cardiovascular Conditioning Effect
The Infrared Thermal System
makes it possible for people in wheelchairs, or those who are otherwise
unable to exert themselves, or who won't follow through on an exercising
and conditioning program to achieve a cardiovascular training effect.
This also allows for more variety in any ongoing training program.
"Many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular
system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of a sauna may impact
a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may
be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning
of calories, as regular exercise." - Journal of the American
Medical Association 8/7/81.
Due to the deep
penetration, over 1.5" into the skin, of the infrared rays
generated by the Infrared Thermal System, there is a heating effect deep
in the muscular tissues and the internal organs. The body responds to
this deep-heating effect via an hypothalamic-induced increase in both
heart volume and rate. This beneficial heart stress leads to a
sought-after cardiovascular training and conditioning effect. Medical
researches confirm the use of a sauna provides cardiovascular
conditioning as the body works to cool itself and involves substantial
increases in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. As a
confirmation of the validity of this form of cardiovascular
conditioning, extensive research by NASA in the early 1980's led to the
conclusion that infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be
the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American
astronauts during long space flights. Blood flow during whole-body
hypothermia is reported to rise from a normal 5 ~ 7 quarts per minute to
as much as 13 quarts per minute.
"The 1980's was the
decade of high-impact aerobics classes and high-mileage training. Yet
there was something elitist about the way exercise was prescribed. Only
strenuous workouts would do, you had to raise your heart rate to between
X and Y, and the only way to go was to go for the burn. Such strictures
insured that most 'real' exercisers were relatively young and in good
shape to begin with. Many Americans got caught up in the fitness boom,
but probably just as many fell by the wayside. As we've reported, recent
research shows that you don't have to run marathons to become fit - that
burning just 1,000 calories a week is enough. Anything goes, as long as
it burns these calories." - Wellness Letter, 10/90, University of
California, Berkeley.
Outstanding
Caloric Consumption and Weight Control
In Guyton's Textbook of
Medical Physiology, we find that producing one gram of sweat requires
0.568 kcal. The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) states;
"A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams in
a sauna, consuming nearly 300 kcal, which is equivalent to running 2 ~ 3
miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600 ~ 800 kcal
with no adverse effects. While the weight of the water loss can be
regained by drinking water, the calories consumed will not be."
Since an Infrared Thermal System helps generate two or three times the
sweat produced in a hot-air sauna, the implications for increased
caloric consumption are quite impressive. Assuming "a sauna",
as mentioned in JAMA, to last for 30 minutes, some interesting
comparisons might be drawn. Two of the highest calorie-consuming forms
of exercises are rowing and marathon running. Peak output on a rowing
machine or during a marathon run burns about 600 calories in 30 minutes.
An Infrared Thermal System may enhance this effect from "just
slightly" up to as much as 250%, by burning about 900 ~ 2,400
calories in a 30 minute session. The Infrared Thermal System might then
simulate the consumption of energy equal to that expanded in a 6 ~ 9
mile run during only a single session. An Infrared Thermal System can,
thus, play a pivotal role in both weight control and cardiovascular
conditioning. This would be very valuable for those who don't exercise
and those who can't exercise yet want an effective weight control and
fitness maintenance program and the benefits of a regular exercise.
Musculoskeletal
Cases - success
reported with infrared treatments by Japanese researchers:
- TMJ Arthritis · Muscle
Spasms - reduced or eliminated
- Traumatic Arthritis
- Low Back Pain - relieved
- Acel-decel Injury
Sequelae
- Adhesions - lengthened
or more easily broken; they are common in competitive athletes,
trauma and repetitive stress syndromes
- Disc-protrusion Related
Neuralgia
- Brain Contusion -
accelerated healing
- Tight Shoulders -
relaxed
- Compression Fracture -
Example: pain stopped for 3 days with only a single treatment
- Spinal Cord Shock - post
traumatic shock reversed
- Muscle Tension - relaxed
- Post-exercise Muscle
Pain - vital to competitive athletes
- Arthritis: Gouty,
Rheumatoid, DJD - each substantially relieved or improved
- Shoulder Pain - relieved
or eliminated
- Bursitis - eliminated
"Medical practitioners
make use of Infrared Radiant Heat to treat sprains, strains, bursitis,
peripheral vascular diseases, arthritis and muscle pain..." -
McGraw/Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Dr. Masao Nakamura of
the O & P Medical Clinic in Japan has reported great success with
the use of infrared treatment for:
- Whiplash
- Sciatica
- Menopause
- Arthritis
- Shoulder Stiffness
- Rheumatism
- Acne
- Gastroenteric Problem
- Ear Diseases
- Insomnia
Pain
Relief - Rheumatoid Arthritis
A case study was reported
in Sweden of a 70 year old man with Rheumatoid Arthritis secondary to
acute rheumatic fever. He had reached his toxic limit on Gold injections
and his Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was still at 125. Within 5 months
of undergoing an infrared treatment, his ESR was down to only 11. In the
case of rheumatic arthritis of a 14-year old Swedish girl who couldn't
walk comfortably downstairs due to knee pain since she had been eight
years old, her rheumatologist told her mother that her child would be in
a wheelchair within 2 years if she refused gold corticosteroid therapy.
However, after 3 infrared sauna treatments, she began to become more
agile and subsequently took up folk dancing, without the aid of the
conventional approach in her recovery. A clinical trial in Japan
reported the successful solution in seven out of seven cases of
Rheumatoid Arthritis treated with whole-body infrared therapy. These
case studies and clinical trials indicate that further study is
warranted on the usage of whole-body infrared therapy in the care of
patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The following is a summary
from Therapeutic Heat and Cold, 4th edition, ED. Justus F. Lehmann M.D.,
Williams and Wilkins, Chapter 9 or concluded from the data therein.
Generally it is accepted
that heat produces the following desirable therapeutic effects:
1. It increases the
extensibility of collagen tissues.
- Tissues heated to 45°C
and then stretched exhibit a non-elastic residual elongation of
about 0.5 ~0.9% that persists after the stretch is removed. It does
not occur in these same tissues when stretched at normal tissue
temperatures. Thus 20 stretching sessions can produce around 10 ~
18% increase in length in tissues heated and stretched.
- This effect would be
especially valuable in working with ligaments, joint capsules,
tendons, fasciae, and synovium that have become scarred, thickened
or contracted.
- Such stretching at 45°C
caused much less weakening in stretched tissues for a given
elongation than a similar elongation produced at normal tissue
temperatures.
- The cited experiments
clearly show that low-impact stretching can produce a significant
residual elongation when heat is applied together with stretching or
range-of-motion exercises, which is also safer than stretching
tissues at normal tissue temperatures.
- This safer stretching
effect is crucial in properly training competitive athletes so as to
minimize their "down" time from injuries.
2. It decreases joint
stiffness directly.
- There was a 20% decrease
in stiffness at 45°C as compared with 33°C in rheumatoid finger
joints, which correlated perfectly to both subjective and objective
observation of stiffness.
- Any stiffened joint and
thickened connective tissues should respond in a similar fashion.
3. It relieves muscle
spasms.
- Muscle spasms have long
been observed to be reduced through the use of heat, be they
secondary to underlying skeletal, joint, or neuro-pathological
conditions.
- This result is possibly
produced by the combined effect of heat on both primary and
secondary afferent from spindle cells and from its effects on Golgi
tendon organs. The effects produced by each of these mechanisms
demonstrated their peak effect within the therapeutic temperature
range obtainable with radiant heat.
4. It produces pain
relief.
- Pain may be relieved via
the reduction of attendant or secondary muscle spasms. Pain is also
at times related to ischemia due to tension or spasm, which can be
improved by the hyperemia that heat-induced vasodilatation produces.
This then breaks the feedback loop, in which the ischemia leads to
further spasm and then more pain.
- Heat has been shown to
reduce pain sensation by direct action on both free-nerve endings in
tissues and on peripheral nerves. In one dental study, repeated heat
applications eventually led to abolishment of the whole nerve
response responsible for pain arising from dental pulp.
- Heat may lead to both
increased endorphin production and a shutting down of the so-called
"spinal gate" of Melzack and Wall, each of which can
reduce pain.
5. It increases blood
flow.
-
Heating of one area of
the body produces reflex-modulated vasodilatation in distant-body
areas, even in the absence of a change in core body temperature;
i.e. heat one extremity and the contralateral extremity also
dilates; heat a forearm and both lower extremities dilate; heat the
front of the trunk and the hand dilates.
-
Heating of muscles
produces an increased blood flow level similar to that seen during
an exercise.
-
Temperature elevation
produces an increase in blood flow and dilation directly in
capillaries, arterioles, and venuies, probably through direct action
on their smooth muscles. The release of bradykinin, released as a
consequence of sweat-gland activity, also produces increased blood
flow and vasodilatation.
- Whole-body hyperthermia,
with a consequent core temperature elevation, further induces
vasodilatation via an hypothalamic-induced decrease in sympathetic
tone on the arteriovenous anastomoses. Vasodilatation is also
produced by axonal reflexes and by reflexes that change vasomotor
balance.
6. It assists in
resolution of inflammatory infiltrates, edema and exudates.
- The increased peripheral
circulation provides the transportation needed to help evacuate the
edema, which can help stop inflammation, decrease pain and help
speed healing.
7. More recently, it has
been used in cancer therapy.
- This is a new and
experimental procedure.
- It shows a great promise
in some cases when used properly.
- American researchers
favor careful monitoring of the tumor temperature; whereas, the
successes reported in Japan make no mention of such precaution.
Infrared healing is now
becoming the leading edge in the care of soft tissue injuries to promote
both relief in chronic or intractable "permanent" cases, and
accelerated healing in newer injuries.
Localized infrared therapy
using lamps tuned to the 2 ~ 25 micron waveband is used for the
treatment and relief of pain by over 40 reputable Chinese Medical
Institutes.
Researchers reported over
90% success in a summary of Chinese studies that assessed the effect of
infrared therapy on:
- Soft tissue injury
- Lumbar strain
- Periarthritis of the
shoulder
- Sciatica
- Pain during Menstruation
- Neurodermatitis
- Eczema with infection
- Post-surgical infections
- Diarrhea
- Cholecystitis
- Neurasthenia
- Pelvic infection
- Pediatric Pneumonia
- Tineas
- Frostbite with
inflammation
- Facial paralysis (Bell's
Palsy)
Japanese researchers, as
reported in the book Infrared Therapy by Dr. Yamajaki, have produced the
following provocative results.
- Burns: relieves pain and
decreases healing time, with less scarring
- High Blood Pressure:
safe in 40 ~ 50°C range and regular use helps to lower it
- Low Blood Pressure:
sauna trains body to raise it
- Brain Damage:
accelerated repair in brain contusions
- Short-term memory
improved
- Cancer of the tongue
reversed
- Toxic Electromagnetic
Fields: effects neutralized
- Cerebral Hemorrhages:
recovery is both sped up and significantly enhanced
- Auto Accident: related
soft tissue injury - daily sessions were used until best healing was
attained; then Infrared systems were used to deal with permanent
residuals. The pain control effect on the chronic residuals from
such injuries lasted three days before another treatment was
necessary.
- Arthritis, acute and
chronic: was greatly relieved
- Gouty Arthritis:
relieved
- Rheumatoid Arthritis:
relieved
- Menopause Symptoms:
relieved chills, nervousness, depression, dizziness, head &
stomach aches
- Weight Loss: first,
through sweating and the energy use needed to produce the sweat and
second, through direct excretion of fat
Blood
Circulation - All of the following ailments may be associated to
some degree with poor circulation and, thus, may respond well to the
increased peripheral dilation associated with Infrared application:
- Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Backaches
- Hemorrhoids
- Nervous Tension
- Diabetes
- Children's Over-tired
Muscles
- Varicose Veins
- Neuritis
- Bursitis
- Rheumatism
- Strained Muscles
- Fatigue
- Stretch Marks
- Menstrual Cramps
- Upset Stomachs
- Leg and Decubitus
Ulcers: failed to heal using conventional approaches
- Post-Operative Edema:
treatment with infrared has been so successful that hospital stays
were reported to have been reduced by 25%
- Peripheral Occlusive
Disease: "The goal is to maintain an optimal blood flow rate to
the affected part... In general the temperature should be maintained
at the highest level which does not increase the circulatory
discrepancy as shown by cyanosis and pain" - Therapeutic Heat
and Cold pp. 456 ~ 457
Coronary
Artery Disease, Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension
Finnish researchers,
talking about the regular use of conventional saunas state that there
are abundant evidences to suggest that blood vessels of regular
sauna-goers remain elastic and pliable longer due to the regular
dilation and contraction of blood vessels induced by sauna use. German
medical researchers reported in "Dermatol Monatsschr" in 1989
that a single whole-body session of infrared-induced hyperthermia
lasting over one hour had only beneficial effects on subjects with stage
I-II essential hypertension. Each subject experienced a rise in core
body temperature to a maximum level of 38.5°C (101.3°F). All of the
subjects in one experiment had significant decrease in arterial, venous
and mean blood pressure that lasted for at least 24 hours and was
linked, according to the researchers, to a persistent peripheral
dilation effect. An improvement in plasma viscosity was also noted.
Another group of similar hypertension patients was also studied under
the same conditions of infrared-induced hyperthermia, with an eye toward
more carefully evaluating the circulatory system effects induced by this
type of whole-body heating. During each infrared session, there was a
significant decrease of blood pressure, cardiac ejection resistance, and
total peripheral resistance in every subject. There was also a
significant increase during each session of the subjects' heart rates,
stroke volumes, cardiac outputs and ejection fractions. The researchers
cite these last three effects as evidences that the stimulation of the
heart during infrared-induced hyperthermia is well compensated, while
the prior list of effects clearly show the microcirculatory changes that
lead to the desired result of a lowering of blood pressure.
Problems often
accompanying Aging, that have been reported to have been alleviated or
reduced by Infrared Therapy in Japan:
- Menopause
- Cold hands and feet: A
physical therapist found 20~50% improvement was maintained
- High Blood Pressure:
Example - Case of a diabetic with a systolic decrease from 180 to
125 and a concurrent 10 lbs. weight loss after infrared use
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: 7
out of 7 cases successfully resolved in one clinical trial
- Radiation Sickness:
relieves signs and symptoms
- Cancer Pain: relieved
pain in later stages of cancer extremely well
- Sequelae of Strokes:
Example - Hemiparesis relieved over time
- Benign Prostatic
Hypertrophy: reduced
- Duodenal Ulcers:
eliminated
- Pain: which prevented
sleep or limited useable sleeping positions were relieved
- Compression Fracture
Pain: Example - pain gone for 3 days after each treatment in
steoporotic compression fractures
- Hemorrhoids: reduced §
Cystitis: gone
- Cirrhoisis of Liver:
reversed
- Gastritis: relieved
- Hepatitis: gone
- Asthma & Bronchitis:
cleared up (like moving to Arizona's dry air)
- Chron's Disease: gone
- Post Surgical Adhesions:
reduced
- Leg ulcers: healed when
previously static and resistant to other care
- Keloids: significantly
softened and, in some cases, completely gone
Ear,
Nose and Throat conditions relieved with Infrared treatments in Japan:
- Chronic middle-ear
inflammation or infection: in one clinical study of chronic
serousotitis media no pathogenic bacteria were isolated 70% of the
subjects studied
- Sore throats
- Tinitus: chronic severe
case cleared with 10 Infrared treatments
- Nose bleeding
Skin
conditions benefited by Infrared treatments in Japan and China:
- Nettle rash
- Clogged pores are
unplugged of cosmetics creating a skin texture and tone of
unexcelled quality. Mikkel Aaland's book Sweat (Capra Press, 1978)
quotes a Finnish doctor to the effect that: "The best dressed
foreigner can come into a doctor's office, and when his skin is
examined, it is found to be rough as bark. On the other hand, as a
result of the sauna, the skin of any Finnish worker is supple and
healthy"
- Poor skin tone is
restored to a more youthful level
- Scars and pain from
burns or wounds are decreased in severity and extent. Infrared
therapy is used routinely in burn units throughout Asia
- Lacerations heal quicker
and with less pain and scarring
- Acne: Three or four
infrared treatments may open pores that have not been functioning in
years, forcing out clogging cosmetics and loosening dead outer skin.
The sauna is thus a boon to teenage skin, clearing acne and
blackheads
- Body odor: by improving
the function of the skin, the infrared treatments may eliminate the
cause of offensive body odor. It definitely reduces body odorr
induced by occupational exposure to odorous chemicals
- Eczema and Psoriasis:
reported to have responded extremely well to infrared treatments
- Sunburn: according to
the 9th edition of Clayton's Electrotherapy, "infrared is the
only antidote to excessive ultraviolet radiation."
- Keloids forms at a
reduced rate in those prone to their formation with infrared
treatments and may be softened by use of infrared systems if they
have formed
CONTRA-INDICATIONS
-
As you can see, the
segment of the infrared spectrum emitted by the Infrared Thermal
System is reputed to offer an astounding range of possible
therapeutic benefits and effects in research conducted around the
world. The data presented is offered for reference purposes only and
to stimulate further observation. Infrared Thermal Systems creating
a cure for or treating any disease is neither implied nor should be
inferred.
-
If you have a disease,
be certain to consult with a primary-care physician concerning it.
-
If you are using any
prescription drugs, check with your physician or pharmacist for any
possible change in the drug's effect due to any interaction with
infrared energy.
-
It is considered
inadvisable to raise the core temperature in someone with adrenal
suppression and systemic lupus erythematosus or multiple sclerosis,
by some authorities.
-
If you have a recent
(acute) joint injury, it should not be heated for the first 48 hours
after an injury or until the hot and swollen symptoms subside. If
you have a joint or joints that are chronically hot and swollen,
these joints may respond poorly to vigorous heating of any kind.
Vigorous heating is strictly contra-indicated in cases of enclosed
infections be they dental, in joints or in any other tissues.
-
If you are pregnant or
suspect you may be, discontinue your sauna use. Finnish women use
their saunas, which don't throw heat as deeply into the body, for
only 6~12 minutes and reportedly leave at that time, due to
perceived discomfort. Their usage at this low level of intensity is
not linked to birth defects. Infrared Thermal System usage may be
2~3 times more intense, and comparatively shorter 2~6 minute
sessions hardly seem worth any minimal risk they may present.
-
Metal pins, rods,
artificial joints or any other surgical implants generally reflect
infrared rays and thus are not heated by this system, nevertheless
you should consult your surgeon prior to using Infrared Thermal
System. Certainly, the usage of Infrared Thermal System must be
discontinued if you experience pain near any such implants. Silicone
does absorb infrared energy. Implanted silicone or silicone
prostheses for nose or ear replacement may be warmed by the infrared
rays. Since silicone melts at over 200°C (392°F), it should not be
adversely affected by the usage of Infrared Thermal System. It is
still advised that you check with your surgeon and possibly a
representative from the product manufacture to be certain.
-
Heating of the low back
area of women during the menstrual period may temporarily increase
their menstrual flow. Once a woman is aware that this may occur, she
can choose to allow herself to possible experience this short term
effect without worry or to simply avoid Infrared Thermal System
usage at that time of her cycle.
-
Hemophiliacs and anyone
predisposed to hemorrhage should avoid Infrared Thermal System usage
or any type of heating that would induce vasodilatation, which can
potentate the tendency to bleed.
-
Obviously, should any
condition worsen with use of an Infrared treatment, the use of the
system should be discontinued.
-
People do not
experience pain using Infrared Thermal Systems unless such is
contraindicated. If you do, the use of radiant heat is clearly
inappropriate for you at that time.
-
DO NOT attempt to
self-treat any disease with this Infrared Thermal System without
direct supervision of a physician.
QUICK
HIGHLIGHTS OF SELECTED TOPICS OF INTEREST
Benefits Reported
1. Weight Loss
Burns up to 900 &
more calories in just one 30-minute session. Here are how many
calories a 150-pound person normally burns up in 30 minutes of
exercise:
SPORT : CALORIES
- Rowing (peak effort)
: 600
- Swimming (crawl
stroke) : 300
- Jogging : 300
- Tennis (fast game) :
265
- Chopping Wood : 265
- Cycling (10mph) :
225
- Golfing (without a
cart) : 150
- Walking (3.5mph) :
150
- Bowling : 120
- Vigorous Racquet
Ball : 510
- Marathon Running 593
Some weight loss
authorities believe that our bodies use fat to dilute toxins. As an
Infrared Thermal System is an unsurpassed expeller of toxins, it is
also a great way to get rid of any fat our bodies are using to
dilute toxins we are storing.
2. Beauty
- Excellent for increasing
blood circulation to the skin, which is essential for beautiful,
youthful, glowing skin.
- A new "inner
glow" as the skin is free of accumulated dirt and dry skin
cells, due to deep cleansing of impurities.
- Improves the conditions
of acne, eczema, psoriasis, burns and any skin lesions and cuts.
- Open wounds heal quicker
with reduced scarring.
- Removes roughness,
leaving skin baby smooth and soft again.
- Firms and improves skin
tone and elasticity.
3.Scars on Skin
Scars fully formed, even
keloids, may be gradually softened. Burns and other wounds or
incisions may heal with significantly reduced scarring.
4. Cellulite
- Cellulite is a gel-like
substance made up of fat, water and wastes, which are trapped in
pockets below the skin. An Infrared Thermal System can assist this
condition, as profuse sweating helps clear this form of unwanted
debris from the body.
- European beauty
specialists confirm that a sauna will greatly speed any
anti-cellulite program.
- Due to at least twice
the depth of heat penetration into cellulite combined with up to 10
times the level of heating in these tissues, an Infra Therapist
System can be significantly more effective than any conventional
sauna.
5. Relieve Pain
Effective for arthritis,
back pain, muscle spasms, headache, etc.
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