Get Your Chi on with Infrared

The Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says, “FIR is also gaining popularity as a safe method of natural health care & physiotherapy. Far infrared thermometric therapy garments use thermal technology to provide compressive support and healing warmth to assist symptom control for arthritis, injury, & pain.”

In the year 1800, Sir Frederick William Herschel, performed experiments on what he called the “calorific rays,” later renamed infrared, from the Latin infra, below, and red being the color of the longest wavelengths of visible light. Today, infrared technology has many exciting and useful applications, including infrared grills, infrared cameras, infrared spectroscopy, infrared satellite imagery, infrared astronomy, medical infrared imaging and infrared body wraps just to name a few.
The electromagnetic spectrum includes gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwaves, and radio waves. Infrared (which includes near, mid and far infrared) lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Anything that has temperature radiates in the infrared.

At normal body temperature, human beings radiate in the infrared. Far Infrared is the 'Chi' energy in humans and animals. The Chinese refer to infrared energy as 'Chi', the energy life force of the Universe, present within every living thing. Chi (infrared), maintains good health and wellness, mentally, physically and emotionally. The intensity of Far Infrared (Chi) produced by the human body constantly fluctuates. When the intensity is high, humans feel healthy and enhanced healing. When the Far Infrared (FIR) is not sustained, human beings are open to disease and illness and tend to age more quickly.

The therapeutic effects of infrared have been studied for more tha
30 years. Researchers have found far infrared stimulates blood circulation, strengthens the immune system (by stimulating increased production of white blood cells), reduces pain, promotes the rebuilding of injured tissue (great for healing burns, scar tissue and skin problems), eases joint stiffness and inflammation, and aids in strengthening the cardiovascular system. NASA studied the effects of infrared in the early 1980's and concluded that infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be a great way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flights. A one hour of an infrared body wrap burns over 900 calories by raising the metabolism and body temperature.

Far Infrared is also excellent for detoxification. It promotes elimination of fats, chemicals, and toxins from the blood poisons, carcinogenic heavy metals (toxic substances from food processing), lactic acid, excess sodium, free fatty acids, and subcutaneous fat associated with aging and fatigue, ammonia and uric acid, which cause pain. FIR heat also helps to break down cellulite, trapped water, fat, and waste.
Infrared body wrap therapy is different from traditional heating pads. Traditional pads work from the outside in. When you remove a normal heating pad, the therapeutic value is rapidly lost. Far infrared passes through the skin and insulating layer of fat, two to three inches into the body, warming from the inside of the body, out. Far infrared penetrates quicker and provides a faster response in the body, and its warming benefits go on well after the treatment.

A further benefit of the infrared body wrap is improved flexibility. Elderly persons in particular can lose elasticity of muscle fibers and connective tissue due to lack of exercise. The infrared body wrap warms the muscle and connective tissue, the joints, and helps them become more flexible, restoring elasticity.