Therapies
Infrared Sauna
Full-spectrum infrared sauna and BioMat therapy at Progressive Medical Center in Atlanta. Deep healing heat your body responds to for detoxification, pain relief, and immune support, integrated with your treatment plan and complimentary for all PMC patients.
Far Infrared Therapy
Therapeutic Heat That Reaches Where It Matters
Traditional saunas heat the air around you to uncomfortable extremes, and your body responds by sweating at the surface. Infrared saunas work differently. Full-spectrum infrared light penetrates the skin and tissues directly, raising your core body temperature from within while the ambient air stays at a more comfortable level. The result is a deeper, more cellular-level sweat produced at temperatures most people can actually tolerate.
At Progressive Medical Center, infrared sauna is a clinical tool, not a spa amenity. Sessions are recommended by your provider based on diagnostic results and coordinated with the rest of your treatment plan. Whether infrared fits into a detox protocol, a chronic-pain program, an immune-support strategy, or a longevity routine, it earns its place by measurable benefit, not by luxury.
Progressive Medical Center offers complimentary infrared sauna sessions to all patients as part of their care. Call (770) 676-6000 if you would like to talk through whether infrared is the right fit for your situation, or to learn about the full range of complementary therapies included with PMC care.
How It Works
Full-Spectrum Infrared, Not Just Heat
Infrared is a segment of the natural light spectrum that you cannot see but that your body absorbs as deep, penetrating warmth. Full-spectrum infrared saunas deliver three distinct wavelength ranges that each do different work. Near infrared supports cellular renewal and surface-level tissue repair. Mid infrared reaches into soft tissue where it supports circulation and pain relief. Far infrared penetrates the deepest, reaching muscles, joints, and even organs, which is where the detoxification benefit comes from as your body produces a richer sweat loaded with stored toxins.
Because infrared heats you directly rather than heating the air, the ambient temperature in the sauna can stay significantly lower than a traditional sauna while the therapeutic effect is stronger. You breathe comfortably. Patients who find traditional saunas unbearable usually do well in infrared.
Infrared heat is the same kind of heat naturally produced by the sun, with no ultraviolet exposure. It is safe enough that hospitals use infrared technology to warm newborn infants. Typical sessions at PMC run about 30 minutes, and most patients use the sauna two to three times per week depending on their treatment goals.
BioMat Therapy
Targeted Infrared Support With Far Infrared and Negative Ions
Not every patient needs a full-body sauna session. For targeted pain relief, recovery, and stress support, Progressive Medical Center also offers BioMat therapy. BioMat is an FDA-licensed infrared device (#2954299) that combines far-infrared rays, negative ions, and amethyst crystals in a therapeutic pad. Patients lie down on the pad for sessions ranging from ten minutes to a full hour, depending on the provider's recommendation and the area being treated.
The BioMat differs from the sauna in form and function. The sauna is immersive, producing whole-body sweat and supporting systemic detoxification. The BioMat is targeted, delivering concentrated infrared energy to specific muscle groups, joints, or regions of the spine. Patients use it for muscle and joint pain, stress reduction, recovery after intense therapies, and integration with treatments like chiropractic care and naturopathic protocols.
A peer-reviewed study by Dr. George Grant found that regular BioMat sessions reduced patient stress markers by 78% across a three-month period, measured through pre and post brain scans and cortisol blood testing. PMC patients use BioMat sessions either alongside their sauna protocol or as a standalone targeted therapy, depending on what their provider recommends.
Therapeutic Benefits
What Infrared Sauna Therapy Can Do
Infrared heat affects the body at multiple levels. These are the outcomes our patients experience most consistently.
Deep Detoxification
Far infrared penetrates to the cellular level where toxins accumulate and drives a sweat significantly richer in heavy metals, environmental chemicals, and metabolic waste than what a traditional sauna produces. For patients in active detox programs, infrared is one of the primary elimination mechanisms.
Pain and Inflammation Relief
Deep-penetrating warmth reduces inflammation and increases blood flow to sore or injured tissue. Patients use infrared for joint pain, arthritis, muscle recovery, and chronic pain of many origins. Most patients report noticeable improvement after a handful of sessions.
Immune System Support
Raising core body temperature triggers a controlled mild-fever response that stimulates immune activity and increases white blood cell production. This gives the immune system a gentle boost that is especially valuable for patients managing chronic illness or recovering from treatment.
Improved Circulation
Heat causes blood vessels to dilate, which means more oxygen and nutrients reach your tissues while metabolic waste gets carried away faster. The cardiovascular effect is one of the reasons infrared sessions are sometimes compared to light exercise in their metabolic impact.
Weight and Metabolism Support
Your body works to cool itself during a session, which increases heart rate and metabolic activity. A 30-minute infrared sauna session can burn a meaningful number of calories, though the deeper benefit is metabolic: infrared pairs well with PMC's weight-loss programs as a supporting modality.
Skin Health and Purification
Deep sweat opens pores, clears impurities, and improves skin tone and texture over time. Patients dealing with skin conditions driven by internal inflammation or toxicity often see secondary improvement through regular infrared use.
Who Can Benefit
Conditions Where Infrared Sauna Supports Healing
Infrared sauna therapy works as a supporting treatment across many of the conditions PMC treats. It is most commonly recommended alongside other therapies for these concerns.
Your Sauna Experience
What to Expect
Infrared sauna therapy at PMC is integrated into your broader care plan. Here is how it typically works.
Provider Recommendation
Your provider reviews your diagnostic results and health goals and determines whether infrared belongs in your plan. The most common use cases are detoxification programs, cancer support, chronic pain management, immune protocols, and recovery from intensive therapies. Because sauna access is complimentary, sessions can be scheduled flexibly around your other appointments.
Session Preparation
Sessions typically run about 30 minutes in a private infrared sauna suite at the clinic. The ambient temperature is noticeably lower than a traditional sauna, so the experience is comfortable from the first few minutes. Our care team walks you through the controls and settings on your first visit, and hydration before and after is important for getting the detox benefit.
Your Session
During the session, full-spectrum infrared light penetrates deep into tissue, raises your core temperature, and produces a therapeutic sweat. Most patients find the experience relaxing rather than intense. The heat is adjustable and you can exit at any point. Some patients bring reading material, others meditate, and some simply rest.
Ongoing Sessions and Monitoring
The recommended frequency is usually two to three sessions per week during active treatment, adjusted based on how you respond. Your provider monitors progress through follow-ups and may increase or decrease frequency depending on results. Because access is complimentary, many patients continue using the sauna as part of a long-term wellness routine well after their acute treatment phase ends.
Why Progressive Medical Center
A Clinical Tool, Not a Spa Amenity
The explosion of infrared sauna studios has made the technology widely available. What those standalone studios cannot offer is clinical context. A sauna session is beneficial on its own. A sauna session that is ordered based on your lab results, coordinated with your IV schedule, and timed around your EBOO treatments is more beneficial by an order of magnitude.
At PMC, infrared sauna integrates with the rest of your care. A detox patient might use infrared alongside EBOO and IV support to accelerate toxin elimination. A cancer patient might use it to support immune function and help the body manage treatment burden. A chronic-pain patient might use it to reduce inflammation while other therapies address the underlying driver. The sauna is never the whole answer, but the whole answer usually works better with it in the mix.
Complimentary access for all PMC patients reflects how we think about supportive therapies. Sessions that compound the benefit of your primary treatment should not be sold back to you as an add-on. PMC has spent decades building a multidisciplinary practice with the volume to make complimentary sauna access viable, and the facility is built so that each patient still gets a private session.
The Difference
Clinical Infrared Therapy vs. Standalone Sauna Studios
An infrared sauna session is beneficial on its own. But the clinical context changes the value entirely.
Standalone Sauna Studios
- No diagnostic testing to guide session frequency or goals
- No medical supervision or provider oversight
- Sessions isolated from any broader treatment plan
- Purchased per session or through monthly memberships
- No follow-up evaluation of therapeutic outcomes
- Staff often lack clinical training in infrared therapy
Infrared Therapy at Progressive Medical Center
- Provider-recommended based on your diagnostic results
- Integrated with your full treatment plan (detox, immune, pain, recovery)
- Coordinated with other therapies for compounding benefit
- Complimentary access for all PMC patients
- Progress tracked through follow-up evaluations
- Clinical team with decades of integrative medicine expertise
- BioMat targeted therapy available for focused pain and recovery support
Contrast Therapy
Combining Heat and Cold for Faster Recovery
Some PMC patients alternate infrared heat with cold exposure through cryotherapy as part of a combined recovery protocol. The two work on opposite mechanisms. Infrared opens blood vessels and drives deep sweating; cold constricts vessels and reduces acute inflammation. Alternating them drives circulation, accelerates tissue recovery, and amplifies the therapeutic response beyond what either does alone.
Your provider determines whether contrast therapy is appropriate based on your condition and goals. For patients who benefit from the combination, PMC's cryotherapy offering is folded into the Longevity and Anti-Aging program. Learn more on the Longevity and Anti-Aging page.
Common Questions
Infrared Sauna Therapy FAQ
What is the difference between an infrared sauna and a traditional sauna?
Traditional saunas heat the air around you to 150 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit, which many people find uncomfortable and hard to breathe in. Infrared saunas use light waves to heat your body directly from within, at a lower ambient temperature (typically 120 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit). The result is a deeper, more therapeutic sweat with significantly less discomfort. If you have tried traditional saunas and could not tolerate the heat, infrared is usually a very different experience.
Is infrared sauna therapy safe?
Yes. Infrared is the same kind of heat naturally produced by the sun, without ultraviolet exposure. Infrared technology is so safe that hospitals use it to warm newborn infants. Your provider reviews your health history before recommending sauna sessions, and the sessions themselves are tailored to your comfort level and treatment goals.
What is BioMat therapy and how is it different from the sauna?
BioMat is an FDA-licensed infrared pad (#2954299) that combines far-infrared rays, negative ions, and amethyst crystals to deliver targeted infrared therapy. Unlike the full-body sauna, BioMat is a pad you lie on for focused treatment of specific areas such as muscle groups, joints, or the spine. It is commonly used for pain relief, stress reduction, muscle recovery, and integration with chiropractic care. Sessions range from ten minutes to an hour depending on your provider's recommendation.
How often should I use the infrared sauna?
Most patients use the sauna two to three sessions per week. The ideal frequency depends on your treatment plan. Patients in active detox protocols or chronic pain management may use it more frequently, while patients using it for general wellness may use it less. Your provider will give you a personalized recommendation.
How long is each session?
Typical sessions are about 30 minutes. Your first session may be slightly shorter to orient you to the equipment and see how your body responds. Session length is adjusted over time based on provider recommendation and how well you tolerate the heat.
Is infrared sauna therapy included in my treatment at PMC?
Yes. Progressive Medical Center offers complimentary far infrared sauna access to all patients, with no additional charge beyond your care plan. This reflects PMC's philosophy that supportive therapies should be integrated into your treatment, not sold back to you as an add-on.
Can I use the infrared sauna if I am being treated for cancer?
In many cases, yes. Infrared sauna can support immune function and detoxification for cancer patients and is frequently included in PMC's integrative cancer care protocols. Whether it is appropriate depends on your specific situation, treatment stage, and provider recommendation. For patients seeking the clinical-grade heat protocol used in cancer-specific applications, PMC also offers Hyperthermia as a separate therapy with its own equipment and temperature targets.
Can I use the infrared sauna from out of town?
Yes. Out-of-town patients have complimentary sauna access as part of their care plan. Your patient navigator schedules sauna sessions alongside your other appointments so that each visit to PMC compounds the therapeutic benefit. Visit our Out-of-Town Patients page for more information about how PMC supports patients traveling from outside Atlanta.
Ready to Experience the Difference?
Schedule a consultation to discuss how infrared sauna therapy and BioMat treatment fit into a personalized care plan for your health goals. No referral needed.