Abstract
Hyperthermia with far-infrared rays has recently attracted attention as a cancer treatment method with immunopotentiation effects. This hyperthermia has characteristics of complementary and alternative medicine, and is a new field for the treatment of pathological conditions and disorders that can not be resolved by western medicine alone. We previously suggested that far-infrared hyperthermia becomes a stressor that activates self-defense function, affecting the T-cell content ratio in immunocytes and cytokine production, and tends to recover fatigue of the body based on hematological and serum biochemical findings. In this study, the effects of far-infrared hyperthermia were evaluated in terms of psychological changes using the Profile of Mood State (POMS) in subjects with poor physical conditions such as shoulder stiffness, insomnia, and chilliness. After hyperthermia, the POMS score significantly decreased for “Depression-Dejection”, “Anger-Hostility”, and “Fatigue” and slightly decreased for “Tension-Anxiety” and “Confusion”, showing psychological improvement.
These results suggest that far-infrared hyperthermia psychologically recovers fatigue and has emotional sedative effects, supporting physiological data.
