Effects of Thermotherapy with Far-infrared Irradiation on the Human Body

Abstract

We investigated the effectiveness of thermotherapy (heat stimulation), which has recently attracted attention as a method of cancer therapy with immunostimulating effects upon the defense mechanism of the human body. Heat stimulation was performed in 6 subjects for 30 minutes using a far-infrared heater. Blood samples were obtained from the forearm before irradiation (control) and 48 and 96 hours after irradiation, and hematological, biochemical, and immunological examinations were performed. We found that the heat stimulation with Smarty irradiation acted as a stressor that activated self-defense function by affecting the T-cell content and cytokine production.