Category: Pain Management

What are the Health Benefits of Infrared Therapy?

Author: Pure Body Health Victoria

Infrared therapy has been shown to have numerous benefits for your health and well being, including:

Weight loss
Treatment for chronic pain
Relaxation of muscle tension
Detoxification
Skin purification

Infrared technology is a wonderful addition to your wellness routine as it gives you the benefits of time spent in the sun without exposing yourself to harmful ultraviolet rays.

Imagine the feeling of refreshment and relaxation after a day in the sun without having to be concerned about the adverse side effects on your skin and health.

Infrared light has been shown to promote faster healing and relief for muscle tension or chronic pain by initiating the circulation of oxygen-rich blood in the body.

It’s a safe and effective rehabilitation method, demonstrated by its use for infants in neonatal intensive care.

What are Infrared Saunas?

Infrared saunas are similar in structure to traditional saunas – they are both typically small enclosed rooms – however they differ in how the heat is transmitted to your body and the resulting benefits.

Traditional saunas heat the body through the conduction of warm air – as the air in the room warms up – your body begins to heat up.

Infrared saunas heat your body directly with 80% of the heat going into your body and 20% warming the air around you.

The infrared light is absorbed by photoreceptors in your cells and is converted into heat energy, which then begins to warm up your body.

When the light energy is absorbed it triggers a series of metabolic events and natural processes in your body.

Do Infrared Saunas Burn Calories?

Infrared saunas promote weight loss as they produce conditions that mimic exercise.

As you begin to sweat, your heart rate increases and this kickstarts a caloric burn. The same is true for traditional saunas, however, if you find the intense heat of a traditional sauna overwhelming, infrared saunas are a great alternative.

Since infrared saunas warm your body, not the air – the thick feeling or heaviness of air that can be felt in traditional saunas doesn’t occur, so you are able to receive the benefits of calorie loss without discomfort.

Detoxification and Infrared Saunas

Infrared saunas are effective at detoxifying both your body and mind. The induced sweating has been shown to help eliminate heavy metals, BPA’s and other toxic chemicals from your skin.

BPA’s are an industrial chemical that has been used since the 1960’s to make certain plastics and resins. It’s common to absorb these chemicals in your day-to-day life and therefore important to detoxify them from your skin.

Infrared saunas are also excellent places to detoxify your mind. In the sanctuary of the sauna while your body is receiving the benefits of infrared wave energy, it provides a powerful space for meditation, reflection and relaxation.

Do Infrared Saunas Help Rejuvenate Your Skin?

Infrared wave energy has been shown to help cells repair and regenerate, including your skin cells, improving your skin elasticity and tone.

Infrared therapy has also been shown to be effective in reducing the appearance of cellulite, clearing acne, psoriasis, eczema and reducing the appearance of scars.

This combined with the required rehydration after time spent in the sauna results in a purification and refreshment of your skin.

Considerations

Infrared therapy can help with a number of things but it’s always important to take certain considerations into account when deciding if it’s right for you, a few of which include:

Avoid the sauna if you have been consuming alcohol
If you have heart problems, issues with your blood pressure, or pregnant it’s advised you consult your doctor before booking an appointment.
It’s important to rehydrate after your session to avoid dehydration

If you’re ready to try Infrared Therapy, schedule your appointment at Pure Body Health Victoria here!

COVID Fatigue is Real

Author: Diana Alvarez, Registered Acupuncturist

In recent weeks, there has been an increase in people turning to acupuncture for support to help with stress and physical pain. In my practice I have noticed people are having trouble staying asleep as their minds just can’t seem to shut off – and they say it’s because of COVID-19.

Alongside this, there are many more tight shoulders to help release these days in clinic. Not only because posture became a concern while working from home, but because our bodies are guarded, so our shoulders are working hard to protect the “Heart” and “Spirit” from the outside world.

The use of acupuncture to support these tough times is a good idea. We need to calm the mind, help reduce its running around endlessly, and there is good help for this!

The Stomach and Spleen organ systems are recognized in Chinese Medicine as being responsible for overthinking and worry when they are out of balance. They are a Yin and Yang pair, so they easily influence each other, and if we needle a Stomach point like ST 36*, it helps bring balance to its best friend quickly. It sends an army of support to the Spleen so its pattern of ruminating can take a break.

*ST 36 is an acupuncture point which calms the mind and is a strong “QI” mover. QI (or Chi) is the energy flow created along the pathways that connect the acupuncture points on the body.

And of course, we will want to reduce the Heart and Small Intestine’s involvement in nighttime overthinking. The Heart needs to rest at night, go into its special cavity in the chest to cozy up for the night. But if it feels unsafe, after a couple of hours of sleep, it doesn’t trust it’s okay to be alone in its home. It wakes us up feeling all anxious, and the mind continues to race. With the Heart and Small intestine’s special bond of being another Yin and Yang pair, using the point SI 3 (small intestine point #3) is perfect. It helps with the Heart’s dilemma of not feeling safe while sleeping, it is the Master Point for calming the Brain, and (drum roll please!) it is the key meridian (channel of energy or QI) that opens up the shoulder! Now, we have a recipe for the overthinking, the anxiety and shoulder pain.

If you are new to acupuncture, please consider booking in for a free 15-minute consultation and issues specific to your concerns can be explained in more detail. The needles used in acupuncture are very thin, allowing for an incredibly gentle approach that calms the nervous system, and is a safe and hygienic treatment that can help make a difference.

Meet with Diana by contacting Pure Body Health Victoria: (778) 265-0043

Pain Management

Correlations Between Stress and Physical Pain

Author: Sydney Crawford, RMT

Stress and Physical Pain

Stress can manifest in many forms: such as hair loss, anxiety disorders, digestive issues, and muscular pain, something we’re all familiar with. In my clinical practice I’ve often seen patterns between emotional stress and physical pain.

When experiencing stress, our body’s nervous system fires up causing a cascade of internal events. A common example of this is clenching our jaw muscles, which can lead to headaches and stiff neck muscles. This is something most of us do without even noticing! Although we may not “feel” stressed, our nervous system can take longer to process emotions which can lead to undiagnosed pain that won’t go away.

This can be confusing for both the client and therapist as there isn’t an obvious physical impairment. As an RMT it’s our duty to provide care and find the best course of action for our client’s health. However, there are limitations to providing emotional support due to the nature of the therapeutic relationship, and this can sometimes be a barrier to helping our clients. If you feel you are suffering from unremitting pain it may be worth trying the counselling route, or managing your pain through indirect therapies such as meditation and mindfulness.

At Pure Body Health, we offer many services that indirectly manage stress both efficiently and effectively. One of which is a unique form of therapy that you may have never heard of before called Access Consciousness BARS®. The BARS® is described as, “gently touching points to release the electromagnetic charge of all thoughts, ideas, attitudes, decisions, and beliefs that may have limited you in the concerned life areas.”

If you would like to learn more about Access Consciousness BARS®, please contact our Registered Acupuncturist, Diana Alvarez, who will be happy to share her experience and insights.