Abstract
Waon therapy is ‘soothing warm’ therapy, that is, gentle and holistic medical therapy. Patients are placed in a far-infrared ray dry sauna for 15 min at 60°C, and then subsequently kept in a supine position on a bed with sufficient warmth provided by blankets for an additional 30 min outside the sauna room. Oral hydration with water is used to compensate for weight loss at the end. We have experienced a dramatic effect of Waon therapy for 10–15 weeks (once a day, 5 times a week) on patients with severe peripheral artery disease (ASO) (Fontaine classification III–IV). Waon therapy improves symptoms, status, and blood flow in patients with ASO. Waon therapy regulates nitric oxide (NO) and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and augments ischemia-induced angiogenesis in mice and improve limb ischemia. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and phosphorylated-eNOS were detected in arterial endothelial cells of ischemic hind limbs in mice after five weeks Waon therapy. It is suggested that Waon therapy up-regulates Hsp90, and induces angiogenesis. In conclusion, Waon therapy is a safe, gentle, innovative, holistic and highly promising strategy for treating ASO.
