Infrared saunas have been gaining popularity in holistic health circles lately—and for good reason. They offer a gentle, supportive way to help the body relax, recover, and release tension. If you’ve ever had a massage and felt like your muscles just wouldn’t let go—no matter how much pressure was applied—infrared sauna might be the missing piece. Infrared heat helps soften the muscles from the inside out, setting the stage for a deeper, more effective massage without the discomfort. If you come for a remedial massage at Transcend Health and Well-Being, we may recommend infrared sauna as part of your treatment plan. Why? Find out below!
But firstly, what is infrared sauna therapy?
Infrared light belongs to the electromagnetic spectrum and, although invisible to the eye, is experienced by the body as heat. Unlike traditional saunas that rely on hot rocks and steam to generate warmth, infrared saunas use infrared light to produce heat, heating up your body sub-dermally about 1cm under the skin. This method allows the surrounding air to remain cooler while enabling the heat to penetrate more deeply into the skin, tissues, and muscles—making infrared saunas more effective than their traditional counterparts. This sub-dermal heat stimulates your nerves, blood flow and lymph flow, which can in turn relax your muscles.
So, why use infrared sauna before a massage?
Infrared sauna is one of the many tools Transcend Health and Well-Being uses to support clients who may need a little extra therapeutic help.
Your massage therapist may recommend a pre-massage infrared sauna session for clients with:
- Tight muscles
- Limited range of motion
- Chronic tension or stiffness
Spending 30 minutes in an infrared sauna before a massage session can soften the muscle tissue, allowing for deeper muscle work during treatment without excessive pressure and the related discomfort. Infrared sauna can also help ease overall soreness during massage and improve outcomes, especially if previous massages have not been effective in providing relief due to muscle tension.
How is infrared sauna integrated into treatment?
Transcend Health and Well-Being will only recommend pre-massage infrared sauna as part of your treatment plan following an initial consultation. If pre-massage infrared sauna is recommended, your infrared sauna session will be included in the standard 90-minute remedial massage session rate. Remedial massage sessions including infrared sauna are 90 minutes long as standard: 30 minutes for infrared sauna, and 60 minutes for remedial massage— this duration ensures you’ll receive the full benefits of the infrared sauna while allowing your massage therapist sufficient time to complete their remedial massage work, ensuring you leave your treatment one step closer to recovery.
Of course, infrared sauna is beneficial for everyone, especially post-massage. For clients who do not require pre-massage infrared sauna, we still recommend a post-massage infrared sauna session. Post-massage infrared sauna can reinforce the effects of a massage by encouraging deeper muscle relaxation—many clients report that it’s the perfect way to wind down after a massage and leaves them feeling deeply relaxed.
Whether used before or after your session, infrared sauna amplifies the benefits of massage—but when used beforehand, it can be especially powerful. For those dealing with chronic tightness or stiffness, it offers a gentler, more effective path to deep tissue relief—helping the body let go without the need for intense pressure, and sometimes that makes all the difference!
This article is part one in a three-part series about the therapeutic techniques we use here at Transcend Health and Well-Being to assist those with a limited range of motion. Check out part two about cupping here. Be sure to keep tabs on our posts to find out more!
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