Most people have heard of an infrared sauna. Infrared radiation is a form of light on the invisible end of the spectrum, which penetrates the skin of the user (much like the light of the sun) and causes perspiration. But did you know that you can take the infrared sauna experience with you wherever you go with a portable infrared sauna?

Infrared saunas are popular among the health conscious because of the myriad health benefits they pose. By regularly relaxing in a sauna, people lower stress, manage their weight, detoxify their bodies, cleanse their pores, and relieve joint and muscle pain. No therapy is as beneficial to the entire body and spirit as infrared sauna therapy.

A portable sauna means that you can take these benefits with you on vacation or wherever you go. If space is at a premium in your home, a sauna that you can take down and store when not in use is invaluable. Portable models can also be significantly cheaper than building an entire sauna room, so if you are on a budget this may be the option for you.

You might pause to wonder how a sauna could possibly be portable. Wouldn't the heating element be too big? In a traditional sauna, yes. But infrared saunas only require thin, flat carbon sheets for heating elements, which are light and easily portable.

Portable saunas are generally small, only allowing one person to use them at a time. Depending on the type of portable sauna purchased, you can spend anywhere from 0 to ,000. They come in three main formats: domes, blankets, or boxes.

Domes and blanket models are fairly similar. Both models require you to lie down on the floor, and the sauna and heating elements are spread over you in a cylindrical dome. Try to visualize a tanning booth, and you've got the general idea.

The box is the most popular portable sauna. It looks a little like a small tent with a zippered entrance. The user sits on a foldable chair inside and fits their neck through a hole in the top of the box. Most models also have zippered openings for your hands, so users can read or have their hands free while in the sauna. The box and chair fold up flat when the session is over, looking rather like an over sized portfolio with a handle for easy carrying.

If you'd like to experience the benefits of infrared sauna but don't have the money or space that built-in saunas require, or if you travel a lot and don't want to leave your precious sauna at home, then a portable infrared sauna is for you.

Traditional, hot rock saunas have been used for thousands of years because of the health benefits they offer. Muscle relaxation, stress relief, pain relief, detoxification, and skin cleansing are considered among the most crucial of those health benefits. While sauna design and type have remained consistent for so many years, the introduction of Far Infrared (FIR) heat saunas has seen a change in the dynamics of the sauna. Improved form, lower costs, reduced temperatures, and greater health benefits are some of the reasons that more and more people are turning to infrared saunas in preference to the more traditional hot rock versions.

1 - Size

Traditional saunas work by heating the air in the sauna room while infrared saunas directly heat the object or sauna user. This means considerably less energy is expended but it also means that strictly speaking, an infrared sauna does not need to be air tight and uses fewer and smaller working parts. Home steam saunas generally require a reasonable sized brick building while infrared saunas benefit from much smaller confines and can be made from wood and various other materials.

2 - Cost

Infrared rays can penetrate the muscles and the body much more effectively than a traditional sauna. As such, lower temperatures are required in order to gain the benefits that saunas provide. Fewer working parts and less expansive housing makes purchase costs of an infrared sauna lower, while lower required temperatures mean reduced ongoing costs.

3 - Design

Few houses and other buildings can include the often bulky construction of a traditional sauna room. The smaller form of infrared home sauna units and the fact that FIR saunas can be constructed from wood and other materials means that better looking and considerably more convenient designs are available when shopping for infrared.

4 - Lower Temperature

The working temperature of an infrared sauna is considerably lower than that of a steam sauna. Despite offering deeper and more beneficial penetration this offers several key advantages. The atmosphere within the sauna room is such that users are able to enjoy or endure longer periods without becoming too uncomfortable. While some reports have shown that the lack of steam means less benefit for respiratory complaints, it means that those with heart complaints and other problems may be able to enjoy the benefits of a sauna where they have been advised not to in the past.

5 - Greater Penetration

Far Infrared (FIR) heat offers a directed source of heat that penetrates deeply through the skin and into the tissue and muscles of the body. While steam saunas rely on blanket coverage of heat with less penetration, FIR saunas have proven to offer greater benefits for muscle relaxation, tension and pain relief as well as other health benefits. The deeper penetration and increased comfort is why health clinics and sports centres tend to rely on FIR rather than steam saunas for treatment of health conditions.

6 - A More Comfortable Sauna Experience

Infrared saunas offer a more convenient and comfortable all round experience and have enabled many people to own their own home sauna where this hasn’t been an option before. Lower temperatures not only mean reduced costs but also mean that users can enjoy a more comfortable experience and for longer periods of time. Combined with the convenience of size and great looking designs, FIR saunas have become a very popular addition to the modern home.

When one is suffering from back pain, there are many different types of treatments to consider, among those being heat therapy. Heat treatments and/or heat therapy products can help relieve pain from the muscle spasms and related stiffness in the lower back by dilating the blood vessels of the muscles surrounding the lumbar spine. Consequently, there will be a decrease in stiffness as well as injury, with an increase in flexibility and overall feeling of comfort. Therapy with heat also creates higher superficial tissue temperatures, which aids the healing process in some conditions. In applying this therapy, the best temperature is warm; too hot can create burning of the skin and will do little to increase pain relief.

For many people, heat treatments work best when combined with physical therapy and/or exercise. This type of therapy is appealing to many people because it is a non-invasive and non-medicinal form of lower back pain relief. However, therapy with heat can be used in conjunction with other pain relievers, such as over-the-counter pills. While ice therapy is most helpful during the first two days following a muscle injury, heat therapy is more important to the healing process afterwards.

Heat therapy for lower back pain can be achieved in the form of warm/hot baths, hot tubs or saunas, as well as several dry or moist heat therapy products such as heating pads, heat wraps, heat inducing creams and warm gel packs which can also provide relief. There are several different brands of cordless heated back wraps on the market which can provide up to six hours of deep-penetrating heat to relieve sore, stiff muscles and joints without requiring proximity to an ac outlet, therefore allowing you to go about your daily activities.

Heat therapy is just one of the many treatments available for lower back pain. It is an option you should explore when you do suffer from back pain or other ailments. As always, it is a good idea to consult with your family physician before trying any of these treatments.

For more information about low back pain and the heat therapy products available to relieve that pain, please check out my website at http://www.betterbackhealthforlife.com
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A Guide To Naturally Easing The Pain of Arthritis.

If you suffer from arthritis pain or joint stiffness here is a gentle, effective way to get fast relief, using safe, natural far infrared thermal therapy now available in easy-to-wear functional clothing. For many years this destructive and debilitating disease has severely limited the life-style options of people of all ages. Research into the benefits of natural and effective non-pharmaceutical treatments has lead to recent advances in new materials technology which are offering arthritis sufferers new hope of pain relief.

Offering beneficial health solutions for people of all ages, far infrared therapy textile products help relieve the problem of painful joints to promote rapid relief. Compressive joint supports lessen swelling and strain which, when worn during episodes of joint pain or recuperation from injury or surgery, affords increased mobility allowing you to be more active. The benefits provided by increased mobility are improved muscle strength, lower risk of re-injury and a reduced reliance on pain-killers and prescribed medications which can cause unpleasant side-effects for many people.

It is the bio-ceramic fibre content of these clothes that helps your skin avoid the risk of unpleasant irritation from over-heating and perspiration. This means you can comfortably wear FIR functional garments day or night to achieve optimum pain relief.

FIR garments are recommended for all commonly affected weight-bearing joints, such as your ankles, knees and lower spine and also your shoulders, hands and fingers, however, unlike glucosamine, they are highly suitable for those who sufferer with seafood allergies.

Those far infrared therapy garments which are both well-designed and make use of the new fir fibres incorporating magnetic technology are especially effective for the relief of arthritis pain. This new breed of far infrared therapy garments are specially designed to maximize the therapeutic radiant heat effects gained by flexible magnetic layers permanently embedded into these textiles. The bio-ceramic fibres used in these health care garments contain powdered earth minerals capable of imparting beneficial thermal therapy using only the natural heat of your body.

Physiotherapists, sports injury therapists, clinicians and athletic trainers recommend the use of compressive supports and soothing thermal therapy to enhance joint flexibility, reduce debilitating pain and promote faster healing. Therapeutic far infrared therapy products have been shown by users to help lessen pain and swelling associated with chronic and occasional joint pain. FIR therapy garments are an excellent arthritis treatment, free from toxic side-effects.

While far infrared therapy is not a miracle cure, FIR therapy garments are most definitely a useful and beneficial natural therapy that can assist you to lead an enjoyable, active and satisfying life-style. For effective long-term pain relief, choose natural therapies that will work in harmony with your prescribed medical program.

Far infrared therapy products are effective, easy to wear, and importantly, an affordable health care treatment that you can safely use for long-term relief of arthritis pain.

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Heat therapy using "total-body hyperthermia" has been a popular treatment since Hippocratic times and widely used in different parts of the world. A recent study by the Saxion University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands (SUAS) has shown that the use of an infrared sauna significantly helped patients suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). The results showed a decrease in fatigue, pain and stiffness.

The study aimed to answer the following questions:

Does an infrared sauna have positive effects on body structures and functions such as stiffness, pain and fatigue?
What is the general effect of an infrared sauna on social participation and on physical activities?
Are there any noticeable side-effects regarding patient comfort, tolerance and disease activity during the infrared sauna treatment?

Normal joint compared to a joint affected with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source: National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services

Heating your way to Health

Seventeen AS patients and seventeen RA patients were treated over a 4-week period in 8 different infrared sauna sessions. The results demonstrated that during the infrared sauna session, pain and stiffness decreased significantly, and the improvements were ‘statistically significant'. It was also shown that fatigue decreased while the pain, stiffness and fatigue also showed clinical improvement during the 4-week treatment period.

Importantly, no side-effects of the infrared sauna treatment were reported and no relevant changes in the disease activity score were found. These results demonstrate that pain and stiffness were reduced while the disease showed no sign of being exacerbated. Both the RA and AS patients, on average, felt comfortable both during and after the treatment. In fact, 59% felt comfortable and 29.4% felt very comfortable after treatment.

Process of Ankylosing Spondylitis (Source: Gray's Anatomy)

Study Findings

The SUAS showed that RA and AS patients treated using an infrared sauna showed statistically significant short-term beneficial effects and clinically relevant effects for the duration of the study. Additionally, infrared treatment had no adverse effects and the patients showed good tolerability to the total-body heat treatment.

The study noted that an infrared sauna provides a compact and user-friendly "whole-body hyperthermia" treatment. The clinics personal experience for AS and RA out-patients was promising with less pain and improved physical functionality. No aggravation or inflammation activity was noted. Other effects included a significant weight loss of between 0.1kg and 0.4kg after treatment. Diastolic and Systolic blood pressure also showed a small decrease.

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation of the joints. The disease causes the body's antibodies to attack tissues in the body.

RA affects 0.8% of the UK population, close to 5 million people.
RA is three time more common in women than in men.

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a condition which is an inflammation and fusing together of the bones of the spine.

About 1 in 1,000 people in the UK have AS, close to 61,000 people.

Further Reading & Study Report:

Infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: A pilot study showing good tolerance, short-term improvement of pain and stiffness, and a trend towards long-term beneficial effects. F.G.J. Oosterveld et al. Clin Rheumatol (2009) 28:29-34.

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/ankylosing_Spondylitis.html

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We all know that Arthritis joint pain was really painful when it strikes you. But there are ways to manage this pain. Using heat and cold treatments can relief arthritis pain and stiffness of your arthritis.

Using Heat therapy

Applying heat to your affected joint pain helps you to relief arthritis pain because it relaxes your muscles and stimulates blood circulation. It reduces stiffness and painful joints therefore it increases your range of motion. You can use dry heat such as heating pads or heat lamps. You can also use moist heat such as warm baths or heated washed clothes.

Using cold therapy

Using cold treatments can reduce the pain and stiffness of your arthritis joint pain. Using cold pack can numb the sore area by joint pain and therefore it reduces its inflammation and swelling. Placing cold packs on a swollen joint can help bring back down the size which also lessen the joint pain.

Before applying heat or cold treatment, be sure your skin is dry and free from cuts and sores. If you have visible skin damage, don't use cold or heat. Use a towel to protect your skin from injury when you are treating an area where the bone is close to the skin's surface.

After using heat or cold, carefully dry the area and check for purplish-red skin or hives, which may indicate the treatment was too strong. Also check the area for any swelling or discoloration. Gently move your joint to reduce stiffness. Allow your skin to return to normal temperature and color before using heat or cold again.

Stop Your Arthritis Joint Pain in Safe and Natural way from home without the danger side effects of DRUGS.

A relatively new type of sauna has emerged in recent years. Unlike traditional saunas that use wood or electric stoves to heat the air, this type uses an infrared heater. With infrared, the people and objects are heated rather than the air.

Because the air is not heated, infrared heaters can be used anywhere, even outdoors, and still heat effectively. Infrared saunas are enclosed for the simple reason that people may be more comfortable in an enclosure than in an open space.

Infrared is actually a frequency band of light that is invisible to the human eye. The heat from infrared is sometimes called Infrared Radiation (IR), which is very different from Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation that causes sunburn or radiation damage. Most of the heat that warms the earth is IR from the sun, and the earth and even the human body gives off IR.

Health Benefits:

Proponents of infrared saunas claim greater therapeutic properties than traditional saunas. The health benefits of traditional saunas include alleviating pain and stiffness from arthritis and cleansing the skin. In addition, the steam of traditional saunas can be helpful in relieving respiratory problems such as congestion and bronchitis.

Infrared saunas generate no steam so they are less effective in relieving breathing problems. When it comes to building up a sweat and easing the pain of arthritis, though, infrared saunas are similar to traditional saunas. Unique healing properties are associated with IR that cannot be found in the radiant heat used in conventional types. Proponents of IR say that it penetrates the body's internal organs and muscular tissues allowing toxins to be released and the immune system to be strengthened.

Some of these claims may be exaggerated since there is little medical research to support them. There is no doubt, however, that saunas are beneficial for some medical conditions, and infrared saunas may have unique healing properties. There is no particular danger associated with infrared saunas, and users should simply take the same precautions as they normally would.

Advantages:

There are a number of advantages of infrared saunas over traditional models. Since they operate at a lower heat, some people may find them more comfortable. The lower heat also means greater energy efficiency, making IR saunas are cheaper to operate. Infrared saunas heat up much faster too, another factor that reduces operating costs.

Traditional saunas create hot, dry air which some people find uncomfortable to breathe. Since IR saunas only heat people and objects, the air quality will be similar both inside and outside the sauna. Infrared saunas do not use any water. This makes them more portable and easier to install and eliminates the problems of bacterial build-up that can occur in damp areas.

Disadvantages:

Some people say that IR saunas do not provide the feelings of relaxation and refreshment of a conventional sauna. The lack of steam in an IR unit may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your preference. Steam can be useful for relieving respiratory problems, but very dry air is uncomfortable for some people to breathe. A sauna purist would say that IR saunas are not real ones. For those who love the rituals and preparation that are associated with conventional saunas, an IR unit just does not feel right.

Conclusion:

Any type of sauna has beneficial effects. They are relaxing and make the skin feel clean and smooth. Whether or not they can be useful in the treatment of disease remains an open question, but many people swear by their therapeutic qualities. Some of the medical claims made for infrared saunas border on quackery, but there may indeed be some special benefits in IR therapy. Infrareds can be easier to use and cheaper to install, and may have additional health benefits over conventional models. All are good reasons to at least give them a try.

Back pain is the number one reason workers give for their absence from work. This costs the nation billions each year. Fortunately, all medicine has advanced in the recent years coming up with several treatments to alleviate back pain as an alternative to surgery. Research shows that although most adults have experienced back pain at some point in their lives and most back pains reported subside gradually within the first two months. Thus, surgery is not the riht option for many back pain patients.

Lower back pain results from over-exertion of the spine. This in trun restricts circulation and sends pain signals to the brain. The application of heat therapy provides relief in many ways. Primarily, it widens the blood vessels in the muscle, increasing blood flow and thus helping to heal the damaged tissues. In addition, the application of heat in the area of pain decreases pain signals. This article is not written by or checked for accuracy by a medical doctor. Please consult with your physician for treatment options.

One of the most significant advantages of heat therapy is its low cost. Many can be purchased in convenient stores and require no skills to apply. What's more, it does not waste time and can be done simultaneously while carrying out other activities. Heat therapy is also appealing because it does not invove drugs or surgery.

Types of heat therapy might work well for some while other types work better for others. Some common options of heat therapy include:

Hot water bottle
Electric heating pad
Heated gel packs
Heat wrap
Sauna

The first four options are known as the dry heat therapies.  However, although easier to access, dry heat therapies lead to dehydration. Thus, drinking lots of fluids is a must.

Heat wraps are by far the most popular methods that are based on the application of heat. On one hand, they do not restrict movement and are comfortable for long term usage. On the other hand, they relax the muscles gradually through low heat levels and hence reduce the chances of sudden burst of water retention.

Although heat therapy is highly beneficial, it also comes with its own weak spots. For example, if the lower back is swollen or bruised, heat should not be used. Patients that have a history of heart disease or hypertension should consult doctors before recurring to this type of therapy. Moreover, heat application is also unsuitable for cases of dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, open wounds and severe cognitive impairment.

This article is not written by or checked for accuracy by a medical doctor. Please consult with your physician for treatment options.

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A new type of sauna heated by the Far Infrared heater has been in the news during recent times. As we know, the traditional sauna is heated using wood or electric stove and work differently from the Far Infrared heater enabled sauna. Infrared heaters directly heat the people whereas the traditional sauna heats the air that surrounds the people.

Far infrared heaters are flexible enough to be used anywhere including open areas as there is no need for ventilation. These saunas are used to improve the frame of mind of the people using them especially to satisfy those who have been using them in enclosures. An invisible frequency band of light wave generally known as Infrared Radiation a.k.a IR or Far Infrared Radiation a.k.a FIR generates the heat. Most of our globe's heat is drawn from the sun through the IR. IR, unlike the Ultraviolet radiation is not harmful and is emitted by humans as well as earth.

People who support Far infrared saunas believe that they have better medicinal benefits when compared to a traditional sauna. A traditional sauna in addition to relieving ailments like congestion and bronchitis can also include medicinal benefits like recurring pain relief, muscle tightness aid, arthritis relief, and cleansing of the skin Because they do not generate steam, infrared saunas are not as effective as a traditional sauna in helping respiratory problems. They are on equal footing when it comes to inducing sweat and easing arthritic pain. Infrared radiation is believed to possess a healing property that is not usually associated with a traditional sauna. It is claimed that it improves immunity and removes the toxic substances from the body as the rays enters the organs and muscle tissues of the body.

Though this may not be entirely true for lack of scientific evidence, there has been personal endorsements by people who use them. Saunas in general help tackling symptoms that lead to certain health ailments and infrared saunas might have some additional benefits than a traditional sauna.

How better is an Infrared Sauna One of the main advantages is that infrared sauna can heat at lower temperatures and will be preferred by people who like milder heat in their sauna bath and will also lead to lower energy costs as it consumes lesser electricity. In addition to lower costs, they can heat up real quick as well. People who find it tough to breathe the hot & dry air of a traditional sauna will prefer IR sauna, as the quality of air will be similar to the air that they normally breathe outside.

This is because the air is not heated by IR sauna. Ease of installation and better hygiene are other advantages because no water is used. It is easier to move the sauna and lack of water prevents bacterial growth due to dampness. People feel differently about the two types of saunas. People who favor traditional sauna still feel IR sauna will not be, as relaxing and absence of steam may not be construed as a benefit.

Though people may not like the dryness of air in a traditional sauna the cure for respiratory problems because of the availability of steam is very well appreciated. For a die-hard fan of the traditional sauna, the IR sauna will not be much of a choice. Far Infrared saunas do not really fulfill the needs of a person who thoroughly enjoys the conventional sauna. Saunas have their own benefits notwithstanding whether they are infrared or conventional.

Saunas, while helping unwind a persons body, also makes the skin feel clean, fresh and smooth. Though not scientifically proven, many people still believe in its medicinal value and find the IR sauna beneficial.

In recent times, a new type of sauna has received much attention. Generally the traditional wood or the electric stove heats the sauna but in this new introduction, the Far infrared heater helps in heating the sauna.

These infrared heaters heats the people and the material in the sauna unlike the traditional sauna which heats the air. Far infrared heaters has the advantage of being used anywhere and outdoors as it does not require ventilation. An enclosed area gives a more satisfying effect for some people and saunas with Far infrared heaters helps in enhancing the mood of the people.

The infrared is a frequency band of lightwave which people cant see and the heat produced is called as Infrared Radiation (IR) or Far Infrared Radiation (FIR). They do not produce atomic radiation or sunburn which is common with Ultraviolent Radiation. Both earth and humans emit Infrared Radiation and the IR from the sun is the cause of most of the earth’s heat. People who are satisfied with Far infrared saunas appreciate that they have much more therapeutic benefits compared to the traditional saunas.

The traditional sauna has many health benefits like relief from pain, relief from muscle stiffness, relief from arthritis and helps in cleaning the skin. By taking the steam from a traditional sauna, one can get a good relief from diseases like congestion and bronchitis. Infrared saunas do not produce steam, so in ailments like breathing problems, they are not very useful. But they perform well in relieving arthritis pain and for a good sweat workup. But Infrared radiation has a unique healing property which is not available with the conventional saunas.

They help in improving the immunity by removing the toxic substance from the body by way of penetrating through the organs and muscle tissues of the body. Though there are not much scientific study to prove but there are many positive testimonies from the people using them. Generally saunas are helpful in relieving the symptoms of certain health issues and the infrared saunas score over the traditional saunas with its unique properties.

How infrared sauna score over traditional saunas: Compared to steam saunas, infrared saunas have some advantages. For customers who like cooler saunas, they have the feature of heating up to low temperature. This feature also make IR saunas cost effective because of the less consumption of electricity. With its advantage to operate at a less cost, IR saunas heats very quickly compared to the conventional saunas.

As traditional saunas generate hot dry air, some people find it difficult to breath them as it makes them uncomfortable. As IR saunas do not heat the air, the quality of the air is the same inside and outside. Infrared saunas offer easy installation and portability because water is not used and also one need not worry about the issue of bacterial growth in damper regions. Those who are used to regular saunas may not fully approve of the claims of IR saunas.

As IR sauna do not use steam, it may or may not be considered as a benefit depending upon the preference. As discussed earlier the dry air makes some people hard to breathe and people with respiratory problems find the steam useful. People who call themselves as a real sauna purist may not fully appreciate the IR sauna as Far Infrared saunas do not have all the qualities of a conventional sauna. Whether it is Infrared or Conventional sauna, both are useful and helpful. They give a good relaxation to the body and gives your skin clean, fresh and smooth look.

Many may not consider it as a useful treatment but for people who use them are convinced with its many therapeutic properties. One can get good benefits with IR therapy though the medical allegations are not proved scientifically. To sum up saunas are relaxing and rejuvenating. With its exclusive benefits of easy to operate and cost effective installation, Far infrared saunas scores over conventional saunas.

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