15 Science-Backed Benefits of Far Infrared Mats

The life we are living nowadays demands from us always to be on the go.

On top of that, we are always under stress and always putting extra strain on our mind and body.

Every now and then, our body and mind need something to take the edge off, to give them a chance to regenerate and recuperate.

Traditional medicine will prescribe pills, and sometimes they are essential and necessary.

But typically, less invasive but more effective methods can be used.

Far Infrared therapy (FIR) is one of these methods, and it can be used to heal and regenerate both the body and mind that are suffering from too much stress, as well as to soothe and detoxify them.

Far Infrared heat can be applied in many different ways, by using many different methods and devices.

However, in this article, we are going to talk a little bit more about the amazing benefits of one of the most common ones – Far Infrared Mats.

These devices are non-invasive and unobtrusive and have helped many people, including myself.

After years of pent-up stress in my shoulders from my 9-5 job, my back started feeling the toll, as well.

Had I known then about far infrared mats and about how simple it was to incorporate one into my daily routine, my problem would not even be something worthy of mentioning today.

 

What are Far Infrared Mats?

Far Infrared Mats are amazing devices that can bring positive results for those who decide to use them.

They produce Far Infrared Rays (FIR) which penetrate deep into your body through your organs and work on the very basic level.

Infrared rays have been shown to cause the cells and tissue in your body to warm up, and essentially begin a self-healing process.

However, this is not the same heat that you would expect to get from other sources.

This heat works at an essential level for your body and is much gentler and more effective.

On top of that, Far Infrared Mats can never get too hot and cause an uncomfortable feeling or burns; you can set the temperature as high as you want without any risk.

These mats can help so many people who are suffering from back, or other bodily, pain, as well as from lack of energy.

The positive effects that you could expect after using one of these mats are multiple.

You back pain decreases in minutes, you feel more energized, fatigue becomes a problem of the past, your body’s ability to fight infections and diseases improves, and your liver is able to detoxify your body better.

Using a Far Infrared Mat is simple.

All you need to do is lie on it, relax, take nice deep breaths, and let it do what needs to be done.

Very quickly, you will feel warm sensations moving through your body and your core body temperature gently rising for healing.

As I have mentioned before, medication and painkillers can sometimes be necessary, but most often they are not.

As in my case, their overuse is a result of our laziness and lack of desire to make a positive change.

Your body will love you if you substitute one of these mats for those addictive painkillers.

In addition to relieving your body from that persistent pain, it will also help give you the more-than-needed sleep that your body and mind need.

Moreover, there are no side-effects from using these mats.

 

How Do Far Infrared Mats Work?

Far Infrared Mats produce very gentle magnetic fields, strong enough to be detected.

Since your body is also a magnetic field of a sort, they react and affect each other.

The Far Infrared Mat uses electricity to produce Far Infrared Heat and projects it into your body.

This method was originally discovered and developed by NASA, and they were the first ones to document the beneficial effects of this type of energy.

Evidence shows that FIR can destroy cancer cells without any of the harm to the body that is usually accompanied by other cancer treatments.

And it stimulates and regenerates different tissues in the body, including muscles, nerves, and tendons.

 

Are Far Infrared Mats Safe to Use?

Far Infrared Mats work very differently from the ordinary mats that are used to warm up your skin.

Those mats could cause burns if the heat is not controlled carefully, as well as other side effects.

FIR Mats are completely safe and carry no risk of side-effects, as the principle and the technology they use are completely different.

Even though you are not able to see the far infrared rays, you can still feel them and their beneficial effects.

They penetrate deeply into your body and gently massage your interior organs with heat to activate their functions and help them work more efficiently.

Sometimes, ultraviolet rays (UV) are also used to treat different conditions in medicine.

However, as opposed to Far Infrared rays, they are not completely safe.

If not used properly and in a controlled environment, they can cause sunburns or even cancers.

You can use Far Infrared Mats in your own home, at your own leisure, reaping the benefits without worrying about the consequences.

Some of the most common of these beneficial effects include pain relief, weight loss, detoxification, a stronger immune system, better sleep, and less stress.

 

What is FIR Heat?

Far Infrared Heat is the type of energy that is present in every living being, and that is also known as the ‘warm’ energy.

We naturally get this type of heat from sunlight, as well as vitamin D.

It is essential to creating and maintaining life.

The problem with FIR is that the intensity of this warm energy that our body produces and emits fluctuates all the time, and in that way affects the processes in the body.

When FIR levels are high, your immune system is strong and your body can better solve psychological and physical problems.

But when levels of FIR drop, your body automatically loses its resilience and becomes more prone to various diseases and issues.

 

The Origins and First Uses of FIR

The origin of the name Far Infrared Heat is clever and meaningful and can tell us more about the whole principle.

The first part of the word infra means “below,” while the second part red is used because red represents the longest wavelength of light that we can see.

Thus, infrared rays have a wavelength that is longer than that of red, and that is why we cannot see it.

The important part is that we can feel it and its beneficial effects.

The person who discovered infrared rays was William Herschel.

He was an astronomer and the first to realize the existence of infrared rays.

Herschel thought that the colors maybe have varying degrees of heat, and he wanted to experiment with this idea.

Herschel directed light from the sun through a prism made of glass to make a spectrum and observed what temperatures different colors produced.

He had three blackened bulbs with thermometers and put one bulb painted in one color.

At the same time, the other bulbs were positioned as controls outside of the spectrum.

When he measured the temperatures that red, violet, yellow, blue, orange, and green light created, he observed that all of the controls had lower temperatures than the colors he measured.

Moreover, the temperatures went up as the colors progressed toward the end of the spectrum that was red.

After he made sure that he figured out the pattern, he decided to check the temperature of the spectrum that was beyond the red.

Since that part of the scale showed the highest heat, he came to a conclusion that it also had the highest temperature. Because of these observations and experiments, he was able to discover infrared light.

We cannot see infrared light, but we can feel it, and because of that we sometimes call it energy.

Eighty percent of the energy sun sends towards Earth is actually infrared energy.

 

Health Benefits of Far Infrared Mats

Worldwide, FIR is used to treat many different medical issues, and there are many studies to support the good effects that this therapy has.

The possible uses of these mats are numerous, and the list of benefits that one can get from using them is long.

In the next part of the article, we will cover some of the most widely-known ones.

 

Boosts the Immune System

FIR has been proven to prevent the flu and the common cold from developing.

It also helps alleviate the symptoms of these illnesses once they do occur.

The deep heat produced by infrared rays raises your core body temperature and promotes general blood flow, and in that way supports your natural defenses.

A few studies have already been conducted which support this claim, but further research is underway.

 

Treats Allergic Rhinitis

Hay fever happens when your natural body’s defenses react to certain allergens that appear in the air and cause an inflammation inside the nose.

This is one of the most common chronic issues that affect people worldwide.

Common techniques used in therapy, like immunotherapy, pills, and avoiding allergens, are usually inefficient.

For that reason, scientists have decided to try other methods, like FIR, because these have produced significant results.

These results occur because of the improvements in blood flow.

In 2007 there was some research conducted by the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society which proved that FIR heat affected the symptoms of hay fever in a beneficial way.

It could treat nose and eye itching, stuffiness, irritated nose, and sneezing (1).

For that reason, Far Infrared Heat is an efficient, modern way of dealing with this pesky disease.

 

Stimulates Weight Loss

FIR can help you lose weight.

A report that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, conducted by Binghamton University, proved that one treatment in an infrared sauna causes you to burn the same number of calories as jogging or rowing for 30 minutes (2).

This theory claims that FIR helps break down cellulite and fat cells. Nonetheless, additional studies are necessary to support these claims.

 

Improves Motor Function

The Department of Radiology in Taiwan conducted a study in 2015 that shows far infrared radiation therapy can have positive effects on nerve function (3).

The results suggest that FIR can enhance nerve regeneration and can improve nerve function in a natural, noninvasive, and efficient way.

In addition to these findings, the study also implied that FIR can be engaged as a new treatment for different diseases and injuries of peripheral nerves.

 

Reduces Back Pain Symptoms

 

Dr. Gaze, with a team of experts, did some research back in 2015 on the health benefits of Far Infrared therapy for chronic back pain.

The study was conducted on 50 patients who experienced lower back pain, and who were asked to sit on an FIR mat every day (4).

The results of the study showed that most patients reported reduced lower back pain after repeated treatment, as well as improvements in overall physical and mental health.

And no negative effects were reported.

 

Decreases Diabetes’ Side Effects

The Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine conducted a study in 2010 that proves how FIR saunas can be used to improve the quality of daily life in people who suffer from Type 2 diabetes (5).

Anyone who suffers from diabetes also frequently suffers from CFS, CHF, pain, low mood, and various other heart issues.

And sauna treatments can naturally treat all of these symptoms.

When the study was conducted at the Community Health Center at Fraser Lake in Canada, patients were exposed to 20-minute treatments three times a week for three months.

Final results showed better overall health, reduced stress levels,  and less fatigue.

 

Helps Treat Certain Variations of Cancer

FIR treatment causes the body temperature to change slightly, and this change stops some cancer cells from developing.

According to a study done by the Medical Center for Oncology in London, FIR is beneficial in treating lung, tongue, and breast cancer (6).

The results of the study proved that this therapy is effective against cancer cells that possess a low amount of HSP70, which is a measure of Heat Shock Protein.

 

Reduces Pain and Stiffness

Therapy with infrared heat can be very good for people who do sports, be it professionally or for recreation.

It can help them to recover fast, and heal sore muscles.

For those patients who experience problems because of rheumatoid arthritis, infrared saunas can help them with stiff and painful joints.

Additionally, this therapy has been shown to treat muscle spasms, so it can help people with MS, as well (7).

 

Treats Chronic Fatigue

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an illness that affects many people, and FIR can be useful for this medical issue, as well.

One study that appeared in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research has shown a relationship between the two (8).

If patients undergo at least one session in an FIR sauna per day for one month, they should experience an improvement in their CFS symptoms.

The important point is that the therapy should be continued for the whole duration.

 

Detoxifies the Body

If this technique is compared to frequenting saunas or feeling the ordinary heat, FIR radiation is more than seven times as successful at expelling heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury from the body.

Moreover, it helps to remove some other common toxins, like nicotine, cholesterol, ammonia, alcohol, and so on (9).

Sometimes even if someone believes that they have no health issues, their body will still retain a large number of bio-toxins.

The body is not capable of removing them completely, so it stores them inside the cells.

Once a significant amount of the toxins get stored in the body, signs of the disease begin to appear.

Furthermore, large H2O molecules inside the body are capable of capturing various toxic gases, such as carbon dioxide.

This sometimes also happens to other heavy metals, such as mercury, chlorine, and lead.

When these types of toxins accumulate in the body, they negatively affect the blood flow, as well as lower the amount of energy in your cells.

But if we send 7-14 microns of far infrared heat toward these H2O molecules, we can see that they begin to vibrate.

By doing this, ionic bonds that connect the atoms are reduced, and so toxins that have been trapped are released and removed from the cells and the body.

 

Normalizes Blood Pressure

Medical researchers based in Germany conducted a study which led them to conclude that only 60 minutes under far infrared heat can greatly reduce blood pressure (10).

This occurs because the peripheral vessels dilate, and so the blood pressure is lowered.

Additionally, an improved blood viscosity has been observed.

One 60-minute session was enough to lower significantly the blood pressure, as well as the resistance of peripheral blood.

Some additional results observed are an increase in heart rate, heart output, stroke volume, etc.

 

Helps Heal Arteriovenous Fistula

Arteriovenous fistula happens when the blood bypasses the capillaries, flowing directly into a vein from an artery.

Because of this, the affected capillaries do not receive sufficient blood supply.

This problem usually occurs in the legs, but it can happen in any part of the body.

A study was conducted in 2014 by the Nursing Department in Taiwan to observe how FIR affects this problem.

The study shows that far infrared heat is useful in treating arteriovenous fistula in patients on hemodialysis (11).

Finally, the study proved that there were also improvements in the blood flow through that arteriovenous fistula, and there was a lower risk of malfunction.

 

Improves Blood Flow

Therapy with FIR can cause a slight improvement in your blood flow.

This occurs because of capillary dilation.

Additionally, it increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, and in that way helps many important organs to recuperate energy and function better (12).

Furthermore, this oxygen-enriched blood helps treat damaged tissue.

This decreases the amount of chronic pain in muscles and joints, causes the body to feel relaxed and comfortable, helps sleep, and lowers stress levels.

 

Prevents Sunburns

Judging by research done by the Archives of Dermatological Research, Far Infrared Heat can hinder the creation of sunburn cells due to UVB radiation (13).

The formation of sunburn cells was decreased greatly after mice were exposed to FIR radiation.

 

Improves Overall Well-Being

Chronic pain is a persistent issue with varying causes from which a lot of people suffer.

FIR can help with this. Usually in modern medicine painkiller medication is used, but with FIR it is not necessary.

Chronic pain can be treated just by using FIR.

Studies were done to prove this; the most notable one is that conducted in 2005 in Japan.

At Nishi Kyusyu University, patients were exposed to treatments in an infrared sauna.

Since chronic pain usually decreases the quality of life, this study showed that after FIR lowered the number of chronic pain patients felt, they also experienced much better mood.

They claimed that they generally felt better.

After two years of this treatment, the majority of patients (77%) experienced great improvements.

They were able to continue with their lives normally, start working again, and socialize like before (14).

 

Far Infrared Thermal Therapy and EMF

FIR rays are very different from electromagnetic fields.

Many people are concerned about electromagnetic fields and with good reason.

Some studies show that they can be detrimental to one’s health.

However, Japanese researchers have tested FIR, and they have proven that there is no connection between infrared heat and the symptoms that electromagnetic fields can cause.

Some sources of these harmful fields are power lines, smartphones, and some computer terminals.

 

Precautions

As shown, FIR can have so many applications and help so many people with different problems.

Nevertheless, whenever your health is at stake, do not take anyone’s words for granted.

Do your research and talk to your doctor before you try any other treatment method.

We have compiled a list of health issues that should be a sign that you should do more research before using this treatment.

Therefore, be careful if you suffer from these issues.

• Joint Problems. When we injure our joints, the worst thing that we can do to them is to heat them up. Usually, if our joints are injured, it also means that they are inflamed. That means that we should cool them, or try to maintain their normal temperature. Also, if the joints are swollen, we should apply some ice to them, and use ice therapy before trying heat therapy.
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy or the suspicion thereof, it is advised to stop using far infrared therapy. However, traditional saunas are not related to deficits in infants in any way.
• Hemorrhage. Hemophiliacs, as well as those with a predisposition to hemorrhage, should avoid this therapy or any form of heat that would cause their blood vessels to widen. If this happens, further bleeding might occur.
• Menstruation. Heating the lower backs of women during menstruation may for a short period increase menstrual flow. When a woman becomes aware of this, she should choose whether or not she wants this temporary effect.
• Certain Ailments. According to some experts, when the core temperature is raised, it can negatively affect some health issues. Those patients who are suffering from MS, adrenal suppression or lupus erythematosus should talk to their doctors before deciding to use FIR. This therapy might cause their symptoms to increase.
• Prescription Drugs. Whenever you are starting a new therapy and you are already using or undergoing another therapy, you should consult your doctor. There are no known concerns that FIR can affect prescription drugs, but just to make sure, talk to your medical specialist.
• Pain. FIR cannot cause burns, and it should not cause any pain. Therefore, if you are feeling pain, it is advisable that you stop using this method. Perhaps the cause of the pain is something else, and you should check that with your doctor before you try again with this method.
• Worsened Condition. FIR is always intended to make you feel better. If you try to use it and your situation becomes worse instead of better, you should stop the therapy and consult your doctor. Maybe you have a condition that should not be treated with heat.
• Surgical Implants. There should be no problems with using FIR treatments for people who have surgical implants. These cannot be warmed up sufficiently to cause any negative effects. However, as always, talk to a medical expert in order to be sure.
• Silicone. Patients who have silicone implants should be careful when using FIR. To be honest, infrared heat cannot raise the implant temperature high enough to cause any damage, but since they can be affected by heat, these patients should consult their doctors. Usually, silicone can endure 200 degrees Celsius, but that is far from what FIR can do.

 

Do Far Infrared Mats Work?

Far Infrared Therapy is gaining momentum among therapists around the world.

It is a type of energy that is very easily transmitted to the human body, and the body reacts to it very positively.

For that reason, it has become a common treatment prescribed by many healthcare professionals.

Today more than ever it is important to recognize that Far Infrared Mats work and to acknowledge their beneficial effects.

We live every day surrounded by stress and different sources of physical and psychological toxins, and the body’s natural ability to heal is often hindered by our bad habits.

Moreover, many people have depleted their bodies of positive energy, and they are on the way to reach critical levels of stress and toxicity.

The bottom line is that there is significant evidence of the positive effects this type of therapy can have.

Japanese medical practitioners have been using Far Infrared Heat and Far Infrared Mats for a long time to treat and prevent various health issues (15).

 

Conclusion

Far Infrared Therapy is an ancient technique and has been around for a long time.

It has withstood the test of time and has been a part of medical practices in many countries and cultures.

In ancient cultures, FIR has been used to raise the body’s temperature, and in that way raise its energy levels, as well.

Since far infrared radiation’s main source is from the sun, we are able to get 80% of it that way.

In ancient China, for instance, medical practitioners knew this and knew the health benefits FIR has.

They also knew that, in addition to the sun, our bodies, especially our hands, also transmit this energy all the time.

That is why they used palm healing to pass FIR from one person to another.

However, far infrared radiation from the sun also carries negative effects, such as UV radiation.

That is what makes FIR mats so good.

They avoid all of the harmful effects and provide us only with the advantages.