Finland is the sauna capital of the world, with an average of one per household, or three million saunas in a country of five million people. Although we’re not quite that hardcore here in the States, those who indulge have long understood the physical and mental benefits of making sauna sessions part of their daily routines.
In Finland, and many other Nordic cultures, however, there’s an extra twist. It’s common for them to cap off the extreme heat of a sauna session with the extreme cold of a quick plunge in ice water or an ice cold shower.
While this might sound somewhat alien to us, there is increasing medical and scientific consensus that these rapid changes in temperature extremes can benefit the health and well-being of those who take up the practice. This is particularly true for people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
- Experts believe that this practice elevates blood pressure by making blood vessels rapidly expand. This reduces inflammation — and the agonizing pain associated with the condition. Many adherents to the Nordic practice also say that finishing with a cold plunge prevents rheumatoid flare ups the next day, which is a common complaint of sufferers who only spend time in a sauna without following it up with a session of cold.
- Another benefit is the release of endorphins that comes with the rapid conflict of temperature extremes. This can have a numbing effect on pain, and an endorphin rush has one other added benefit: it simply makes you happy.
- Finally, those who take an icy plunge after they exit the sauna report healthier skin and improved recovery from muscle pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers should take the time to research the bizarre, but potentially beneficial practice of briefly plunging into cold water after spending extended times soaking in the heat in a sauna.