Infrared Sauna Use As A Treatment For Depression

What are whole-body hyperthermia protocols?

Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) protocols are a form of extreme heat treatment in which a patient is exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods of time. Not to be confused with your average sauna bathing session, the use of a WBH protocol has recently been linked as a possible future treatment for people suffering from depression.

What is the difference between sauna vs whole-body hyperthermia protocols?

A key differentiator between average sauna bathing and a WBH protocol is the excessive amount of time a patient is exposed to infrared heat. While your normal sauna session may involve alternating from cold plunges/showers and consistent in and out of your sauna to remain comfortable, WBH aims to increase your core temperature to 38.5 degrees celsius and these protocols can last up to a continual 110 minutes.

Another difference for many of these WBH protocols is that the protocols utilise a Clearlight® Dome Sauna™ or equivalent in that the patient's head remains outside of the heating elements of the sauna. This is due to the treatment not needing to heat the head for a physiological response, and because previous studies found that patients could not last in a sauna cabin for the time needed to reach a core body temperature of 38.5 degrees celsius.

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