Heat therapy, i.e., the application of heat to the body or to a part of it, for obtaining health benefits has been in use in different forms since ages- be it in the form of the humble hot-water bottle (for local application) or the sophisticated infrared sauna (for whole body treatment).
Infrared sauna is a unique type of sauna where deep-penetrating therapeutic heat is generated directly on the body of the user via infrared rays (electromagnetic radiation with frequency just below the visible light range) coming from an infrared source. This is in sharp contrast to conventional saunas where heat is transferred to the body from the surrounding hot medium (air or steam), heated using a woodengaselectric stove.
Although qualitatively speaking the health benefits offered by infrared sauna are similar to those of conventional saunas, the use of infrared rays is believed to enhance these benefits and lend additional advantages as compared to conventional saunas. Some commonly talked about advantages are
o Infrared sauna confers all the health benefits of the natural sunlight, minus the negative effects of the ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight.
o Since the surrounding air does not get heated in infrared sauna, health benefits of heat therapy are achieved in a comfortable ambiance. The surrounding hot air or steam in conventional saunas can make breathing quite difficult for some people.
The high temperatures in conventional saunas can also prove dangerous for people suffering from cardiovascular problems; moreover, the sensitive kind of skin faces the risk of being scalded.
As a result of which infrared saunas are easier to use and just as effective when it come to the health benefits you receive with each sauna session.
Tags: electromagnetic radiation, hot water bottle, infrared sauna, infrared saunas, natural sunlight, sauna session, sensitive kind, therapeutic heat, ultraviolet radiation, visible light range