– When you are chronically ill and have few treatment options, you become desperate to find something that can offer a break from the pain, says Hildegunn Lid Meidell. She has fibromyalgia and endometriosis, and does not regret buying an IR SaunaPod.
– I considered an infrared sauna for almost a year before I decided to give it a try. I delved into research and other people's experiences. Today, the sauna has a permanent place in my living room and is rarely put away. I take it to the cabin and when I go on vacation.
Pain flowed throughout her body
Hildegunn's health problems began when she was 19.
– I experienced pain that moved, or flowed, throughout my body, and which gradually increased in extent and intensity. I am a trained hairdresser. It became increasingly difficult to maintain my hairdressing job. I was more often on sick leave and am now unable to work.
Initially, she received little understanding from her doctor, and it took a long time before she received a thorough evaluation. She decided to change her general practitioner and then finally received the help and support she needed to get the correct diagnosis.
– Fibromyalgia is an invisible and diffuse disease that will not show up on blood tests, scans, or images. The diagnosis is made based on medical history and by excluding other diseases. Endometriosis flared up when I was 21 and stopped contraception because my husband and I wanted children. The pain can, simply put, be compared to extreme menstrual pain.
Critical of her choices
Over the years, Hildegunn has tried and failed in her attempts to find things that can alleviate her discomfort, to be as well as she can be.
– It can be difficult to filter out what can help and what is money down the drain. I have made many mistakes.
She therefore describes herself as a bit nerdy. She wants to know why something is effective.
– I usually say that it doesn't matter if it has an effect or if it's a placebo, as long as it helps. The problem arises when everyone who experiences an effect from something becomes passionately dedicated to imposing their solution on other sick people. Then it's difficult to be desperate, sick, on disability benefits, and without money to waste.
Infrared sauna helps Hildegunn
After almost three years of regular use, the IR SaunaPod has proven not to be money down the drain.
– The sauna helps me release tension in my body and soften sore muscles and joints. I sleep better and, not least, have an increased sense of well-being. Infrared heat helps me a lot with both conditions – both fibromyalgia and endometriosis. In winter, I use the sauna 3-7 days a week, and a little more sporadically in summer.
Hildegunn is pleased that she can adjust the temperature. It's not always that she feels like sweating it out at over 60 degrees.
– Even though it's good for my body, it can be exhausting when it gets too hot for my current condition. I adjust the temperature based on what my body needs. When I'm very tired, I choose to sit longer in the sauna at a lower temperature, around 35-40 degrees. My heart rate doesn't get as high, and I sweat less, but I get the loosening up that I need without being exhausted afterward.
Effective treatment for fibromyalgia
Over the years, Hildegunn has experienced that warmth is good for her body; hot water, warm summer days, and infrared heating products. In addition, she maintains a sugar-free and alcohol-free diet and practices yoga daily.
– Now an infrared yoga mat and one of the sauna blankets are high on my wish list, she smiles.
Research shows that infrared heat therapy is an effective treatment for fibromyalgia. In a study conducted by researchers in Japan, muscle pain was reduced by up to 78% in 13 female fibromyalgia patients. In another study with 44 fibromyalgia patients, pain was reduced by 33-77%. Six months after the study ended, pain was still reduced by 28-68%.
Neurological, autoimmune or rheumatological?
The World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes fibromyalgia as a musculoskeletal and connective tissue disease. In professional circles, it is debated whether fibromyalgia might be a neurological or autoimmune disease, instead of a rheumatological one.
Endometriosis is defined by Felleskatalogen as a disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) grows outside the uterus. The tissue can be located on the abdominal wall, on the intestines, on the ovaries, or on the bladder.
The Norwegian Rheumatism Association (NRF) and The Norwegian Fibromyalgia Association (NFF) recommend Radiant Health's saunas to their members who suffer from chronic pain conditions. Members receive a 20% discount on all Radiant Health products. Recently, The Endometriosis Association has also partnered with Radiant Health, and all members receive 20% off the entire product range.
Text: Trine Dahlman
