It’s a fact of life: all of us have issues with exposure to toxic materials. They can include heavy metals (mercury from old dental amalgams, lead from the car exhaust we old folks inhaled as kids, plus what was in our pipes, or even gadolinium used as contrast dye for CT’s and PET scans). They can also include plastics, pesticides, and other human-made chemicals that our bodies have to deal with. We can ingest or inject things to help pull out the heavy metals. Everything else is a bit harder to remove. That’s where sweating comes in: studies have shown that compared to urine, sweat removes much more of these materials.

Now, why did we choose far infrared vs near or midrange infrared? These terms describe the wavelength of light emission, not how close you are to it! Near infrared does not penetrate the body much below the dermis, so it’s used a lot in cosmetic applications and pain control for joint and muscle pain. Midrange infrared penetrates a bit deeper, and is especially helpful in improving circulation. Far infrared heats the body substantially, reaching the cellular level. This is the only level that stimulates the body’s detoxification ability….and reportedly, a 40-minute session burns roughly 600 calories. (no, don’t use this method as your preferred weight loss effort!).

Some detractors of far infrared maintain that this wavelength is too close to that of cell phones and microwaves……although it’s true that far infrared is closer to these than near infrared, it’s not close enough to be a problem. We also sought out a company whose product emits the lowest amount of EMF’s of any other far infrared sauna on the market.

The construction of the sauna is also important. This sauna is made of Canadian Basswood, as Canadian Cedar contains natural chemicals that can be a problem for sensitive people. Also, Basswood matures in only 7 years, so harvesting the wood for construction is environmentally more sound. The sauna uses no plywood, plastic, Teflon, fiberglass, carbon fiber, colored paint, industrial glues or other toxic materials that can be found in other machines.

Thermography (Digital Infrared Imaging) is a technique that uses infrared technology to evaluate the heat radiating from a surface. When used for breast cancer screening, it can be used as a primary or secondary measure in addition to manual exams, mammography or other tools. While mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and other structural imaging tools rely primarily on finding the physical tumor, thermography is based on detecting the heat produced by increased blood vessel circulation and metabolic changes associated with a tumor’s growth. By detecting the minute variations in normal blood vessel activity that occur in order for the growing tumor to get adequate nutrients, infrared imaging may find thermal signs suggesting a pre-cancerous state of the breast or the presence an early tumor that is not yet large enough to be detected by physical examination, mammography, or other types of structural imaging. It does not rely on any radiation and does not require compression of the breast.

Medicine in Balance is pleased to host the services of Thermographic Diagnostic Imaging on a regular basis for the convenience of our patients. This practice is based in Marlton, NJ, and was founded by Philip Getson, DO. He has been a board certified Medical Thermographer since 1982; he is an international lecturer and serves on the executive committee of the American Academy of Thermology.

Please call TDI directly to schedule your thermogram; simply tell them you would like to have it done here at MIB. Note that they also see patients at many other facilities; feel free to choose one closer to you if that is more convenient. For more information, see their website: www.tdinj.com.

In additional to offering traditional massage therapy methods, our therapist Claudia Glugsberger is also certified in Myofacial Release, Oncology Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy.

While Myofascial Release will help clients with the relief of pain by relaxing shortened and tightened fascia, which is caused by insured muscle fibers and trauma, Oncology Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy will help clients with the reduction of scaring and edema, support the reconnection to the entire body, and speed up the recovery process, after having undergone mastectomy, breast and other surgeries.

Rolfing® Structural Integration is a holistic bodywork discipline which, due to it’s consideration of the effects of gravity on the human body, is a unique form of fascia therapy. It’s main aim is to improve structure, posture, and movement. Rolfers™ do this through a system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organizes the whole body in gravity.

Although Rolfing® is considered a deep-tissue approach, it actually works with all layers of the body to ease strain & tension patterns in the entire system. A Rolfer™ will titrate their touch according to need. Research shows that Rolfing® creates more efficient muscle use, it allows the body to be more energy efficient, with more economical and refined patterns of movement. Rolfing® has also been shown to significantly reduce chronic stress, speed up injury recovery, improve spinal curvature and neurological functioning.