Ever had back pain or a headache that just won’t go away, no matter what you try? Chances are, you might be suffering from chronic pain.
Around one in five (or 1.6 million) Australians share the same fate with you. While it’s usually tempting to pop a paracetamol and call it a day, overreliance on painkillers and medications can have long-lasting side effects on your body.
IR sauna can provide a holistic way to provide pain relief safely and naturally without heavily relying on medications and having side effects. This article will showcase how infrared saunas can be a welcome addition to your wellness routine by discussing its potential to alleviate chronic pain.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain, also called persistent pain, is a mild to severe pain that lasts more than six months. This pain can ‘persist’ even after the injury has healed up.
If you repeatedly put stress on a part of your body that results in an injury, it develops into what’s called acute pain (sudden or sharp pain.) If the acute pain is poorly treated or not treated at all, you risk the chance of developing it into chronic pain.
Luckily, regular infrared sauna sessions are scientifically proven to help alleviate chronic pain when applied to ongoing pain relief therapies.
How infrared saunas help
An IR sauna can work by directly heating you through infrared heat, penetrating four to five centimetres deep into the human body.
During a sauna session, your body undergoes a physiological process called
‘vasodilation.’ This process improves your blood flow, lowers inflammation through faster lactic acid clearance, and releases endorphins– the body’s feel-good hormone and natural pain reliever.
Arthritis
One common misconception about arthritis is that it only affects older adults. However, this condition can affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds, but it is more common among certain groups like older and overweight people.
Since infrared saunas induce a deep, heavy sweat to trigger heat shock proteins (proteins with anti-inflammatory properties), they can also help relieve stiff joints that people with arthritis might experience.
According to a pilot study done by Clinical Rheumatology, 24 patients– seven rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 17 ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients– were subjected to an infrared sauna session for two days a week over the course of a month.
The study turned out to decrease pain and stiffness and concluded that infrared saunas can impart significant short-term benefits to both RA and AS patients without amplifying the pain. Additionally, the participants stated that they were comfortable during and especially after the sauna session.
These results show that recurring infrared sauna sessions can be a potential therapy routine to treat arthritis.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a widespread chronic pain condition that affects about one million Australians from all age groups. Fibromyalgia can be classified as muscle, ligament and/or tendon pain, stiffness, and fatigue that persisted at least three months.
While there is no single effective treatment, infrared saunas can help treat this chronic pain condition if paired with clinical therapies and lifestyle changes. This statement is further backed by a study conducted by Japanese researchers, who support the use of infrared saunas to treat chronic pain.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), is a chronic pain condition characterised by persistent and unexplained fatigue, pain, and sleeplessness that persists for at least six months.
What’s worse is that the fatigue does not go away even after proper rest and can significantly hamper daily activities. However, infrared saunas can potentially help alleviate above-mentioned symptoms.
According to another Japanese study, 10 patients diagnosed with CFS underwent 15-minute 60°C sauna session five days a week for a month to determine the feasibility of using infrared saunas in helping treat CFS.
The study came out positive and patients who successfully completed their sauna sessions dramatically diminished their perceived fatigue and surprisingly improved their negative mood levels.
Treat Chronic Pain with Sun Stream Saunas
IR sauna is a proven holistic approach to helping treat chronic pain conditions. Not only does it help in alleviating muscle and joint pain, but it also lessens the amount of bitter pills and medications you’ll have to swallow.
For best results, try a 10-20 minute session and see how you feel afterwards. You’ll find that it’s a safe and comfortable experience during your session. However, we also highly recommend consulting with your doctor first before undergoing your first sauna session.
If you’re looking for an infrared sauna that is already proven, tested, and well-loved by doctors nationwide, we recommend trying out our sauna models! If you need help picking out the right model for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team and let us assist you in finding the perfect fit for your needs and preferences.