The History of Heat Therapy

How many times have you sustained an injury at the gym or complained about a repetitive stress injury and been advised to apply heat to the affected area? Several times, we’d guess, because it’s an age-old technique.

Dating back to Hippocrates’ suggestion that malarial fever has a calming effect on epileptic spasms, heat therapy’s profound impact on relieving pain and inflammation has been recognized. From Rome, Austria, Finland, and other parts of the world, thermotherapy has had a long history.

Early beginnings

Most of the early uses of heat therapy relate to treating muscle spasms, curing illnesses, and treating skin conditions. Some of the earliest sources of heat therapy were related to volcanic sources, including mud baths, thermal baths, and hot air caverns.

By tapping into the power of heat, the ancient Egyptians and Greeks realized that several ailments could be cured by inducing high temperatures. Hippocrates is said to believe in the curative power of fevers, a concept that continued on with the Native Americans, Chinese, English, and Japanese.  

The science behind it

So what makes thermotherapy an effective treatment and management technique for various health concerns?

Heat, when it comes into contact with the human body, has the ability to alter tissue temperature and can produce the desired biological response. When you increase the temperature of the skin, you’re able to increase the blood flow to that region, increase oxygen uptake, and boost tissue healing.

There are various health conditions that can benefit from regular heat therapy, ranging from chronic conditions, debilitating illnesses, and minor injuries. Joint stiffness, muscle cramps, inflammation, and inhibited muscle flexibility can be improved with regular heat therapy owing to the processes explained above.

Heat therapy today

With the advances in medicine and unprecedented development in technologies, heat therapy has evolved to keep up with the times. It isn’t just limited to providing heat to one part of the body to induce results, heat therapy can now be enjoyed as a whole-body experience.

One of the most popular ways of engaging in heat therapy today is through saunas. Whether people are looking for relief from physical ailments or injuries, or just want to stay healthy, a quick sauna session can do wonders.

In fact, with the advent of pre-built infrared home saunas, people are able to take reap the holistic healing benefits of heat therapy from the comfort of their homes. If you’re experiencing muscle tension, have recently been injured, or would like to unwind and destress, investing in an outdoor home sauna can offer a myriad of health benefits.

If you’re looking to reap the excellent benefits of heat therapy through a relaxing sauna session, you can buy home saunas online at USA Health and Wellness.
We have a range of home saunas and outdoor saunas for sale, including top-of-the-line brands like Vital Health and SaunaCore.

For more information, call us at 207.619.4291 or reach out to us online.