Heat Therapy for Back Pain
Heat promotes various healing processes and penetrates deeply into muscles and other body tissues. For muscle tension the pain perception in the brain is through the application of heat reduced. That is how heat serves to relax the musculature of the body. Our metabolism is stimulated by the application of heat - veins and arteries are dilated and circulation is promoted. This supplies the tissue with vital nutrients and transports toxins out of the body.
Persistent pains, for example muscle tension or injured tissue, can be improved through the application of heat. It is however advisable to always first have a doctor examine any injury. With muscle tension or muscle sprains you should only apply heat if the joint is neither inflamed nor swollen. Direct application to the joint is not recommended – it is much more effective to apply heat to the surrounding musculature.
Infrared Light
Red light is a natural component of sunlight and has the effect of heating the body. This relaxes the body and helps you to feel vital and healthy. Beneficial red light can specifically be used for the treatment of muscle strains, circulation issues, the common cold, joint pain and low body temperature. So can tense muscle discomfort be eased, blood vessels expanded, aches and pains eased and body temperature (and therefore metabolism) raised. Furthermore, heat therapy can help with Ear-Nose-and Throat sicknesses. For decades infrared light has been implemented as a treatment for the common cold. Infrared light causes the irradiated part of the body to be warmed and heated, which then strongly reacts with an increase in blood flow to the area and raises the metabolism and circulation in the heated area.
Sunlight is composed of all the colors of the rainbow combined together. Some “colors” are visible to the human eye, and some not. The color of light, and its energy, is determined by the specific wavelength of ray of length – blue light is a short wavelength, and red is the longest. The shorter the wavelength, the more powerful – i.e. more energy – it contains. Red, being the longest on the visible spectrum, is the least powerful, which is why infrared light is safe to use on your skin. Ultraviolet light – with a wavelength even shorter than “blue” light, on the other hand, would burn your skin.
How does Infrared light work?
The infrared heat rays penetrate only a few millimeters into the top of your skin and result in a feeling of being warmed from the inside out – a so called “deep warmth”. This warmth is typically perceived as very pleasant and relaxing.
Effects of Infrared Light on Health
The irradiated skin becomes warm, thoroughly supplied with blood and the metabolism is locally increased. The body is helped to activate its own natural healing processes through the targeted application of infrared light. Infrared light is frequently used as an accompanying therapy for the treatment of illnesses of the ears, nose and throat as well as common colds and muscle tension.