FIR sources

As I dig deeper through the internet I found out that there are many ways in which FIR is offered to us. Among those are :

• Far Infrared Saunas and Portable Far Infrared Saunas - Far Infrared Saunas are the most therapeutic because they treat the entire body. There are websites which offer DIY building your own sauna e.g http://www.greatsaunas.com
• Bio-Mat is the most effective heat mat and contains actual earth crystals and organic earth materials that produces a very high quality FIR heat. The Bio-Mat is ideal for a whole body pain relief treatment.
• Far Infrared Clothing is very popular among those who wish to receive far infrared benefit while out and about. Just slip on your favorite item and you will notice the difference. I have come across few of my friends actually wearing on of those FIR undergarment for a year now. Some of them has decided to wear them to enhance fertility and to my surprise some has succedeed to concieved.
  
• TDP Mineral Lamps - These lamps are designed to help you localize the FIR heat on a certain area for pain relief and increased mobility. Becoming popular with Physical Therapists. The most familiar FIR sources as my collegue work as a therapist and often use it for pain relief.
  
• Far Infrared Sauna Blankets or Bags are ideal for whole body heat treatment and can also be used for sweat/detox therapy. I guess it is used widely by medical practitioner for skin therapy and weight lost programme.
  
• Thermotex Heating Pads are very popular in Canada and the USA. Great for use on an isolated area such as the back or leg, the pad uses very little wattage (about 35 watts) and is placed directly on the area you wish to be treated. My mother in law used it to reduce her excess belly fat.
  

Basic Tips

What happen to you body during Sauna:

• The body will increase the metabolism and increase pulse rate
  
• Increase blood circulation and the vessels become flexible
• Susquently the extremities will benefit from the increase blood flow
• Almost the same metabolic changes when you do strenous exercise ( emmmsss ... it will not replaced the importance of having regular physical exercise of course ! )
  

Some basic tips before entering the sauna:

• Don't drink alcohol, as it works as a depressant, where the blood is moving slowly and the nerve endings are literally shutting down, and counteracts the benefits of the sauna.
• Older people need to avoid or limit their time in the sauna.
• People with heart ailments or respiratory diseases need to avoid the sauna, and anyone with chronic ailments needs to check first with his or her doctor.
• Don't eat prior to the sauna.
• Avoid drug use and the sauna — tranquilizers, stimulants, and other prescribed drugs alter the body's metabolism and could produce dour effects in the heat.
• If you experience dizziness, problems with breathing, or a general feeling of ill health, leave the sauna immediately.
• If you do decide to use the sauna, start gradually. Stay in only as long as you are comfortable, increasing the time with each visit.
• Avoid dehydration by drinking water
  

SPA and SAUNA .... in my point of view

I used to think that SPA and SAUNA are the same.  I have visited the SPA & SAUNA, SPA without SAUNA, unfotunately there is very few places which offer  SAUNA only may be because it does not sound attractive enough to the clients. 

1. SPAs for me is the place for us to relax and pampered by the attending person who is often female young and beautiful, the decorative setting, may be great views , great  massage etc and it is well understood why there are expensive. I do believe that all which will offer a form of relaxation therapy.

2. SAUNA is a form of heat therapy which utilises different method of generating heat. From the convesional steam vapor SAUNA to the latest Far Infra Red base heat generator. Thanks to the advancing technology the used to be very expensive SAUNA now become more affordable to the common people.

p/s My favorite layman source of infomation :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna 

My Personal Experience

I do FIR sauna therapy every two weeks now. Setting up the maximum temperature to 60C for 30 minutes. The FIR SAUNA heater will generate heat gradually and the temperature will rise at 1C per minute. It will reach the maximum temperature after around 20 minutes. The sweating that I have will increase with time. I always positioned my my back as closed as I can to the FIR heater. Occasionally I will repeat the therapy for another 30 minutes depending on how I felt at that time. The immediate feel good feelings I experiencing would be:
1. Instant relief of my back muscle tension and aching. I work in the office for crazy 12 hours and that has made my back muscle stiff like rock.
2. I felt my neck muscle also at ease.
3. I felt immediate " lighter body" ..in the sense that I felt much healthier than before I had my SAUNA.
4. I feel relax ...................all over.....mixing the therapy and aromatherapy may be?

Usually I will have a very good refreshing night sleep after that ............. well occasional I have to wake up to look after my 10 months old baby boy.

Some of the positive effect of FIR

The following are just some of the generally-accepted therapeutic effects of far infrared heat (from Therapeutic Heat & Cold,4th Ed., edited by J. Lehmann, M.D. & W. Wilkins):


Collagen tissues increase in extensibility needed for repair & recovery of injuries involving ligaments, joint capsules, tendons, fasciae & synovium;
Joint stiffness decrease in thickened connective tissues for greater flexibility and full range of muscular motion;
Muscle spasms are relieved with the heating of muscle fibers;
Pain is relieved through increased endorphin production & dilation of blood vessels brought about by direct heat application on tissues & nerves;
Blood flow is increased by inducing expansion of capillaries promoting quick muscle recovery;
Inflammation is arrested
Reported Therapeutic Benefits of Far Infrared Energy

Great success has been reported with the use of far infrared treatment for the following:

Arthritis (TMJ, traumatic, gouty, rheumatoid & DJD)
muscle spasms
lower back pain
adhesions
compression fracture
spinal cord shock
muscle tension
post-exercise muscle pain
shoulder pain & stiffness
bursitis
whiplash
menopause
rheumatism
gastro enteric problem
sinsomnia


More provocative results have been reported with the use of far infrared treatment for the following:

cancer of the tongue reversed
burn relief, healing & less scarring
high blood pressure
coronary artery disease
gouty arthritis
low blood pressure
short-term memory
cancer therapy
cerebral hemorrhage
soft tissue injury from auto accident
exposure to toxic electromagnetic fields
acute & chronic arthritis
rheumatoid arthritis
menopause symptoms
arteriosclerosis & hypertension

A long list of potential benefits which later I will try to summarize.
Note: I am not the expert in INFRARED Technology. All the informations gathered is mainly driven by my own interest on the potential use of FAR infra RED technologies as supportive therapy.

What is INFRA RED anyway.

Far infrared is part of the sun's invisible light specturm that is essential to plants, animals and humans. Infrared heat is a form of energy that penetrates the body by warming muscles and tissue directly without heating the intervening air. The body produces infrared energy to keep us warm and repair body tissue. Far infrared energy is radiated through the skin at 3 to 50 microns with the greatest output at 9.4 microns. Occasionally the infrared energy in our body tissue needs a boost to insure healing and tissue repair. The body will selectively absorb infrared to boost a tissue's infrared energy. This process is called resonant absorption. Far infrared rays are completely safe and are used in hospitals to warm newborn babies.

source:http://www.firtrader.com

Affordable SAUNA

I have created an affordable SAUNA as I found out the cost of setting up a Far Infra Red SAUNA centre is not really that expensive. Now everybody can benefited from the therapy without worry too much about the cost. Here is the link to my website which I have created recently. Mine in the sense that I have paid the hosting and the domain. Here is the link http://www.spaqaseh.com.my/