Scientific documentation behind infrared sauna therapy

The benefits of infrared therapy have been studied for many years worldwide. In the medical literature, there are a number of studies that seem to show the beneficial effects of infrared sauna carpets, e.g. on heart diseases, muscle pain, rheumatic diseases and chronic pain.

We at Comforth Scandinavia do not claim that our Sauna blanket prevents various diseases, but simply refer to scientific documentation for treatment with Far Infrared Radiation (FIR), which our Sauna blanket uses, as well as the documentation for waon therapy (dry sauna therapy - usually via infrared radiation), which is also the mechanism that the sauna blanket uses.

We at Comforth Scandinavia are currently investigating the possibilities of participating in an actual medical trial with our infrared sauna blanket for the recovery of heart disease.

Below is a selection of scientific references, all of which deal with infrared sauna therapy (FIR):

• Lin, Chih-Ching*, † , ‡; Chang, Chao-Fu† , ‡ , §; Lai, Ming-Yu*, ‡; Chen, Tzen-Wen*, ‡; Lee, Pui-Ching‖; Yang, Wu-Chang*, ‡. Far-Infrared Therapy: A Novel Treatment to Improve Access Blood Flow and Unassisted Patency of Arteriovenous Fistula in Hemodialysis Patients. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 18(3):p 985-992, March 2007. | DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2006050534

• Vatansever F, Hamblin MR. Far infrared radiation (FIR): its biological effects and medical applications. Photonics Lasers Med. 2012 Nov 1;4:255-266. doi: 10.1515/plm-2012-0034. PMID: 23833705; PMCID: PMC3699878.
  
  
• Soo Jeong Choi, Eun Hee Cho, Hye Min Jo, Changwook Min, Young Sok Ji, Moo Yong Park, Jin Kuk Kim, Seung Duk Hwang, Clinical utility of far-infrared therapy for improvement of vascular access blood flow and pain control in hemodialysis patients, Kidney Research and Clinical Practice, Volume 35, Issue 1, 2016, ISSN 2211-9132
  
  
• Lin CC, Liu XM, Peyton K, Wang H, Yang WC, Lin SJ, Durante W. Far infrared therapy inhibits vascular endothelial inflammation via the induction of heme oxygenase-1. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008 Apr;28(4):739-45. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.107.160085. Epub 2008 Jan 17. PMID: 18202320; PMCID: PMC2748062.
  
  
• Beever R. Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Can Fam Physician. 2009 Jul;55(7):691-6. PMID: 19602651; PMCID: PMC2718593.

• Masuda A, Miyata M, Kihara T, Minagoe S, Tei C. Repeated sauna therapy reduces urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F(2alpha). Jpn Heart J. 2004 Mar;45(2):297-303. doi: 10.1536/jhj.45.297. PMID: 15090706.

• Matsushita K, Masuda A, Tei C. Efficacy of Waon therapy for fibromyalgia.
  Intern Med. 2008;47(16):1473-6. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.47.1054. Epub 2008
  Aug 15. PMID: 18703857.

• Sobajima M, Nozawa T, Ihori H, Shida T, Ohori T, Suzuki T, Matsuki A,Yasumura S, Inoue H. Repeated sauna therapy improves myocardial perfusion in patients with chronically occluded coronary artery-related ischemia. Int JCardiol. 2013 Jul 15;167(1):237-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2011.12.064. Epub 2012Jan 13. PMID: 22244482.

• Kihara T, Biro S, Ikeda Y, Fukudome T, Shinsato T, Masuda A, Miyata M,
  Hamasaki S, Otsuji Y, Minagoe S, Akiba S, Tei C. Effects of repeated saunatreatment on ventricular arrhythmias in patients with chronic heart failure.
  Circ J. 2004 Dec;68(12):1146-51. doi: 10.1253/circj.68.1146. PMID: 15564698.

• Soejima Y, Munemoto T, Masuda A, Uwatoko Y, Miyata M, Tei C. Effects of Waon therapy on chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study. Intern Med.
  2015;54(3):333-8. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.54.3042. PMID: 25748743.

• Umehara M, Yamaguchi A, Itakura S, Suenaga M, Sakaki Y, Nakashiki K, Miyata M, Tei C. Repeated waon therapy improves pulmonary hypertension during exercise in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Cardiol. 2008
  Apr;51(2):106-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2008.01.004. PMID: 18522783.

• Imamura M, Biro S, Kihara T, Yoshifuku S, Takasaki K, Otsuji Y, Minagoe S, Toyama Y, Tei C. Repeated thermal therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001 Oct;38(4):1083-8. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(01)01467-x. PMID: 11583886.

• Yamane H, Araki R, Doi A, Sato F, Tanaka K, Miyazaki N, Goda T, Yamada T. Successful wound healing of refractory digital ulcer in patient with systemic sclerosis by Waon therapy. J Cardiol Cases. 2021 May 8;24(4):190-192. doi: 10.1016/j.jccase.2021.04.001. PMID: 35059054; PMCID: PMC8758589.

• Tei C, Imamura T, Kinugawa K, Inoue T, Masuyama T, Inoue H, Noike H, Muramatsu T, Takeishi Y, Saku K, Harada K, Daida H, Kobayashi Y, Hagiwara N, Nagayama M, Momomura S, Yonezawa K, Ito H, Gojo S, Akaishi M, Miyata M, Ohishi M; WAON-CHF Study Investigators. Waon Therapy for Managing Chronic Heart Failure　- Results From a Multicenter Prospective Randomized WAON-CHF Study. Circ J. 2016;80(4):827-34. doi: 10.1253/circj.CJ-16-0051. Epub 2016 Mar 18. PMID: 27001189.

• Kihara T, Miyata M, Fukudome T, Ikeda Y, Shinsato T, Kubozono T, Fujita S, Kuwahata S, Hamasaki S, Torii H, Lee S, Toda H, Tei C. Waon therapy improves the prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure. J Cardiol. 2009 Apr;53(2):214-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2008.11.005. Epub 2009 Jan 18. PMID: 19304125.