Infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. A pilot study showing good tolerance, short-term improvement of pain and stiffness, and a trend towards long-term beneficial effects

Oosterveld FG, Rasker JJ, Floors M, et al. · Clinical Rheumatology

Pain and stiffness fell roughly 40-60% during sessions (p<0.05 in RA, p<0.001 in AS); improvements over the 4-week course did not reach statistical significance. No adverse effects and no disease flares (DAS28/BASDAI unchanged).

Population

17 rheumatoid arthritis and 17 ankylosing spondylitis patients (Netherlands)

Intervention

Eight 30-minute infrared sauna sessions at 55°C over 4 weeks

Limitations

No control group; infrared cabin at 55°C, milder than a traditional 80-100°C Finnish sauna; authors' own power calculation called for at least 25 patients per group.