Infrared Sauna Benefits for Autoimmune Disease: Can It Help Reduce Inflammation?

Alexandra Atwell: Welcome back to the Autoimmune Mom Podcast. Before we get into today's episode, just wanted to remind you that I have a new website, the autoimmune mom.com. You can find all of my episodes there. You can sign up for my ⁓ email alerts when episodes are live. You can leave a review. Please leave a review, five-star review, wherever you're listening. It helps people to find the show. Also, ⁓ you can request to be on the show if that's something that you'd be interested in sharing your story. ⁓ or if you have a friend that you like to nominate, please do. I'd love to ⁓ be connected with anybody that is interested in in being a part of the autoimmune mom podcast. ⁓ you can do that all on my website. ⁓ again, the autoimmune mom dot com. You can find me on social media, Instagram, ⁓ not on TikTok. So Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube at the Autoimmune Mom Podcast. ⁓ and you can find me there. So yeah. Let's get into today's episode. Today I'm coming at you from a different location. I am in my sauna room. So in today's episode is all about saunas. If you've ever found yourself maybe late at night Googling can an infrared sauna help my ABC, XYZ, autoimmune disease, you're not alone. I know I did. And today I'm sharing my experience with the research, what the research says, common questions people are asking online, and why this practice has become one of the most supportive tools in my own autoimmune recovery. Disclaimer, I am not a doctor. Before we begin this episode, this is for educational purposes only. I am sharing my personal experience with valuable the valuable research that I've done, but it's not medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider about what's appropriate for you. I like heat. I know MS and people with pots and things like that. They don't do so well with heat. So this this episode ⁓ might not be for you, but ⁓ for the rest of you out there who may have considered it, I'm happy to share what I've learned and ⁓ you can take it or leave it. So, anyways, ⁓ with that said, how did I get into infrared saunas? Well, w early in my diagnosis I was working at my uncle's spa. He owns the black tie spa for men. It's in Norwell, Massachusetts, right on the hang on line. Excuse me. And he has ⁓ he's a well ⁓ workout wellness junkie and he one of one of the treatments at his spa a ⁓ steam room. And so he was always telling You should get in the steam room, you feel so much better. And at this time I'm running marathons and I'm training, but Early into my early diagnosis. So I never really enjoyed the steam room. I don't like that steam in my face. I just felt claustrophobic in there and it was never a thing for me. But at the same time, my gym had a dry sauna. So I decided, well, I'll try the dry sauna. I don't like the wet sauna. I don't like the steam, but maybe I can fig maybe maybe I like the dry because I hate the cold. So now it's like February in Massachusetts. We haven't seen the sun in months and it's raining and miserable and snowing and cold. I don't feel good, my joints hurt, stiff, ⁓ miserable. ⁓ And I found that I really enjoyed sauna. So I started doing my own research ⁓ and how to use the sauna and to use the sauna, ⁓ and how long should I be in sauna? And when what's the best time of day for the sauna? Now I have two babies, ⁓ and the amount of time it takes to a one and two year old into the car, buckled in with the snowsuits and the snow hats and all that, driving the snow and the sleet and the rain and the cold weather to this gym, which was 20 minutes from my house. Get them there, ⁓ get them into the daycare, and then I out, and then I take a sauna, and then you have to shower afterwards because you don't want to reabsorb the toxins that you sweat out. And then now it's like my kids are freaking out in the daycare and I just it was too much. So then it became okay, well I'll work out Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and I'll do the sauna Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and then we'll go to the gym every single day. And my kids hate the gym. And I ended up like not working out and just doing the sauna. And then I it was not working well for me. And I knew it wasn't an infrared sauna. Now I'm doing all the research and it's like infrared is better, it's gentler. It actually ⁓ Heats you from the inside. So that's pretty much the difference. So traditional saunas they heat the air around you. It's just a hot room with with air. But an infrared sauna uses infrared red light to warm your body directly. So think about it from the inside out. And it doesn't, and often it's at much lower temperatures. So some people when you first start, maybe it's only 110 degrees, others it's a you can get up to 140. Mine only goes up to like a hundred and like you could set it to 155, I think, but it never really reaches anything over 140. ⁓ 43 I think is the max. which just means it's a lot more tolerable because a lot of those dry saunas are like 190 degrees and it's very hot in there and it's not as tolerable. ⁓ so people don't use it as much. But with an infrared sauna it is ⁓ gentler to the body. So ⁓ want really wanted a sauna in my house ⁓ bad because this is just too much. ⁓ I'm not feeling and at this point I'm my flares are so bad and I'm miserable and there's no working out. Now I'm just going to the gym for the sauna, which was still a lot of work when you can't move your body. And I was in pain and my feet and hands hurt so bad. So getting the kids in and out of the car, I couldn't even put my boots on. They hurt so bad. My hands hurt so bad. So ⁓ talking to my parents about it. I want a sauna that's low in EMF because I'm reading about how those are so bad for you and ⁓ you know I was deep into the rabbit hole of holistic treatments and things like that. So I wanted the one that was low EMF, but they are like a lot more money. And my mom was basically said, I'm just gonna get you the one at Costco. And she bought me the one at Costco for like eighteen hundred dollars. This is ten years ago. So ⁓ it was a two-person sauna. It went in my basement. It was life-giving. Like it was the best gift I've ever been given. I loved it so much. ⁓ I used it almost daily. Especially in the cold winter months, and ⁓ everything was better. Again, this is not something that I used in replace of treatment. I was still doing my treatments. This was just a layer of support that has helped me, helped me detoxify, helped me to feel better. It's just another little thing that I can do to support my own treatments. ⁓ but let's talk a little bit about infrared sauna and you know, like for me I've had it for ten years, but this is not a new thing. This has been something that is centuries old. ⁓ in Finland, saunas are woven into every single day life. Historically they are places for recovery, for childbirth, ⁓ for cleansing and community. Finland has millions of saunas much of today's sauna research is coming out of Finland because they have the most robust use of f ⁓ saunas. But we can trace this all way back to many indigenous cultures in the North America. They long used sweat lodges and ceremonies and sacred practices for prayer, reflection, healing, and connection. These traditions are deeply spiritual and should not be equated to commercial saunny use at all. That's they're two totally different things. But it is interesting to think that, whoa, ⁓ these cultures, tens of thousands of years ago, were using heat not only for warmth, but For spiritualness, for for their bodies' own ⁓ detoxifications and also for community. ⁓ tend to think less of like that, and we'll get into why in a minute, ⁓ for me personally, but it is worth reflecting on that they these have been used for centuries. The ancient Romans built bathhouses where people moved through different temperatures to relax, socialize, and restore. They went from hot to cold to hot to cold. ⁓ the Turkish people. They evolved the Roman traditions and became more important cultural spaces focused on cleansing and well-being. ⁓ In Japan, Ansen and Sento bathing traditions emphasized restoration, relaxation, and intentional self-care. Intentional self-care, moms. We're gonna come back to that one. It reminds us that using heat to support wellness isn't a modern trend. Humans have been turning to warmth, rest, and community for centuries. We tend to think of this as the newest trend. People are ⁓ using ice baths and they're using heat and they go from the ice baths to the heat, the heat to the ice bath, back forth, back and forth. This is a trend we're seeing, and it's you know, it it at one point it was all over social media and this is what everyone's doing. Well, I have had a sauna for a decade. So this is not this isn't new to me, and it's not new to the world. It's just new to social media. So we tend to think of it as a new age wave. thing, but this is something that has been around for centuries and it has been used in many, many, many, many different ways. so maybe it's not the best place for relaxation, but maybe it is for detoxification, or maybe it's ⁓ best used for to meditate. Maybe you like to go in there and pray for prayer. ⁓ You know, there's different you it doesn't have to be used, it's not cookie cutter. It's not used for one thing. It's used for whatever works best for you. ⁓ what is the research ⁓ what are people saying? What are the benefits? often it's ⁓ pain and stiffness, improved sleep, relaxation, better circulation, reduces stress, enhanced recovery from working out. That's what my husband uses it for. ⁓ while experiences vary, the most common reasons people choose to incorporate sauna are personal and not every single day. that you use it, do you get every single benefit? That's what I've found. Some days I I get the relaxation from it. Some days I get energy from it. Some days I get reduced inflammation. Most days I when I go in there, I do experience a reduced inflammation, but not every day. the more I use it, the more benefit I feel, the less I use it, I don't I tend not to feel as much. So you have to keep that in mind. We're gonna talk about that in a minute too. So, what does the research say specifically for autoimmune disease? Well, it's pretty limited. existing studies suggest a potential benefit related to chronic pain and mood, relaxation, circulation, and quality of life. And infrared tonas are not a cure for autoimmune disease and should not be replaced for medical care. That's the way I like to think about it. ⁓ safety considerations. Let's talk to your doctor, Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, nauseous, faint, or unwell. You need to make sure you're hydrating well. If you're using if this is something that you're gonna plan on incorporating ⁓ on a daily basis, you need to replenish with electrolytes, minerals. ⁓ and that doesn't mean you have to go out and buy the next new fad of whatever product is out there. It can be as simple as putting a ⁓ quality redmond salt or celtic salt in your water with some lemon. If you were to be severely dehydrated and end up in a hospital, they would give you an IV with saline water in it. And what is that? That's salt water. That's the best way to hydrate your body. ⁓ you don't need to spend a ton of money on them. Does it taste do they taste better if you bet spend the money? Absolutely. Is sometimes they have extra things in it that'll help too. But lemon and salt in your water is really all you need and just making sure that you're replenishing what you're sweating out if you're using it on a regular basis. ⁓ what's the best practices? ⁓ I would say start with a ten to fifteen minute session a lower dose, like I mean at a lower ⁓ a lower temperature, 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. stay hydrated the whole entire time. I sip water when I'm in there. I tend to drink a lot of water when I'm in there, but hydration starts before you start sweating. So it's you know, sipping water all day long with the or the electrolyte. whatever product you use and love is fine. And then you want to gradually increase your duration and temperatures as tolerated. You want to listen to your body and prioritize consistency over intensity. This was something I learned the hard way because I came very much from the mentality of no pain, no gain. I can do it ⁓ you can do, but I can do it better. So if you're in the sauna for an hour, I'm gonna stay in the sauna for an hour and ten minutes. ⁓ advisable. There were many, many times I stayed in way too long. I think the longest I ever stayed was an hour, but I stayed in too long and then my adrenals were just crashing and then I couldn't do anything for the rest of the day. It's just too exhausted. Took me a l like sadly, it took me a long time to learn that. I used to take an ⁓ infrared yoga class ⁓ it was ⁓ crazy hot in there and we did a ninety minute infrared yoga class. And then I did it on Saturday mornings when my kids were little, my husband was home for the babies. And then I would crash on the couch for the rest of the day and couldn't do anything. And like thought that was normal. Took me a minute to realize, nope, that's adrenal failure of fatigue in your this is this is not beneficial anymore. This is not a good thing. So intensity doesn't not mean it's gonna be better. What makes it better is your consistency. So even if you did a half an hour a day, that is better than an hour a day, three days a week. Half an hour every day is better. Half an hour, three or four days a week. You gotta find a pattern that works best for you. ⁓ and I do what I can in the season I'm in. I have not been using it as much as I would like to right now. We are crazy busy this summer. like I've got kid one kid going one way and another kid going another way ⁓ the time, and we're traveling a lot. So it hasn't been used as much. but will get back into it. So again, do what you can in the season you're in. Some common questions. Can infrared saunas reduce inflammation? Possibly indirectly through stress and reduction, through stress reduction and ⁓ improved circulation. Evidence is limited. It works for me. But if I'm giving the internet answer, evidence is limited. Research needs to be more research needs to be done. Can they detoxify the body? Sweating does eliminate some substances, some toxins. Your liver and your kidneys are your primary detox organs, but sweating can be a way to ⁓ expel some toxins. So when I am in the sauna, basically am constantly drying myself off. I do dry brush when I first get in there, when my skin is dry, and I'm ⁓ that will help to get the lymphatic system going and help to drain your lymphs. And then once I start sweating, I'm constantly drying myself off. Do infrared saunas cause a flare? For some individuals, heat does can c can be tru problematic. ⁓ me, no. I I mean I love it. It's been great. Trial and error. I'm not saying go out and buy a sauna tomorrow. That's not what I'm saying. But maybe start at a sauna house down the street or if your gym has one and see how you like it, see how you respond. You know, gotta do a little bit of consistency, see how it makes you feel. Do I have to own one? No, you don't have to own one. Many gyms and their spas and all that stuff can have it. It's just it was easier for me. It is easier for me in the season of life that I'm in. feels like getting to the gym is an impossibility. And this is right upstairs. So if I have a problem getting there, that's on me. ⁓ I knew, I w wish I knew. I think I touched a little bit about this consistency over intensity. ⁓ I wish I had started with shorter sessions. I really wiped myself out for a long time and I was addicted to it at one point. And that's not probably the best practice either. ⁓ it's not a miracle. I never claimed it was a miracle. It just makes me feel better. That's all I know. ⁓ I guess my b maybe in closing, my my biggest lesson isn't that everyone needs an infrared sauna, but maybe it's that everybody, every woman, especially mothers living with an autoimmune autoimmune disease, need permission to pause, recover, and care for themselves. I find that best and easiest to do when I'm in my sauna because I feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck. I am resting, I am pausing, I am recovering, I am detoxing. I am sweating. I'm feeling like my old self again. Like this the act of sweating like that feels like my youth when I was working out and playing basketball and training hard and running marathons. It just feels like my old self. And I am able to recover and rest and sweat at the same time. And I love that. ⁓ infrared sauna. It hasn't cured my autoimmune disease, but it's helped me feel like more like myself. ⁓ managing an autoimmune disease is really about finding, rarely about finding one magic answer. And it's about building a collection of support that helps you thrive. What that looks like for you, I don't know. I hope it's an infrared sauna, and we can become really good friends and we can chat about ours. ⁓ it's funny because I do have a handful of friends that have them, and we do have infrared sauna conversations. ⁓ the ones that are out there now, They got TVs, you can turn them on for your phone. ⁓ Mine I I I have to walk upstairs to turn it on. Which is sad to say because ⁓ you know, there have been times when I've been a little bit on the lazy side or my knee hurts and I don't want to go up there. I usually send my kids up if they're home. So ⁓ I have that. so let's like look at my infrared sauna. Let me show you a a little bit about it. I can see it all. Okay, so It has lights on the inside and outside. But we have some light therapy. And there are different healing properties. You can Google that. I mean, that wasn't part of my show here, but mine is a three-person sauna. I need to clean the door. These are the panels they give off the heat. There's panels on the floor, there's panels there, there's panels on the side, and like windows. So When we moved into this house, I did get a three-person sauna. I can sit down, I'm six feet tall. I can lit like sit with my feet elevated. I put a towel down. I sit in there. ⁓ one thing I did want to mention is one of the benefits of having one at home is when it's an infrared sauna, the infrared light keats you from the inside out, but your clothes will block that. So I have this room, I shut the door. Everybody knows not to go in the sauna room when the door's shut. Not that anyone comes in here anyways but me. And ⁓ I do I wear underwear, that's what I'm comfortable in. I but I sit on a towel, I have a towel to dry myself off, I do the dry brushing, as I mentioned, to get my lymphatics going. I do like this massaging of all that facial stuff that everyone talks about too on on social media. And I like to stay in there for 30 to 45 minutes, probably too long for most people. Sometimes I only have 20 minutes and that's what I do. I feel good the longer I'm in there. So I'm drinking a lot of fluids. I tend not to do it at night. They keep me up at night. I have to use the bathroom and in the middle of the night, and that's not good. But a lot of people do like it at night because it relaxes them and they sleep better. So it's just a matter of finding what works for you. ⁓ I do recommend if you get your own, not wearing a lot of clothes in there, not wearing jewelry. ⁓ some of these things can release toxins when it they get warmed up. It's like drinking water out of a plastic bottle that's been baking in the car in the sun for a day. You don't want to do that either. It's not good for the chemicals get released or whatever. So again, I've been down the rabbit hole of the holistic healing and all that stuff for many years. This is something that I learned during that time and it has stuck, and I love her and she's my baby and she's not going anywhere. ⁓ God forbid something happens to her. I will buy another one immediately because they're awesome and I love it. So if you have any questions, please let me know. I'm happy to answer questions on what I've learned and how it's helped me. ⁓ it can dry out your hair. I get that question a lot, like sitting in the heat. There are wool hats that you can wear. That sounds like insane. Who would put a wool hat on? But it does help protect that. You can get the saunas that your head doesn't go in. I don't think they're as relaxing. I don't they're not I feel like I'm in a box like coffin. I like the room. I I you know I have a friend's who got a one person one and it's very small. I have not been in it. I have seen it. ⁓ she lives in Massachusetts still and it's just like it's not my favorite. I like the bigger one. I like to not feel like I'm locked in a room. So it has lights, it has windows. I don't know if you can tell, but it's got windows on either side, which is nice. So I can see out. And ⁓ yeah, that's it. ⁓ that's all I got on Infrared Saunas. Again, if you have any questions, please reach out. I'm happy to answer them. check out my website, the autoimmune mom.com. You can sign up for my newsletter. You can get every episode there. You can leave a review. ⁓ And also please, please, please leave a review on wherever you're getting episodes. So Apple, Spotify, YouTube, really would like to share this message. You can also on my webpage, ⁓ as I said at the beginning, you can sign up to be a guest. I'd love to hear your story. No story is too small, no story is too big. I'm happy to share it ⁓ and build this community. thank you all so much, and I hope you have a great day.