These Infrared Sauna Blankets Help Soothe Sore Muscles

After intense exercise or a hectic afternoon, few things beat heat therapy to melt away the stress of the day. One way to reap the benefits of heat is by using an infrared sauna blanket.

These blankets use far infrared radiation (FIR) technology and light to directly heat your body and increase its thermal energy, making you sweat—a lot. The idea of sitting in your sweat may not seem ideal, but Casey Kelley, M.D., founder and medical director at Case Integrative Health, explains that infrared sauna blankets can help with muscle-tension relief after exercising and aid the recovery of your neuromuscular system after endurance training sessions. “By applying heat to the injury, you in turn widen the blood vessels, leading to increased blood flow.” Dr. Kelly says, “This helps whisk away any remaining lactic acid, or other toxins in your muscles.”

Sauna blankets are also a great way to mobilize toxins and cleanse your body. “Toxins such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury can all be excreted through sweat, and one study links repeated sauna use with the normalization of mercury levels,” Dr. Kelley says.

Meet the Experts: Casey Kelley, M.D., founder and medical director at Case Integrative Health; Marylee Marre, F.N.P.-B.C., a board-certified nurse practitioner at the New York Center for Integrative Health; Karena Wu, P.T., D.P.T., a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy at ActiveCare Physical Therapy; Alex Aksanov, P.T., D.P.T., M.H.S., a doctor of physical therapy at Stay Active Physical Therapy.

More research is needed to fully understand all the benefits of infrared sauna blankets as they are relatively new, but current studies are promising and there are no reports of harmful effects, though some infrared sauna blankets emit low levels of Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs), a.k.a radiation, but the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says the low-level the blankets use is harmless. But if you’re worried about any type of radiation, there are many infrared sauna blankets with low EMFs and even those with EMF-blocking technology.

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