The best infrared sauna health benefits for patients and practices

Some of the best infrared sauna health benefits for patients include detox, weight loss, relaxation and better sleep

People are always looking for new ways to feel better and healthier. Some believe that this can be accomplished by adding the best infrared sauna health benefits to their health care regime, and adding to chiropractic practices looking to attract new wellness patients.

The best infrared sauna health benefits

Raleigh Duncan, DC, founder of Clearlight Saunas, states that infrared saunas can help your overall health by helping to detoxify it.

He writes in his eBook Total Wellness, “Toxins can be eliminated through urine, feces, exhalation and of course, sweat. The skin is the largest organ of the body and works with the lymph system to detoxify directly through the pores. Sweating gets rid of toxins without needing to go through the liver. This is important because many of our systems become overloaded under the onslaught of these chemicals over time. Many of the chemicals that are excreted by sweat come from close to the surface of the body.

“The lymph acts as the sewer system of the body and is constantly bringing more waste material to be excreted. The lymph takes the leftover liquid of the blood and cellular exudate and cleans and filters these fluids before returning the purified liquids to the circulatory system. The lymph is integrally tied to the digestive system and intestine (GALT, or gut associated lymphoid tissue), which contains 80% of our immune system. Detoxing gets right to the heart of a dysfunctional overloaded system to restore balance, functionality and vitality. For this reason, using a sauna has been shown to be an effective way to remove toxins.”

According to an article on Healthline.com, some of the benefits of using an infrared sauna in addition to detoxifying it include: weight loss, better sleep, relaxation, relief from sore muscles and joint pain, improved circulation, clear and tighter skin, and help for patients who have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cost and popularity

The Motley Fool site MillionAcres reports that average cost of a home or business sauna is $4,500, but that amount depends on size and features.

“Furthermore, having access to a sauna could help relieve muscle pain and work wonders for your mental health,” MillionAcres writes. “That alone may be worth the investment.”

In Winter Park, Fla., a 1,900-foot “sauna studio” recently opened, part of a chain of California-based saunas touting “full-spectrum infrared heat waves that penetrate deep into the cells, joints, muscles, and tissue, speeding oxygen flow and increasing circulation while removing impurities that build up over time. As the body is producing sweat and pumping blood, it is also burning calories (200-400 per session), which can enhance weight loss through regular use.”

Start slow and build up

Before using an infrared sauna, Dr. Duncan suggests in his book to “Always start slowly and consult your physician or natural healing practitioner, chiropractor, acupuncturist or naturopath.” If you choose to get your own infrared sauna, he suggests that you use it regularly.

As he writes in Total Wellness, be sure to start off with sessions of 10-15 minutes and gradually build up to sessions that last from between 25-30 minutes. Schedule using your infrared sauna for about two or three sessions each week. If you decide to use an infrared sauna to detoxify, be sure, he writes, to hydrate before, during, and after each sauna session.