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Since ancient times, steam therapy has been used by traditional healing systems around the world to improve and maintain good health and beauty. Finnish Saunas, Turkish baths, Japanese steam rooms, and Indian sweat lodges - these are just a few examples of cultures that harness the power of steam. Even Hippocrates recognized that by creating an 'artificial fever' he could cure many illnesses.
Steam Showers and Weight Loss
A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams of sweat in a sauna - the equivalent of running three to four miles or 475 to 600 calories. While the weight of the water loss is regained by re-hydration, the calories burned are not.
Detoxification in a Steam Shower
Clients are increasingly aware of the wide variety of toxins that may be in their bodies, including herbicides, pesticides, air pollution, food additives, and household chemicals. When ingested, these chemicals can remain in the body for years, altering our metabolism, causing enzyme dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies, creating hormonal imbalances and lowering our threshold of resistance to chronic disease. Today, studies show that most of us have between 400 and 800 chemical residues stored in the fat cells of our bodies. When our bodies exceed the limit that we can excrete, we begin to store these toxins.
The following symptoms are often related to toxicity: allergies, acne, anxiety, burning skin, brain fog, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivities, depression, eczema, frequent colds or flu, insomnia, loss of dexterity, low body temperature, memory loss, mood swings, muscle and joint pains and poor concentration.
Muscle Pain Relief with Steam Showers
Steam therapy using our steam showers has been found to significantly reduce muscular pain and spasms. Pain is found to be alleviated in just one session and the benefit can last for several days after the treatment. Regular steam treatments 2 to 3 times per weeks have shown to have profound relief for those having muscle pain due to injury, menstruation pain, headaches, fibromyalgia and low back pain.
As heat penetrates the muscles, capillaries dilate and there is an increased flow of oxygen to sore muscles. Muscles and tissues become more pliable and relaxed helping to increase mobility and reduce stiffness.
Steam Showers Help Respiratory Conditions and Allergies
- Steam relieves inflammation and congestion of upper respiratory mucous membranes
- Relieves throat irritation by moistening the air
- Relieves spasmodic breathing (asthma, croup)
- Loosens secretions and stimulates discharge of mucous from the throat and lungs (natural expectorant)
- Relaxes muscles and relieves coughing
- Keeps the mucous membranes from excessive drying
Improved Circulation with a Steam Shower
Steam therapy assists in alleviating inflammation and edema. The increased peripheral circulation provides the transport needed to help eliminate the edema which helps to end inflammation, decrease pain and help speed the healing process.
Heating of one area of the body produces reflex modulated vasodilatations in distant-body areas, even in the absence of a change in core body temperatures. If, for example you heat a forearm, then both lower extremities dilate or if the front of the trunk is heated then the hands dilate. Heating of muscles produces an increased blood flow similar to that seen during exercise.
Temperature elevation produces an increase in blood flow and dilation directly in capillaries, arterioles and venuies. Increased core temperature further induces vasodilatation.
Steam Showers Boost Your Immune System
Traditionally, the benefits of steaming include increased energy, decreased incidence of infections, and fewer colds and flus. Many regular steam or sauna bathers have experienced that a good long sweat bath at the early onset of a cold or flu can help ward off the disease before it manifests as actual symptoms.
The heat from a steam shower treatment raises your core body temperature, inducing an artificial fever. During a fever, the production of white blood cells is increased, as is the rate of their release into the blood stream. White blood cells are the primary agents of the immune system. As the generation of antibodies speeds up, so does the production of interferon, an anti-viral protein. In this manner, your body's immune system is strengthened as it works to combat the fever.
At the same time, sweating helps eliminate toxins and waste products from the body. After detoxification, your immune system has less "housecleaning" to do and can focus on protecting your body from more serious health threats. produced by sweating, overall health and resistance to diseases is increased.
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