13 Science-Backed Benefits of Tourmaline Infrared Mats

According to statistics, an increasing number of people with various medical conditions are seeking help in healing mats rather than conventional medicine.

There is no doubt about how popular these mats have become.

When asked why they buy these mats, people often reply, “I heard how powerful FIR is.”

And they are correct; however, their answers are half right, as there are other components of healing mats that are as, if not more, beneficial than these rays.

If you have not used it, you have probably heard of it – tourmaline.

This semi-precious gem is known to improve all kinds of human energy, such as spiritual, physical, mental, and more.

Tourmaline deserves endorsement because of its healing properties, which at times even surpass those of FIR.

Read on to learn about the healing properties of tourmaline mats.

Why Tourmaline Mats

Many people have issues with relieving pain and restoring energy.

Tourmaline mats have been reported to ease back pain in a few minutes, kick fatigue and stress, restore energy, and detoxify and boost the immune system.

This is all thanks to its energizing effects.

But how do these mats work?

Tourmaline has the highest level of negative ions, with insignificantly lower levels of FIR.

Tourmaline cannot be used in its natural state, and is physically similar to charcoal.

The tourmaline in mats is usually crushed and mixed with ceramic to make tourmaline ceramic.

This process makes it sturdy, and increases the negative ion output.

While jade and amethyst offer soothing effects, tourmaline is known to have an energizing effect.

These mats are easy to use – all you have to do is place it on the floor, put your body on it, and relax and enjoy the therapy.

You will feel a soothing sensation and deep warmth.

The warmth will feel almost surreal, as you cannot trace a perceivable source.

These tourmaline mats will not only decrease back pain, completely relax the body, and restore energy, but they will also give you very restful sleep.

More and more people are avoiding taking medication as they have realized that these can sometimes do more harm than good.

Tourmaline mats are the perfect substitute for any sort of pain treatment, without any adverse effects.

If you are one of those people seeking alternative healing methods, these mats are ideal for you.

Let’s dive in…

Scientifically-Proven Benefits of Tourmaline Mats

Tourmaline coupled with FIR has become a widespread healing method for treating an array of medical conditions.

This stone has been reported to offer a multitude of healing benefits, so we have compiled a list of scientifically-proven benefits of tourmaline mats.

Help Treat Allergic Rhinitis

More commonly known as hay fever, allergic rhinitis is one of the most widespread chronic illnesses worldwide.

It is a sort of nasal inflammation that is caused by your immune system’s overreaction to the allergens in the air.

The symptoms of allergic rhinitis occur when vascular permeability is increased.

Many conventional therapeutic methods such as immunotherapy, medication, or avoidance of the allergen fell short and proved ineffective.

So, scientists went on the prowl for an alternative treatment.

They found that increased blood flow in the nasal area delivers much more effective treatment of allergic rhinitis.

In 2007, the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society published a study that suggests how far infrared therapy improved the symptoms of sneezing, nasal stuffiness, nasal itching, eye itching, and rhinorrhea.

The study results clearly indicate how tourmaline is a novel treatment for allergic rhinitis (1).

Improve Motor Function

Many people have problems with motor functioning and coordination in general.

Tourmaline has been found to be helpful in improving these functions.

In 2015, the Department of Radiology in Taiwan carried out a study with the aim of finding a correlation between infrared radiation therapy and beneficial effects on nerve function.

According to the results, far infrared and tourmaline treatment is beneficial, effective, and noninvasive when it comes to increasing nerve regeneration and improving motor function.

What’s more, these treatments are also beneficial when it comes to treating various peripheral nerve injuries and diseases (2).

Inhibit Some Types of Cancer

Tourmaline mats through FIR change your body temperature, and this change then inhibits the proliferation of some cancer cells.

FIR treatments have been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells (including breast, tongue, and lung cancer), according to Medical Oncology in London (3).

Ease Back Pain

In 2015, a group of researchers led by Dr. Gazze carried out a study investigating the benefits of FIR therapy for chronic back pain.

The study included 50 subjects with low back pain, and lasted for six months.

The results suggest significant mental and physical improvements in the patients with low back pain. The subjects also reported progressive improvement in physical health and bodily pain scales.

Moreover, no side effects were reported (4).

Improve Quality of Life and Overall Well-Being

Thermal heating has been used as a treatment for patients with chronic pain.

This therapy has been practiced for many years, as it has been found to help patients with chronic pain who did not take any medications at the time.

In 2005, at the Nishi Kyusyu University, a group of researchers carried out a study that suggested how infrared sauna heat therapy can improve mood and well-being, when combined with other holistic treatment methods (such as cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise rehabilitation).

The study included 46 patients split into two groups.

The first group included the patients subjected to infrared sauna treatment, and the second group was the control group.

The results show that after the two-year treatment period, 77% of the sauna group patients exhibited improvements in overall well-being, while just 50% of the control group patients experienced any improvement (5).

Improve Diabetes Symptoms

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine suggested that there is a link between FIR sauna treatment and improved quality of life in patients with type II diabetes.

The most common adverse effects of diabetes are chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, pain, congestive heart failure, and other heart complications.

According to the study and other laboratory findings, sauna treatments are likely to raise the pain threshold and contribute to overall well-being.

This means that tourmaline mats are capable of healing diabetes symptoms naturally.

The study was conducted at the Fraser Lake Community Health Center in Canada, and proved that FIR is beneficial for decreasing the side effects of diabetes.

The patients were given 20-minute treatments 3 times per week, over a period of three months.

Parameters such as physical health, general health, and social functioning greatly improved with the help of FIR treatments.

What’s more, infrared is reported to be more effective than other lifestyle interventions when it comes to treating type II diabetes (6).

Reduce Pain and Stiffness

Far infrared is capable of boosting your immune system through mild heating that increases the number of white blood cells and killer t-cells.

In addition, this method of healing has proven to reduce muscle soreness, muscle spasms, and to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

FIR has been shown to induce short-term improvements of pain and stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, according to Clinical Rheumatology (7).

May Help With Chronic Fatigue

In the diabetes section above, we mentioned how one of the side effects of type II diabetes is chronic fatigue.

It is no wonder there is a study backing the claim that FIR can help treat it.

In 2005, the Journal of Psychosomatic Research published a study suggesting that repeated thermal therapy can treat chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The study, which lasted for a total of 35 sessions once a day, involved two patients who were subjected to thermal therapy, or in other words, FIR dry sauna.

In the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, a study published in 2005 suggests that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can be treated by using repeated thermal therapy.

The results suggest that symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance were significantly improved after 15 to 25 sessions of thermal therapy.

This shows that tourmaline mats are effective in treating CFS (8).

Can Treat Arteriovenous Fistula

Arteriovenous fistula is an abnormal passageway or connection between an artery and a vein.

This condition causes blood to flow directly from an artery into a vein.

The condition most commonly affects the leg area, but it can also develop anywhere in the body.

According to a 2014 study, far infrared showed positive effects in the treatment of arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients.

In addition, the research findings suggested improved function of blood circulation to and from arteriovenous fistula, as well as the reduced chance of arteriovenous malformation (9).

Protect the Skin

Tourmaline mats through far infrared can protect your skin from sunburns.

As you already probably know, some types of rays are very harmful to the skin, including ultraviolet B.

You can protect your skin from these harmful rays by applying infrared radiation to the skin.

Infrared radiation (including FIR) inhibits sunburn cell formation that was previously caused by ultraviolet B, according to the Archives of Dermatological Research (10).

Reduce Blood Pressure Levels

FIR therapy has been said to normalize blood pressure; however, there is limited moderate evidence.

Some of this evidence has been provided by a group of German researchers who carried out a one-hour session of FIR therapy, which was observed to present a significant decrease in blood pressure levels.

Blood viscosity was also improved as a result of the FIR therapeutic method.

What’s more, some other parameters were also improved, such as heart rate, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and cardiac output.

The results are inconclusive; they thus call for further research (11).

Detoxify the Body

Far infrared is reported to be very effective in body detoxification from heavy metals (such as aluminum and mercury), ammonia, sulfuric acid, alcohol, cholesterol, nicotine, and other environmental toxins.

It takes time for your body to expel biotoxins, so it stores them in the meantime.

While they are in your body, they are likely to trigger an illness, so you should take steps to expel them as soon as possible.

When heavy metal toxins (such as chlorine, lead, and mercury) or toxic gases (such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide) approach large molecules of water, they become encapsulated and trapped in your body by clusters of water.

As these toxins accumulate, they increasingly block blood flow and harm cellular energy.

However, there is a way out from this problem; simply apply FIR.

When you apply an FIR wave of 7 to 14 microns to these large molecules of water, it triggers the water to vibrate.

As a result, this weakens the ionic bonds of the atoms that hold these water molecules together.

Ultimately, the encapsulated gases and toxins are released due to the evaporation of water (12).

It is obvious how powerful tourmaline mats can be. But, without the stone, FIR rays can also be harmful in certain ways.

Here is how to take precautionary steps.

Precautions

The sections above clearly suggest how FIR can offer an amazing range of potential therapeutic effects and benefits, backed by scientific research carried out worldwide.

However, you should know there are conditions that FIR cannot help you with, but rather will only worsen the symptoms.

Unlike tourmaline, FIR is not good for the following conditions:

• Diabetes
• Dermatitis
• Vascular diseases
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Lupus erythematosus
• Adrenal suppression

Also, you should consult your doctor prior to applying FIR if you:

• Take prescription drugs
• Suffer from certain ailments, including the above-mentioned ones
• Have had a recent joint injury, as FIR will only heat the area and make it even more swollen
• Are menstruating, because heating the lower back during the menstrual period may temporarily increase your flow