Technology

For billions of years, the Sun has generated infrared radiation and the living organisms on Earth have had to evolve to absorb it. Humans have been able to evolve a particular propensity for absorption given the high percentage of water in our physiological make-up. Infrared radiation (IR) is a type of electromagnetic radiation measured between the wavelengths 780 nm to 1000 μm. A number of studies have reported that IR can improve the healing of skin wounds, relieve pain, stiffness, and fatigue, and also stimulate the proliferation of mesenchymal and cardiac stem cells. In general, infrared radiating materials work by transforming heat energy from the body into radiation within the IR wavelength range to induce homeostasis and photo biomodulation and thus penetrating their rays beneath the skin. When successful, this process results in beneficial therapeutic outcomes including, but not limited to, the alleviation of pain or inflammation, immunomodulation, and the promotion of wound healing and tissue regeneration. Materials that can generate infrared radiation have also been shown to enhance blood circulation and the overall metabolism of the human body. A recent study concerned with the efficacy of IR emitting clothing investigated their application and use among a group of soccer players. When the garments were used for 10 hours as sleepwear over three successive nights,

the researchers found a reduction in delayed-onset muscle soreness among the players 48 hours after intense plyometric exercise. Similarly, another study assessed the applications of a far infrared radiation emitting plaster for the therapeutic management of knee osteoarthritis. The posterior surface of the patient’s knee was treated by applying the plaster for 12 hours a day, five days a week, for a total of four weeks. The researchers measured a longitudinal view ultrasound scan of the anterior compartment of the knee and discovered a 40% reduction in joint effusion when compared with the control group. IR appears to be more versatile than other electromagnetic wavelengths (such as visible light) because it can induce neural stimulation effects as well as promoting a wide range of therapeutic benefits in cells and tissues. An increasing number of reports in recent years have indicated that different forms IR application have clear clinical benefits, and the mechanisms of IR are becoming clarified. Moreover, therapeutic levels of IR can be delivered using devices without any external power source, by simply using the heat production of the human body to drive emission of far infrared radiation from materials containing minerals. Studies on dressings or clothing made out of IR-emitting materials, have shown they can elevate blood circulation and relieve fatigue. Therefore, it can be concluded that this mode of application could be a more flexible method for daily applications, as well as treating medical conditions, compared with traditional IR light sources and saunas.