Infrared Sauna Maryland
An infrared sauna uses far-infrared light to create heat. Far-infrared light is the wavelength that most closely resembles the infrared heat given off by the human body. Because of the similarity, far-infrared light can enhance and strengthen our energy.
Infrared Sauna Services
Our practice believes enhancing your vitality is possible through holistic lifestyle changes. Integrative medicine focuses on the relationship between your mind, body, and soul. We are mindful of this significant union when supporting your path to whole body wellness.
Our healing-oriented therapies combine complementary and conventional medicine to promote whole body health and wellness.
When you hear the word “sauna” you immediately envision a hazy warm, room, probably at the gym. These traditional saunas use heat to warm the air, creating a humid atmosphere. The heat and humidity encourage the individual to sweat, encouraging physical and mental health.
But what is an infrared sauna? And how is it different? While saunas have been incorporated as traditional medicine practices and post-workout habits, an infrared sauna works differently and may even offer different benefits.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How hot does an infrared sauna get?
An infrared sauna typically operates at a temperature between 120 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is lower than the temperature of a traditional sauna.
How long should I stay in an infrared sauna?
The recommended length of time to stay in an infrared sauna varies, but most people start with a session of 10-20 minutes and gradually work up to longer periods of time.
Is an infrared sauna safe?
An infrared sauna is generally safe for most people, but it is important to consult with a healthcare provider before using one, especially if you have any medical conditions or are pregnant. It is also important to stay hydrated and avoid using the sauna if you are feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
What should I wear in an infrared sauna?
You should wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing in an infrared sauna, such as a bathing suit or shorts and a tank top. Some people choose to go in the sauna nude, but it is important to check the rules of the facility you are using.
Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine and alternative therapies to enhance a patient’s vitality, focusing on whole body wellness. An Integrative Medicine physician will address the root cause of your illness and not just treat the symptoms. By determining what the root is, you and your practitioner can devise a health plan to successfully treat the disease. At Shakthi, we take into account other factors in your life that may be preventing the root cause of your illness or disease from fully healing. We work closely with our patients to address their immediate health needs while developing a personalized wellness plan that encourages whole body wellness. You can learn more here.
Integrative medicine’s biggest benefit is the fact it looks at the patient as a whole individual and addresses the root causes of illnesses by doing so. I went along with this though integrative medicine promotes a symbiotic and collaborative relationship between the doctor and the patient. This means that there is better communication. Another great benefit is that it utilizes every therapy possible to ensure that the patient gets the treatment that is perfect for them.
Over the past decade or so, integrative medicine has been becoming more and more popular. Because of this popularity, there has been an increase in doctors that practice it. But even with all this popularity unfortunately insurance does not cover integrative health care. The lack of coverage from insurance companies is solely because integrative medicine often encompasses treatments that these health insurance companies degenerative treatments. Because these treatments like acupuncture, massage therapy, infrared sauna, and many others are all deemed alternative they are not covered.
We offer two options:
• Yearly Membership
• A La Carte
There are many different types of alternative medicines but many of them can fall under one of the five main alternative categories. These categories are homeopathy, eastern medicine, naturopathy, and Ayurveda. Within these five types so there are many variations and so choosing one that works for you all relies on what exactly you're looking to gain from choosing alternative medicines.
What does Shakthi Mean?
Shakthi (Shuk-thee) means Strength, Empowerment, and Agent of Change.
Shakthi Digital Guide
At Shakthi Health and Wellness we offer a la carte and yearly plans that are more comprehensive and often cheaper than traditional insurance plans.
What To Expect
Meet Our Doctors
Our team is composed of board certified medical doctors who are highly knowledgeable in the benefits and uses of an infrared sauna. Our Specialized Health Care model provides patients with in depth consults with each appointment without the restrictions of time limits and jumping through insurance hoops.
Jyothi Rao
MD, ABAAHP, FAARFM
Dr. Jyothi Rao has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. She received her Doctorate of Medicine (MD) from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed her internship and residency at the prestigious New England Medical Center (Tufts) in Boston. Before opening Shakthi Health & Wellness Center, Dr. Rao practiced medicine in New York and Maryland.
Sudhir Rao
MD, ABAAHP
Dr. Sudhir Rao obtained his Medical Doctorate from St. George's University School of Medicine, and is the founder of Pain and Spine Specialists. Despite Dr. Rao's years of training focusing on traditional medicine, he developed a strong interest in Functional and Integrative Medicine to treat chronic illness with alternative methods after a personal experience with limitations in traditional medicine.
What Is An Infrared Sauna?
An infrared sauna uses far-infrared light to create heat. Far-infrared light is the wavelength that most closely resembles the infrared heat given off by the human body. Because of the similarity, far-infrared light can enhance and strengthen our energy.
The focus of an infrared sauna is heat, not humidity. The traditional sauna warms the body via humidity and heat. The infrared sauna is a dry sauna; it warms the body without warming the air. The body itself is directly warmed and heated with this therapy.
What The Infrared Sauna Does
If you have decided to incorporate an infrared sauna as part of your wellness routine, it is important to know what it does and what it does to your body.
An infrared sauna uses infrared panels to warm the body’s muscles and tissues before the air itself are warm. Due to these panels, an infrared sauna operates at a lower temperature but penetrates the body more deeply than heated air.
Typically, the temperature in an infrared sauna will range from 100˚F to 150˚F. This allows the body to experience the benefits of a traditional sauna at a lower temperature. This is beneficial for those who cannot tolerate high levels of heat and humidity.
The wavelengths produced by an infrared sauna can penetrate the body’s soft tissue more deeply than a traditional sauna. As the body warms, the blood vessels are encouraged to open, called “vasodilation.” The dilated vessels encourage circulation, allowing for more oxygen to flow through the body.
When your body sweats due to heat it is the body’s inherent cooling system operating. Blood flow and circulation is brought closer to the surface of your skin encouraging the pores to release perspiration. In the infrared sauna, your body is still warming up and will still respond with the same cooling process.
The wavelengths of light emitted from the IR sauna encourage the body’s natural functions for more effective healing. The same effects one receives from exercising are mimicked with an infrared sauna session at a more tolerable temperature.
What Conditions An Infrared Sauna Treats
Saunas have been traditionally used for centuries for their various health benefits. An infrared sauna can utilize modern science with infrared wavelengths to maximize these benefits.
There have been several studies examining the benefits of infrared saunas, but more rigorous studies are in the process. However, other conditions that an infrared sauna has been shown to treat positively are:
Weight Management: People who use the sauna regularly have reported weight loss and the ability to maintain healthy weights with healthy metabolisms.
Blood Pressure: With improved blood flow and circulation, high blood pressure can stabilize.
Pain Management: With regular use, pain symptoms (from arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia) can be relieved when joint healing is encouraged from the infrared light.
While the use of infrared saunas is typically safe with minimal side effects, it is important to note who shouldn’t use an infrared sauna.
- If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, it is important to avoid environments that can raise your core body temperature, unless your doctor or OBGYN gives clearance for you to use the infrared sauna
- If you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the infrared sauna may make you feel nauseous, overheat, and/or dehydrated.
- Certain medications like beta-blockers or diuretics may prevent you from producing enough sweat to regulate your body’s natural homeostasis.
Ultimately, before incorporating any treatment into your wellness plan, it is important to discuss your goals and needs with a trained medical professional. Integrative medicine physicians can thoroughly evaluate your medical needs to address all aspects of your health.
Benefits of an Infrared Sauna
Sitting in a sauna has been long utilized by many cultures as a way to prepare for rituals as well as to heal. The inclusion of that technology with modern technology like infrared lights only serves to heighten the benefits that one can take advantage of. There are a vast amount of benefits that come from the utilization of an infrared sauna treatment within your Wellness journey.
The heat of the infrared lights creates a rise in the body's temperature which therefore improves circulation, and this circulation improvement can help in many different ways. The increase in temperature activates our body’s natural responses and that includes the widening of blood vessels which thereby increases the blood flow throughout your entire body.
This means that your heart rate will raise. This increase in your heart rate can help improve your heart health and in the end also help with any blood pressure issues you may have. The response of your body within an infrared sauna according to physicians and researchers is that of you walking at a very natural and moderate pace.
This increased blood circulation throughout your entire body also brings with it a reduction of muscle soreness and pain. our body system is naturally built to send more blood to areas that are in pain or sore so that it can begin its reparation the sauna activates and widens the vessels allowing for my blood to flow which will increase the speed at which your muscle soreness and pain are relieved.
The environment can also allow you to relax. This is partly because your body is physically being repaired and the tension within the muscles is being relieved. But also it allows you time to just sit in quiet contemplation. Along with detoxification, all of these situations combined together could help relax you greatly and improve your mental health in the long run.
All of this also means that you may find that you have better sleep and can fall asleep quickly due to the decreased tension and extreme relaxation one gets from utilizing an infrared sauna. Lastly, you may find that a session in the infrared sauna could potentially help your immune system be boosted. It has been proven that saunas help get rid of oxidative stress and along with the detoxification we've already mentioned could potentially help you stay off future illnesses.
This is why the doctors at Shakthi Health and Wellness have opted to include this therapy in their catalog. Utilizing this alongside other alternative and holistic treatments as well as traditional ones could elevate the results of your Wellness journey and leave you with a much happier and healthier life.
Get Started:
If you are interested in learning more about our Infrared Sauna or would like to schedule an appointment with our office, CALL Shakthi Health and Wellness Center today!
Speak with our dedicated staff to schedule your consultation with Dr. Jyothi Rao and begin optimizing your body’s vitality. Call (301) 703-5067 and speak to our concierge staff today!
About Us
We believe in practicing medicine that focuses on whole body health. As integrative medicine doctors we focus our on root cause of your condition with comprehensive treatments that actually heal the body rather than just masking the symptoms of your illness.
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Patient Testimonials
Patient Testimonials
I started by seeing Dr. Sudhir Rao for my Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) Syndrome. I had an accident in July 2010 that caused nerve damage in my ankle. After treatments and surgery, it spread up the entire left side of my body. The only way to describe how you feel is by saying you’re a human pinball machine ? you just never know where the pain is going to be that minute. I had asked about acupuncture because someone had told me that it worked for them. I was at the point of trying anything to lessen the pain because it was getting worse every day.
- Susan Doyle
I am actually a relatively healthy 50-year-old woman. I try to eat well and exercise, but I (like many) felt the creep of age in the form a subtle pounds and decreasing energy. Dr. Rao helped point me in the direction of the correct detox program for me (Core Restore!) as well as the supplements I needed to boost my metabolism and increase my energy! I still need to eat what works for me and avoid the things that don't, and I still have to exercise every day, but my clothes fit better and I have more energy!!
- Shakthi Patients
I came to see Dr. Rao with symptoms of chronic fatigue, abdominal pains, depression, and weight gain. I had seen a couple other doctors and they had found that I had very high inflammation levels and over 15 food allergies/sensitivities. They wanted me to just take prescription drugs, but I wanted more than a quick fix. I wanted my health and my life back! When I scheduled the appointment, I was surprised how by helpful Kelly was on the phone. I didn’t know the details of my insurance coverage and Kelly offered to call my insurance for me. I’ve never had anyone at a doctor’s office do that before.
- Anna Smoot
After visiting the Shakthi website and reading other patient testimonials, I was curious about the wide variety of treatments that were available. I have a very slow metabolism, was fatigued, had insomnia, back pain, and just didn’t feel as well as I wanted to in general. I had more allergic reactions and respiratory issues in the preceding months before coming to see Dr. Jyothi Rao. I had completed three courses of prednisone while under the treatment of my traditional doctor and was fed up with that cycle and was looking for another path.
- Debbie Helman
I was given the gift of Dr. Rao's primary care for Christmas in 2016. I didn?t take advantage of it until March of 2017. My mindset at the time was negative. I had heard about changing eating habits and I felt that I liked the foods I was eating and I was nearly 70, so why change now? After meeting with Dr. Rao and hearing her suggestions, I said I would take it one small step at a time and see what happens.
- Linda J.
I was in the worst shape of my life with depression and anxiety. I had given up. Shakthi provided me with a manageable plan that included supplements, diet, and an exercise program that has transformed my body and given me a new outlook on life. Perhaps the most surprising outcome was learning how to be healthy and have a good relationship with my body. I am now more productive, energetic, and focused. The fog that had been clouding my thoughts has lifted.
- Shakthi Patient
What To Expect
How Treatment Works
Our doctors and staff take time to get invested in your health and well-being. We've taken a step back from mainstream medicine and are challenging the norm. Everyone's healthcare needs are different. You are different. We believe patients shouldn't settle. Our practice is not a revolving door. We listen, and most importantly, we hear you.
Appointments
Appointments are conducted on an as-needed basis. Patients can expect appointments to be more thorough and focused on their needs. As integrative speciality care doctors, we see a limited number of patients which means each of our patients receives dedicated care without the concern of being “rushed” our of an appointment.
Diagnostic Testing
We offer patients scientifically backed health assessments to better understand the root causes of their health conditions. We evaluate any disruptions to your health and body to develop effective wellness plans to optimize your vitality. To learn more about the specific tests we offer visit this page here.
Costs Involved
Patients receive personalized and tailored care in exchange for a flat fee. Overall cost will be discussed during your initial consultation. Each subsequent appointment will not need to be individually paid for. All patients receive unlimited access to their physicians which leads to better overall health and wellness.
