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Warming Up To Far-InfraRed

D.J. Fletcher, Alternative Medicine, Issue 39 / January 2001

For many, the biggest news in FIR [Far-InfraRed] technology is its application to the evolving science of detoxification, and the device being used is the Far-InfraRed sauna. At home and in clinics, these saunas are said to yield many benefits-- including relief from different kinds of pain; stimulation of immune response; improvement in skin tone and conditions such as burns, eczema and acne; and the accelerated burning of calories. But the detox application is health news that can benefit everyone. "Traditional wisdom has suggested that saunas work largely by promoting detoxification through sweat," says John C. Cline, M.D., B.Sc., C.C.F.P, A.B.C.T., Medical Director of the Cline Medical Center and Oceanside Functional Medicine Research Institute, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. " Several published studies have now shown that this hyperthermic [sauna] therapy can bring about the rapid removal of a wide range of toxic substances from the human body."

The FIR energy emitted in these saunas may induce two or three times the sweat volume of conventional saunas, yet they operate at a much cooler air temperature range: about 110 to 130 degrees F, compared with 180 to 235 degrees F in a conventional sauna. Many individuals who cannot tolerate a conventional sauna, steam room or sweat lodge will find FIR saunas pleasant. The lower heat range is also safer for those with cardiovascular risk factors or fragile health because lower temperatures don't dramatically elevate heart rate or blood pressure.

Dr. Cline points out that methods to induce sweating have been used for centuries to bring about improved health and relief from disease. "Over 2,000 years ago," he says, "the famous Greek physician, Parmenides, stated 'give me a chance to create fever, and I will cure any disease." This traditional wisdom has certainly stood the test of time. Using methods ranging from hot mineral baths and sweat lodges to saunas and steam baths, individuals have enjoyed the revitalizing effects of induced hyperthermia-- the artificial elevation of body temperature.

" Sweat therapy has also been used for many years by miners in Europe to prevent and treat occupational heavy metal poisoning, and studies have now demonstrated that hyperthermic therapy can bring about significant detoxification from heavy metals including mercury. But only in recent years has science begun to seriously examine this age-old healing technique. Now, organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have taken a serious look at hyperthermic therapy as a means to detoxify individuals who are ill from exposure to environmental poisons."

Randy Gomm of www.infraredsauna.net, based in Vancouver, became a distributor of FIR saunas after his life was turned around by detoxification. As a firefighter, his health had begun to deteriorate until he was no longer able to work. He was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and eventually it was realized that the root of his problem was toxic overload due to environmental exposure. During the eight years he was ill, he says, he had a lot of time to research alternative modalities to regain his health. "I discovered that leading researchers in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome stated that their patients had high toxic loads," says Randy. "When their loads were reduced, their symptoms often improved dramatically. It worked for me. Detoxing really helped put me back on my feet."
Environmental medical specialist Doris J. Rapp, MD, of Scottsdale, Arizona, a well-known pediatrician, allergist, homeopath and past president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, states unequivocally, "Everybody in this country needs to be detoxified because we've all become toxic dumpsites." Dr. Rapp began using a Far-InfraRed sauna personally after seeing a similar procedure being employed in a German clinic. She was impressed with the clinic's work in detoxifying young children and infants. Dr. Rapp affirms that her FIR sauna causes her to perspire profusely, and she adds, "I'm hoping to see more patient outcome studies on FIR sauna use-- studies that will further evaluate the efficacy of this treatment and impartially evaluate the various saunas."

Hyperthermic detoxification using these saunas is not only uniquely helpful in removing fat-stored toxins from the body but also as an adjunct to mercury removal. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., of Seattle, who has been called "the holistic doctors' doctor and teacher," is one of the pioneers in combining the use of FIR saunas with the chelating agent DMPS in a heavy metal detox protocol.

Dr. Cline explains, "Since hyperthermic sauna therapy removes metal contaminants from the body by a different mechanism than chelation therapy we have found that it may be used to further the benefits derived from chelation therapy. And we have also found that it may be an alternative for those who are unable to undergo chelation.

" Research conducted by U.S. scientists has demonstrated that close to 80% of individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome will improve markedly by a guided detoxification program. The program involves nutritional optimization of detoxification using a low-allergy diet and UltraClear Plus, a medical food product designed at the Functional Medicine Research Center in Washington. This approach, called enterohepatic resuscitation, is being used by healthcare practitioners around the world. We combine this approach with hyperthermic therapy using the Far-InfraRed sauna, as well as exercise and chelation. The results we are seeing are very promising."

Tissue Cleansing & Your Health... “Many of the illnesses facing modern society have strong links to the environment. Cancer rates are rising every year with all fingers pointing at the lifestyles and environment of our population. Diseases virtually unheard of twenty years ago, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, now exist in epidemic numbers and these numbers continue to rise with each passing year. Many people wonder why they feel exhausted, their head seems to be in a fog, and they so frequently have to live with pain. The stress of accumulated toxic substances may be a primary factor in the poor health of millions of North Americans. There are now hundreds of thousands of toxic chemicals released into the environment daily. Heavy metals, pesticide and herbicide residues, solvent residues and by-products of fossil fuel combustion can be found in significant measurable quantities in the bodies of virtually every human on this planet. A scientifically based program of therapeutic detoxification can bring about enormous improvements in health, vitality and brain function. This past decade has seen great advancements in the science of therapeutic detoxification and effective programs are being developed worldwide at reputable environmental medicine clinics.

Saunas and steam baths have been used for centuries by cultures around the world to induce detoxification. Traditionally, saunas have been used to improve mental clarity, to diminish pain and promote longevity. In the past few years, Hyperthermic [sweat] therapy has been studied quite extensively and several papers on this subject have appeared in the scientific literature. Through this research, it has been shown that saunas greatly assist in the elimination of accumulated toxins. Toxic metals including mercury, as well as organic toxins such as PCB’s and pesticide residues, are excreted in high quantities in the sweat during properly conducted Hyperthermic therapy sessions.

Heat causes toxins to be released from cells. The toxic molecules will then reside transiently in the lymph fluid. Since sweat is manufactured from the lymph fluid, toxins present in the lymph fluid will exit the body through the sweat. The liver and kidneys are not required for this process thus, these organs are largely unburdened by Hyperthermic therapy, and toxins are able to leave the body even when liver or kidney function is impaired. This may be a distinct advantage for chronically ill patients whose livers and kidneys may already be under toxic stress.”

Advantages of the Far-InfraRed Sauna:“Many people with chronic illnesses find the high temperatures inside a regular sauna or steam room intolerable. In these traditional systems, the inside of the body is heated completely from the surface of the skin. Even though you feel very hot in these units, the heating is quite shallow - only a few millimeters below the skin. In the Far-InfraRed sauna, invisible light rays emanate from several Far-InfraRed emitters. This Far-InfraRed light penetrates deep into the fat and muscles of the body, creating a more powerful detoxifying influence upon the deeper tissues of the body. As well, since the air temperature remains much lower than in a traditional sauna, the individual feels more comfortable. Sweating often begins before the person feels very hot at all and the sweating is more profuse than in a traditional sauna”.