Sauna After Surgery: Facts About Post-Surgery Infrared Sauna Exposure

When you have surgery, your body goes through a lot of changes. It is important to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Using an infrared sauna is a good way to help your body heal.

It was found that infrared light penetrates deeply into damaged tissue. This process aids in expanding broken capillaries and stimulating anti-inflammatory cytokines so the injured areas are able to receive nutrients.

In this blog post, we will discuss the facts about sauna use after surgery. We will talk about the benefits of using a sauna after surgery and how it can help improve your recovery time!

Effects Of Infrared Sauna Use On Postoperative Patients: The Facts

There are a lot of claims surrounding infrared sauna and its link to healing advancements of skin lesions and wounds. Let’s dig deeper into the following facts:

Fact #1: Sauna Bathing After Surgery Speed Up The Wound Healing Process

Infrared saunas have been shown to improve the healing process in a number of ways. When you sweat in a sauna, it causes vasodilation, which is when the blood vessels open up and allow more blood flow to the area. Saunas also increase circulation, which can help bring vitamin D, other nutrients and oxygen to the wound site.

There have been a number of studies conducted on the use of saunas for postoperative wound care. One study published in the Journal of Surgical Research found that sauna use helped to improve healing times for a patient group who had undergone surgery.

Infrared saunas have been shown to improve the healing process in a number of ways. When you sweat in a sauna, it causes vasodilation, which is when the blood vessels open up and allow more blood flow to the area.

Fact #2: Using A Sauna After Surgery Helps Reduce Inflammation

Saunas have been shown to reduce inflammation in a number of ways. They cause the body to release cytokines, which are proteins that help to control inflammation. Infrared saunas can help to improve mobility and range of motion, as well as reduce swelling.

A study published in Wound Repair and Regeneration found that infrared sauna therapy helped to improve healing times and reduce inflammation in surgical wounds.

This was supported by another study, published in PLOS ONE, which showed that sauna use was safe and effective for reducing inflammation after surgery.

Fact #3: Infrared Saunas Help With Pain Relief

Infrared saunas generate heat using light waves, rather than heat generated by flames like in a traditional sauna. This type of sauna penetrates deeper into the skin than traditional saunas, which can help provide relief for the pain. Many people find that infrared saunas are helpful for reducing pain from injuries, post-surgery pain, and even chronic pain conditions.

A study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal showed that plastic surgery patients who used saunas had better cosmetic outcomes than those who did not. The study found that sauna use helped to decrease inflammation, improve wound healing, and reduce pain.

Fact #4: Skin Cells Regenerate In Saunas

Saunas have also been shown to help regenerate skin cells. The heat from the sauna causes the body to release toxins, which can help improve the health of your skin. By stimulating new cell production, the white blood cells are signaled to reach the injury site and consequently help regenerate damaged tissues.

In fact, a 2001 research has found a significant increase in tissue growth and cell regeneration post-infrared therapy exposure. This is because our mitochondria readily accept infrared light.

Another study conducted in 2003 on rodents found that far-infrared ray exposure accelerated and enhanced collagen production. Furthermore, the infiltration of fibroblasts in full-thickness skin wounds increased. If you are looking for a way to improve the appearance of your skin, using an infrared sauna may be right for you!

Fact #5: Saunas Can Help You Lose Weight After Surgery

Saunas are a great way to promote weight loss after surgery. When you sweat in a sauna session, your body releases heat energy. This causes your body to increase circulation and burn more calories, which can lead to weight loss over time.

If you are looking for a way to lose weight after surgery, using an infrared sauna may be the right choice for you!

Fact #6: Saunas Can Help You Relax And Improve Your Mood

It is critical to look for both physically and mentally before and after surgery. One way to promote relaxation and improve your mood is by sweating using an infrared sauna.

Sauna studies have found a decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression and increased feelings of well-being. They can also help patients get a good night’s sleep, which is essential for healing after surgery.

Fact #7: Saunas Can Help Improve Your Overall Health

Sauna use is not just beneficial for those who have recently undergone surgery. Saunas can be helpful for people of all ages and stages of life. Specifically far infrared sauna has been shown to provide a long list of benefits to its users – amplifies detoxification, normalizes blood pressure, slows the aging process, optimizes the immune system, etc.

Fact #8: Sauna Use Is Safe And Beneficial For Most People

Sauna use is safe and beneficial for most people. However, it is important to consult with your doctor before using a sauna if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, have any serious medical issues, or are currently taking medications.

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Additional Health Benefits Of Using An Infrared Or Traditional Sauna

Sauna bathing has many other health benefits besides those mentioned. Excessive sweat helps to raise the core body temperature, thus, the amount of blood pumped by your heart increases.  The detoxification process contributes to maintaining good health and comes with numerous benefits including improved cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure levels, boosted immune system, better sleep, and more.

For best results, set the sauna temperature to around 176-188 degrees Fahrenheit and sauna for 15-30 minutes. Expect to sweat a lot. So be sure to drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after sauna use to avoid dehydration.

How Long After Surgery Can I Use Infrared Saunas?

Generally, exposure to infrared heat is effective after 2-3 days since the traumatic event (i.e., surgery or an accident) or after the acute injury is sustained.

However, note that it may be unsafe to use a sauna or any form of heat therapy with an open wound. The likelihood of increased bleeding and possible infection is high. This is because moisture might propagate bacteria.

Some physicians might recommend waiting for at least 2 weeks or longer following an acute injury before undergoing sauna therapy. It is important to talk to your doctor about sauna use after surgery and follow their recommendations. Remember that saunas should only be used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

Can I Use Infrared Treatment Along With Other Post-Surgery Therapies?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Some doctors may recommend using infrared saunas in addition to other postoperative therapies, while others may say that it is not necessary.

Some external scar reduction treatments that include rubbing the skin with ointments containing vitamin E or essential oils formulated to permeate the skin, stimulate circulation, and stimulate new skin cell development appear to be effective along with sauna therapy.

Risks Associated With Post-Surgery Sauna Bathing

Sauna bathing is a common Finnish habit with numerous beliefs, folklore, and superstitions. One belief is that one should not bathe in the sauna postoperatively with sutures.

This conviction appears on nearly every patient information sheet relating to wound care after surgery in Finland. However, there isn’t any scientific proof demonstrating the negative effects of dry or traditional sauna baths.

A randomized study from Kuopio University Hospital was conducted to evaluate whether sauna-bathing has a negative impact on wound healing.

There were 79 patients scheduled for an elective hernioplasty in a day care surgical department. The other group was advised to go to the sauna from the 3rd postoperative day on, and for the other group, the sauna was prohibited until sutures were removed.

The randomized study showed that there were no differences in wound healing between the two groups. There is no reason to prohibit sauna-bathing with sutures in this patient group.

Conclusion

The benefits of infrared sauna sessions are clear – they can help speed up the healing process of the wounds, reduce pain, improve mood, regenerate skin cells, aid in delivering nutrients to the injury site, and more. All of these factors can play a role in helping your body heal after surgery.

Saunas also have many benefits for people of all ages – postoperative patient or not. The infrared heat that stimulates sweating even helps maintain good health by regulating the blood pressure levels, releasing toxins, improving skin health, increasing circulation, promoting weight loss, etc

The claims are further supported by studies suggesting the positive effects of sauna bathing for postoperative wound care. If you are considering using a sauna after surgery, talk to your doctor to see if it is right for you.

 

Are you recovering from post surgery? You can take a look at the best home portable infrared saunas from Sauna Area. We’ll see you there!

 

References

• journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/145749690309200212
• ksshp.fi/en-US/Patients/Patient_instructions/For_joint_replacement_patients/At_home_after_surgery(55120)#
• clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04249700
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11776448/