Infrared Heat for Real Pain Relief

Whether it's nagging joint pain, sore muscles after a workout, or chronic discomfort that won’t quit, infrared saunas are making waves as a natural pain-relief tool. Think of it as a heat-powered booster for your body’s recovery game, with science backing the benefits and retro chic in the air.

What’s the Heat Therapy Deal?

Infrared saunas use invisible light waves to warm your body from the inside out, typically set between 113–140 °F. Unlike traditional saunas that heat the air, infrared penetrates deeper tissues without blistering the skin, perfect for calming aches while you relax. 

Science-Backed Pain Relief

1. Chronic Pain & Arthritis: A randomized controlled trial with 46 chronic pain patients found that infrared sauna use significantly reduced pain and improved sleep, plus 77% returned to work at a 2‑year follow-up. Another study showed a 40–60% pain reduction in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis patients during 4-week infrared sessions.

2. Low Back & Musculoskeletal Pain: A 2006 RCT reported notable reductions in chronic low-back pain following infrared therapy, no mystery heat balloons here.

3. Muscle Recovery After Exercise: Infrared exposure boosts blood flow to muscles, speeding cleanup of metabolic byproducts after workouts. A study finds infrared sessions enhance neuromuscular recovery post-exercise.

Why It Works

• Deep heat + vasodilation: Opens blood vessels, improves circulation, and accelerates nutrient delivery & waste removal. 

• Anti-inflammatory: Infrared light soothes tissue swelling and calms the inflammatory response. 

• Relaxation & endorphins: The warm, relaxed atmosphere encourages endorphin release, helping ease pain naturally. 

Give It Time (Literally)

Infrared sauna therapy isn’t a one-and-done miracle, it works best with consistent sessions over time. While many people feel relaxed or notice reduced soreness after their first visit, lasting pain relief and deeper cellular benefits come with regular use.

At Totally The Spa, our sessions run 45 minutes to allow for a full-body reset. We recommend starting at a lower temperature (around 115–120 °F) to let your body ease in, especially if you’re new to infrared. Over time, you can slowly increase to 130–140 °F as your comfort level and tolerance build.

The key is showing up regularly. Most guests experience the biggest shifts after 3–5 sessions per week for several weeks, so commit to the rhythm and let your body do its thing.

Infrared saunas offer more than just a cozy escape—they deliver deep-tissue warmth, boost circulation, reduce inflammation, and support natural pain relief, all in a stress-free, vapor-free environment. Backed by real clinical evidence, it's a retro-worthy tool for modern self-care.

Ready to press play on pain relief?

💋Roxie Rewind

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