MUSCULOSKELETAL CASES
Success reported with Infrared treatments by Japanese researchers:
TMJ Arthritis
Traumatic Arthritis
Acel-decel Injury Sequelae
Disc-protrusion Related Neuralgia
Brain contusion - accelerated healing
Tight Shoulders - relaxed
Compression Fracture - Example: pain stopped for 3 days with single treatment.
Spinal Cord Shock - post traumatic shock reversed
Muscle Tension - relaxed
Post-exercise Muscle Pain - vital to competitive athletes
Arthritis; Gouty, Rheumatoid, DJD - each substantially relieved or improved
Shoulder Pain - Relieved or eliminated
Muscle Spasms - reduced or eliminated
Low Back Pain - relieved
Adhesions - lengthened or more easily broken; they are common in competitive athletes, trauma and repetitive stress syndromes
Bursitis - eliminated
"Medical practitioners make use of Infrared Radiant heat to treat sprains, strains, bursitis, peripheral vascular diseases, arthritis, and muscle pain..." according to the McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.
of infrared treatment for: Whiplash Menopause Arthritis Shoulder Stiffness Rheumatism Insomnia Gastroenteric Problems Sciatica Acne Ear Diseases
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A case study was reported in Sweden of a 70-year-old man with Rheumatoid Arthritis secondary to acute rheumatic fever. He had reached his toxic limit on Gold injections and his Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was still 125. Within 5 months of use of an Infrared Thermal System, his ERS was down to only 11.
In a case of Rheumatic Arthritis in a 14-year-old, Swedish girl who couldn't walk comfortably downstairs due to knee pain since she had been eight-years old, her rheumatologists told her mother that her child would be in a wheelchair within 2 years if she refused gold corticosteroid therapy. However, after 3 infrared sauna treatments she began to become more agile and subsequently took up folk dancing without the aid of the conventional approach in her recovery.
A clinical trial in Japan reported the successful solution of seven out of seven cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis treated with whole-body infrared therapy.
These case studies and the clinical trial indicate that further study is warranted on the use of whole-body infrared therapy in the care of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The following is summarized from 'Therapeutic Heat and Cold,' 4th edition, ED. Justus F. Lehmann M.D., Willians and Wilkins, chapter 9 or concluded from the data therein.
Generally it is accepted that heat produces the following desirable therapeutic effects:
1. It increases the extensibility of collagen tissues.
Tissues heated to 45 deg. C and then stretched exhibit a non-elastic residual elongation of about 0.5 - 0.9% that persists after the stretch is removed which does not occur in these same tissues when stretched at normal tissue temperatures. Thus 20 stretching sessions can produce a 10 - 18 percent increase in length in tissues so heated and stretched.
This effect would be especially valuable in working with ligaments, joint capsules, tendons, fasciae, and synovium that have become scarred, thickened or contracted.
Such stretching at 45 degrees C. caused much less weakening in stretched tissues for a given elongation than a similar elongation produced at normal tissue temperatures.
The experiments cited clearly showed that low-force stretching can produce significant residual elongation when heat is applied together with stretching or range-of-motion exercise, which is also safer than stretching tissues at normal tissue temperatures.
This safer stretching effect is crucial in properly training competitive athletes so as to minimize their "down" time from injuries.
2) It decreases joint stiffness directly.
There was a 20% decrease in stiffness at 45 degrees C. as compared with 33 degrees C. in rheumatoid finger joints, which correlated perfectly to both subjective and objective observation of stiffness.
Any stiffened joint and thickened connective tissues should respond in a similar fashion.
3) It relieves muscle spasms.
Muscle spasms have long been observed to be reduced through the use of heat, be they secondary to underlying skeletal, joint, or neuropathological conditions. Japanese researchers, as reported in the book "Infrared Therapy" by Dr. Yamajaki, have produced the following provocative results with whole-body infrared thermal systems:
Burns
- relieves pain, and decreases healing time, with less scarring
High Blood Pressure - safe in 40 - 50 degree C. range and regular use helps to lower it.
Low Blood Pressure - sauna trains body to raise it
Brain Damage - Accelerated repair in brain contusions
Short Term Memory - improved
Toxic Electromagnetic Fields - effects neutralized
Cerebral Hemorrhages - recovery is both sped up and significantly enhanced
Auto Accident-related Soft Tissue Injury - daily sessions were used until best healing was attained; then the Thermal Systems were used to deal with permanent residuals. The pain control effect on the chronic residuals from such injuries lasted three days before another treatment was necessary.
Arthritis, acute and chronic - was greatly relieved
Gouty Arthritis - relieved
Rheumatoid Arthritis - relieved
Menopause Symptoms - relieved chills, nervousness, depression, dizziness, head and stomach aches.
Weight Loss - first, through sweating and the energy use needed to produce the sweat and second, through direct excretion of fat. BLOOD CIRCULATION
All the following ailments may be associated to some degree with poor circulation and, thus, may respond well to the increased peripheral dilation associated with IR application:
Arthritis Sciatica Backaches Hemorrhoids Nervous Tension Diabetes Children's Over-tired Muscles Varicose Veins Neuritis Bursitis Rheumatism Strained Muscles Fatigue Stretch Marks Menstrual Cramps Upset Stomachs Leg and Decubitus Ulcers - that fail to heal using conventional approaches.
Post-operative Edema - treatment with infrared has been so successful that hospital stays were reported to have been reduced by 25%.
Peripheral Occlusive Disease - "The goal is to maintain an optimal blood flow rate to the affected part... In general the temperature should be maintained at the highest level which does not increase the circulatory discrepancy as shown by cyanosis and pain."
Therapeutic Heat and Cold, pp. 456-7.
Coronary Artery Disease, Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension
Finnish researchers, talking about the regular use of conventional saunas state that "there is abundant evidence to suggest that blood vessels of regular sauna-goers remain elastic and pliable longer due to the regular dilation and contraction" of blood vessels induced by sauna use.
German medical researchers reported in "Dermatol Monatsscher" in 1989 that a single whole-body session of infrared-induced hyperthermia lasting over one hour had only beneficial effects on subjects with stage I-II essential hypertension. Each subject experienced a rise in core body temperature to maximum level of 38.5 deg C. All of the subjects in one experiment had significant decreases in arterial, venous and mean blood pressure that lasted for at least 24 hours and was linked, according to the researchers, to a persistent peripheral dilation effect.
This result is possibly produced by the combined effect of heat on both primary and secondary afferents from spindle cells and from its effects on Golgi tendon organs. The effects produced by each of these mechanisms demonstrated their peak effects within the therapeutic temperature range obtainable with radiant heat.
4) It produces pain relief.
Pain may be relieved via the reduction of attendant or secondary muscle spasms. Pain is also at times related to ischemia due to tension or spasm which can be improved by the hyperemia that heat-induced vasodilation produces, thus breaking the feedback loop, in which the ischemia leads to further spasm and then more pain.
Heat has been shown to reduce pain sensation by direct action on both free-nerve endings in tissues and on peripheral nerves. In one dental study, repeated heat applications led finally to abolishment of the whole nerve response responsible for pain arising from dental pulp.
Heat may both lead to increased endorphin production and a shutting down of the so-called "spinal gate" of Melzack and Wall, each of which can reduce pain.
5) It increases blood flow.
Heating of one area of the body produces reflex-modulated vasodilation in distant-body areas, even in the absence of a change in core body temperature; ie., heat one extremity and the contralateral extremity also dilates; heat a forearm and both lower extremities dilate; heat the front of the trunk and the hand dilates.
Heating of muscles produces an increased blood flow level similar to that seen during exercise.
Temperature elevation produces an increase in blood flow and dilation directly in capillaries, arterioles and venules, probably through direct action on their smooth muscles. The release of bradykinin, released as a consequence of sweat-gland activity, also produces increased blood flow and vasodilation.
Whole-body hyperthermia, with a consequent core temperature elevation, further induces vasodilation via a hypothalmic-induced decrease in sympathetic tone on the arteriovenous anastomoses. Vasodilation is also produced by axonal reflexes and by reflexes that change vasomotor balance.
6) It assists in resolution of inflammatory infiltrates, edema and exudates.
The increased peripheral circulation provides the transport needed to help evacuate the edema that can help end inflammation, decrease pain, and help speed healing.
7) More recently, it has been used in cancer therapy.
This is a new and experimental procedure. It shows great promise in some cases when used properly. American researchers favor careful monitoring of the tumor temperature; whereas, the successes reported in Japan make no mention of such precaution.
There have been over 7,000 IR Thermal Systems sold in America, and infrared healing is now becoming the leading edge in the care of soft tissue injuries to promote both relief in chronic or intractable "permanent" cases, and accelerated healing in newer injuries.
Localized infrared therapy using lamps tuned to 2 - 25 micron waveband is used for the treatment and relief of pain by over 40 reputable Chinese Medical Institutes.
Researchers reported over 90% success in a summary of Chinese studies that assessed the effect of infrared therapy on:
Soft tissue injury Lumbar strain Periarthritis of the shoulder Sciatica Pain during menstruation Neurodermatitis Eczema with infection Post-surgical infections Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy) Diarrhea Cholecystitis Neurasthenia Pelvic infection Pediatric pneumonia Tineas Frostbite with inflammation
An improvement in plasma viscosity was also noted.
Another group of similar hypertensive patients was also studied under the same conditions of infrared-induced hyperthermia, with an eye toward more carefully evaluating the circulatory system effects induced by this type of whole-body heating. During each infrared session there was a significant decrease of blood pressure, cardiac ejection resistance, and total peripheral resistance in every subject.
There was also a significant increase during each session of the subject's heart rates, stroke volumes, cardiac outputs and ejection fractions. The researchers site these last three effects as evidence that the simulation of the heart during infrared-induced hyperthermia is well compensated, while the prior list of effects show in clear detail the microcirculatory changes that lead to the desired result of a lowering of blood pressure.
Problems often accompanying Aging, that have been reported to have been alleviated or reduced by infrared therapy in Japan:
Menopause
Cold hands and feet - A physical therapist found 20% - 50% improvement was maintained.
High Blood Pressure - Example: Case of a diabetic with a systolic decrease from 180 to 125 and a concurrent 10 lbs. weight loss after infrared use.
Rheumatoid Arthritis - 7 out of 7 cases successfully resolved in one clinical trial.
Radiation Sickness - relieves signs and symptoms.
Cancer Pain - relieved pain in later stages of cancer extremely well.
Sequelae of Strokes - Example: Hemiparesis relieved over time.
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy - reduced
Duodenal Ulcers - eliminated.
Pain - which prevented sleep or limited useable sleep positions was relieved.
Compression Fracture Pain - Example: pain gone in 3 days after each treatment in osteoporotic compression fractures.
Hemorrhoids - reduced.
Cystitis - gone
Cirrhosis of Liver - reversed.
Gastritis - relieved.
Hepatitis - gone.
Asthma, Bronchitis - cleared up (like moving to Arizona's dry air).
Chron's Disease - gone.
Post Surgical Adhesions - reduced.
Leg Ulcers - healed when previously static and resistant to other care.
Keloids - significantly softened and, in some cases, completely gone.
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT conditions relieved with Infrared treatments in Japan:
Chronic middle-ear inflammation or infection - In one clinical study of chronic serous otitis media no pathogenic bacteria were isolated in 70% of the subjects studied.
Sore throats
Tinitus - chronic severe case cleared with 10 Infrared treatments
Nose bleeding
SKIN conditions benefited by Infrared treatments in Japan and China:
Nettle rash
Clogged pores are unplugged of cosmetics creating a skin texture and tone of unexcelled quality. Mikkel Aaland's book 'Sweat' (Capra Press, 1978) quotes a Finnish doctor to the effect that: "The best dressed foreigner can come into a doctor's office, and when his skin is examined, it is found to be rough as bark. On the other hand, as a result of the sauna, the skin of any Finnish worker is supple and healthy." Poor skin tone is restored to a more youthful level. Scars and pain from burns or wounds are decreased in severity and extent. Infrared therapy is used routinely in burn units throughout Asia. Lacerations heal quicker and with less pain and scarring.
Acne - Three or four Infrared treatments may open pores that have not been functioning in years, forcing out clogging cosmetics and loosening dead outer skin. The sauna is thus a boon to teenage skin, clearing acne and blackheads.
Body odor - by improving the function of the skin, the Thermal System sauna may eliminate the cause of offensive body odor. It definitely reduces body odor induced by occupational exposure to odorous chemicals.
Eczema and Psoriasis - have reportedly responded extremely well to Infrared treatments.
Sunburn - According to the Ninth Edition of Clayton's Electrotherapy, "Infrared radiation is the only antidote to excessive ultraviolet radiation."
Keloids form at a reduced rate in those prone to there formations with IR Thermal use and may be softened by use of IR Thermal Systems if they have formed.
Dandruff - Due to increased blood flow through the scalp.
The units are $149.95 plus shipping and handling and any applicable sales tax.
From: http://www.thmi.com/FIR/heater.html
Saunas - Hot new therapy?