Infrared saunas can be used to alleviate pain throughout the body – the soothing and gentle light provides a more comforting, holistic, and relaxed experience compared to other pain relief and medication solutions. Infrared saunas are not the cure to pain, but when combined with professional medical advice, they can unlock a life without pain for chronic sufferers. So, if you’ve ever wondered about the benefits of an infrared sauna for nerve pain, joint pain, or just general advice about infrared sauna for pain relief, then continue reading on for Rimba’s guide.
How Does Infrared Light Ease Pain?
Infrared sauna for pain, what’s the connection? Well, that all comes down to how infrared light therapy actually works. Within the sauna, your body will be exposed to infrared rays that penetrate deep into the body’s tissues. These beams of gentle infrared light open your blood vessels and start pumping nutrient-rich blood throughout the body to areas that need it most – namely the muscles and your ligaments – the warming allows the muscles and ligaments to feel less stiff.
Why an Infrared Sauna For Pain Relief
The mainstream focus for pain relief focuses on pharmaceutical intervention. Over-the-counter painkillers are used for good reason across the globe. However, excessive reliance on drugs and medication can have long-lasting side effects. Infrared saunas can provide a relief from pain, without the harmful side effects. Balancing a few weekly sessions in an infrared sauna with other advice from a medical professional can significantly alleviate the discomfort caused by pain in different areas of the body.
Infrared saunas are a comforting, detoxifying experience. The gentle heat warms your body from its core, and almost all participants leave feeling comfortable and relaxed. Compared to other pain relief methods, which, whilst effective at eliminating pain, can also induce sickness and other adverse side effects.
As we age, our bodies become exposed to normal levels of stiffness, aches, and pains. It’s inevitable. But the severity of this pain does not have to affect your overall wellbeing. Regular sessions in an infrared sauna coupled with light to moderate exercise alongside advice from a medical professional will all ease the typical aspects of the ageing process.
Let’s take a look at the different types of pain that infrared therapy can assist with.
Infrared Sauna For Nerve Pain
Infrared saunas have been linked to the reduction of muscle spasms. Muscle spasms are painful reactions to nerve impulses brought on by skeletal or neuropathological factors. The effect of the heat on nerve endings acts in a soothing way, which eases the nerves carrying pulses towards the brain or spine. Increased healthy blood flow helps lessen the pain sensation and the pressure on nerves, providing relief from pain.
Infrared Sauna For Back Pain
Back pain is one of the more common pain conditions in the world. Continuous sessions in an infrared sauna will guarantee that back pain is eased at the source of the pain, without any side effects or significant health risks. It’s not just the soothing heat that combats the pain; the heat of infrared therapy also boosts your circulation so that oxygen-rich blood can be transported quickly to the source of the pain. The dual function of the heat warms the surrounding area whilst also invigorating your body’s natural pain resistance mechanism, giving your body the head start it needs to begin healing.
Infrared Sauna for Pain Associated with Sport & Injuries
Staying active with sport is fundamental to our overall wellbeing. However, excessive activity can lead to pain in different areas of the body, particularly in contact sports. Contact sport can lead to painful inflammation in critical points around the body, such as the neck, shoulders, back, and knees, and swelling can have negative effects if left untreated. Interchanging cooling from ice packs with soothing heat will activate the production of white blood cells that alleviate the discomfort and redness of swelling. Infrared sauna therapy is known to provide healing across sporting injuries and muscle soreness.
Indirect Benefits of an Infrared Sauna for Pain Relief
When you sleep, it is your body’s chance to heal itself and recuperate after a long day to prepare for the next. For those in severe discomfort from pain, it can be difficult to sleep if you are experiencing severe pain. Difficulty sleeping traps sufferers in a constant loop that is hard to break. No sleep leads to increased pain; increasing pain leads to less sleep.
Infrared therapy allows your body to fully relax, which can in turn, reduce tension, and relieve pain. Furthermore, infrared saunas in the evening are a great way to induce sleep in users and enriches sleep quality. Allowing yourself a proper night’s sleep is your best chance of naturally fighting against pain by utilising the body’s natural pain relief systems that work best whilst we are asleep.
Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Infrared Sauna
To really take full advantage of an infrared sauna for joint pain, as well as pain in other areas, users should try and do the following before entering:
1. Hydrate
Keeping your body hydrated before an infrared sauna session will give you the stamina to enjoy an extended heat session and really get the most out of it. Drinking water is important before commencing any activity that will cause sweating.
2. Find The Best Setting For You
Everyone experiences pain differently, and as such, the benefits of each type of infrared light differ from person to person. These distinctive settings shift the way the light interacts with your body. It is worth experimenting with the settings to see which you feel most comfortable with and get the most relief from.
3. Stretch Before Entering
Stretching is a great way of limbering up your muscles and joints before starting any activity. Limbering up gets the blood pumping to different parts of the body. Going into a sauna with blood already pumping will ensure you get the best results from the session.
4. Don’t Overdo It
It is recommended you have a break between infrared sauna sessions, as excessive sweating can begin to adversely impact your health if not properly balanced. Take some time to allow the body to cool down after a session, over a day or two before jumping back in. Downtime allows your body to make slow adjustments on its own.
Infrared Sauna for Pain: Not the Silver Bullet
Pain for all of us is not entirely avoidable. It will affect us all in some respect throughout our lives. However, we can all take steps to reduce the intensity of pain. It is important to remember that infrared saunas are not the ultimate cure when it comes to pain relief and should not be used to replace advice from a medical professional. However, their benefits are well documented and backed up by countless studies. Combining regular sessions in an infrared sauna with advice from a medical professional will almost definitely reduce your experiences with pain. Ready to experience the benefits of infrared therapy? Book your next session in with Rimba Sweat online today.