The benefits of infrared light therapy are so wide ranging and have been proven in multiple studies.
Infrared light therapy is a safe, healthy way to improve your overall health, target particular trouble areas and even provide cosmetic enhancement, all without overtaxing the body. The only real question is why more people aren’t taking advantage of this extraordinary form of treatment, but that is less of an issue now with infrared light therapy becoming an exciting trend.
So what exactly is infrared light? It is a band of light at the far end of the sun’s spectrum that can’t be seen by the naked eye but is experienced as heat. It’s the source of that comfy, warm sensation you get when you sit in the sun on a summer day. Even in the cold of winter, you can still feel your body warm up when the sun hits it. That’s because the infrared rays are penetrating your body and heating it from the inside out.
While everyone understands the idea of the sun warming you up, what wasn’t fully understood until recently was the specific effect those infrared rays have on the body. This is where we begin to understand the many benefits of infrared light therapy. Of course, the surface benefit is that infrared heat can penetrate the body without producing the uncomfortable sensation caused by traditional heating methods like heating pads or pain relief gels.
But infrared benefits go far deeper than that. Because it interacts with the body at a cellular level, infrared light can help to improve circulation without putting excess stress on the heart. At the same time, it stimulates the production of collagen, the natural substance that gives the skin elasticity, making it look soft and supple. Natural loss of collagen through aging is what is responsible for the development of fine lines and wrinkles. One of the primary uses of infrared light is for cosmetic purposes, to combat these issues and restore skin tone.
Because it can penetrate deep into soft tissue, infrared light can also be used for pain relief. Benefits of infrared light therapy include loosening of sore muscles and stiff joints, making it an effective treatment for everyone from athletes who regularly put excess stress on their bodies to individuals who suffer from conditions that cause chronic pain such as arthritis, ALS and Parkinson’s disease.
Because it can penetrate deep into soft tissue, infrared light can also be used for pain relief. Benefits of infrared light therapy include loosening of sore muscles and stiff joints, making it an effective treatment for everyone from athletes who regularly put excess stress on their bodies to individuals who suffer from conditions that cause chronic pain such as arthritis, ALS and Parkinson’s disease. Infrared light therapy can be a lifesaver for these individuals, for whom pain becomes a regular part of everyday living.
On top of all this, infrared light therapy can also be used to aid in weight loss. This is because the application of this penetrating heat causes you to sweat heavily, which then triggers your body to work harder trying to cool itself off, which produces an increase in metabolism and allows you to burn off calories at a higher rate than usual. At the same time, the excess sweat flushes built-up toxins from your body, consequently improving immune system function.
And best of all, the many benefits of infrared light therapy can be enjoyed in many different ways. Infrared technology has been built into everything from hand held massagers to light panels to infrared saunas. These varying devices range in price from as little as $80 for some hand held units to upwards of $20,000 for top-of-the-line saunas. They are available through a number of retailers and can easily be found online with a simple search. All of which means that this amazing form of therapy is accessible to anyone who needs it, regardless of age or income.
Hand held units use either batteries or an AC adapter and can either be held or attached to your body with a strap. These units are generally used to target specific areas such as joints, hands and neck to bring instant and long lasting pain relief. Athletes will use these to help them recover from injury, while individuals with chronic pain can use them to help ease stiff joints or decrease pain so that they can get around easier.
Another form of portable infrared therapy is the infrared heating pad. These look similar to traditional heating pads but use the gentle heat of infrared rays, so there’s no risk of burning from extended use.
Light panels take this targeted healing to the next level, allowing you to apply infrared heat to larger areas of the body such as the neck and legs. They generally involve two panels that can either be mounted on stands or attached directly to the body to provide a steady stream of infrared light. Benefits of infrared light therapy from these products include not only pain relief but also the ability to speed the healing process and improve circulation and cardiac function.
When you consider everything that infrared light has to offer, it’s no wonder that more and more people are beginning to turn to it. Benefits of infrared light therapy are impossible to deny and for many people, it provides the only real answer to their chronic pain and discomfort.
By far the most exciting application of infrared light therapy is the incorporation of this treatment into home saunas. These units are similar in look to traditional steam saunas, yet because they employ the drier and gentler heat of infrared rays, they are not nearly as uncomfortable. Where traditional saunas can reach temperatures more than 200 degrees, infrared saunas only reach a maximum of 150. This makes them much more tolerable for the elderly and ill. And yet the gentle infrared heat gives you all of the health benefits of a more traditional sauna.
When you consider everything that infrared light has to offer, it’s no wonder that more and more people are beginning to turn to it. Benefits of infrared light therapy are impossible to deny and for many people, it provides the only real answer to their chronic pain and discomfort.
For individuals who either don’t like to be dependent on prescription medications or haven’t been able to get relief that way, infrared light therapy may be just the answer they are looking for. Infrared saunas are an exciting new health trend that is quickly gaining ground and for very good reason.
