Ever feel like stretching, massages, or even rest just aren’t enough to shake off muscle pain and stiffness? Whether it’s sore muscles from a tough workout, joint discomfort from arthritis, or lingering aches that just won’t quit, your body might need something more.
That’s where infrared therapy comes in. This gentle yet powerful treatment goes beyond the surface, working deep within your body to promote faster recovery and lasting relief. At Body Lab Studio, we use infrared therapy to help our clients feel better, move easier, and heal naturally. But what exactly is infrared therapy, and how does it work? Let’s break it down.
What Is Infrared Therapy?
Think of infrared therapy as a warm, healing light that works beneath the surface to help your body heal itself. Unlike traditional heat treatments that warm only the skin, infrared light penetrates deep into your muscles, joints, and tissues, delivering soothing relief from within. Here’s how it helps:
✔ Boosts circulation – More oxygen-rich blood flows to sore areas, speeding up recovery.
✔ Reduces inflammation – Helps calm down swollen joints and muscles.
✔ Eases pain naturally – No meds needed—just deep, penetrating warmth that soothes discomfort.
Infrared light is invisible to the naked eye, but its benefits are undeniable. Whether you’re dealing with everyday aches or chronic conditions like arthritis, this therapy helps you recover faster and feel better—naturally.
Key Benefits of Infrared
Therapy Infrared therapy isn’t just about relaxation—it’s a powerhouse treatment that helps your body recharge, heal, and move with ease. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, stiff joints, or lingering muscle soreness, this non-invasive therapycan make a real difference.
1. Chronic Pain Relief
Struggling with nagging back pain that won’t go away? Or waking up with stiff, aching joints? Research by Gale et al. (2006) found that infrared therapy significantly reduces chronic low back pain, with patients reporting noticeable relief after treatment. By increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation, infrared therapy provides deep, lasting relief for conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and muscle tension.
2. Muscle & Joint Recovery
Ever feel like your muscles take forever to bounce back after a workout? Infrared therapy boosts circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to sore areas, speeding up recovery and reducing that sluggish, heavy feeling. A systematic review (Tsagkaris et al., 2022) found that infrared therapy helps relieve pain from osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and other musculoskeletal conditions, making movement easier and discomfort less intense.
3. Joint Health & Flexibility
Stiff, achy knees? Lingering discomfort from an old injury? Infrared therapy has been shown to reduce pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis patients (Barry et al., 2022), helping keep your joints flexible and mobile. By promoting better circulation and cellular repair, this therapy supports long-term joint health and helps prevent stiffness from slowing you down.
What Does Infrared Therapy Feel Like?
If you’ve never tried infrared therapy before, you might be wondering what to expect. Unlike deep-tissue massage or other hands-on treatments, infrared therapy is completely non-invasive and incredibly soothing.
Imagine lying back in a warm cocoon of gentle heat. There’s no harsh pressure, no needles—just a deep, comforting warmth that seeps into your muscles and joints. Many clients describe it as feeling like a sauna’s warmth, but without the stifling heat. It’s a relaxing, almost weightless sensation that helps tension melt away while your body gets to work healing itself.
During your session, you may feel your muscles loosen, your joints relax, and a sense of calm wash over you. Some people even drift into a light, meditative state. And because infrared therapy works from the inside out, you’ll continue feeling the benefits long after your session ends
The Science Behind Infrared Therapy
Infrared therapy isn’t just about relaxation—it’s backed by science. When infrared light penetrates the skin, it reaches deep into muscles, joints, and tissues, stimulating circulation, reducing inflammation, and supporting the body’s natural healing process.
REFERENCE
- Gale, G. D., Rothbart, P. J., & Li, Y. (2006). Infrared therapy for chronic low back pain: A randomized, controlled trial. Pain Research & Management, 11(3), 193–196. In this study, 40 patients with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to IR therapy or placebo groups over seven weeks. The treatment group experienced a significant reduction in pain scores from 6.9 to 3.0 on a 10-point scale, while the placebo group showed a decrease from 7.4 to 6.0. No adverse effects were reported, suggesting IR therapy’s effectiveness in reducing chronic low back pain.
- Tsagkaris, C., Papazoglou, A. S., Eleftheriades, A., Tsakopoulos, S., Alexiou, A., Găman, M.-A., & Moysidis, D. V. (2022). Infrared radiation in the management of musculoskeletal conditions and chronic pain: A systematic review. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 12(3), 334–343. This systematic review analyzed 13 studies focusing on IR therapy’s effects on conditions like osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Findings indicated a decrease in pain levels, as measured by the visual analog scale, and improved Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scores. However, IR therapy did not significantly aid muscle recovery post-athletic injuries. mdpi.com
- Barry, M. A., Pérez-Campos, E., Navarro, L. M. S., Mayoral, L. P. C., Hernández-Huerta, T., Canseco, S. P., Jerónimo, J. H., & Zarate, C. M. (2022). Effects of infrared radiation in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review. South Florida Journal of Development, 3(4), 5365–5374. This review concluded that IR therapy is a reliable and effective method for treating osteoarthritis, demonstrating positive effects in reducing knee pain and inflammation. ojs.southfloridapublishing.com
- Emshoff, R., Bösch, R., Pümpel, E., Schöning, H., & Strobl, H. (2008). Low-level laser therapy for treatment of temporomandibular joint pain: A double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, 105(4), 452–456. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed low-level laser therapy’s impact on temporomandibular joint pain. Results showed significant pain reduction in the treatment group compared to placebo, supporting IR therapy’s potential in managing temporomandibular disorders.
These studies collectively suggest that IR therapy can be an effective complementary treatment for various chronic pain and inflammatory conditions, though its efficacy may vary depending on the specific ailment.
