Therapeutic and preventive treatments to improve health are extremely popular. In some cases, nature plays a fundamental role in providing the basis for such treatment, making it much more effective in view of our status as organic beings. This is how Heliotherapy is born, which we know today in depth at the entrance that concerns us. Pay attention, because you are interested.
What you should know about heliotherapy
This modality uses solar rays as a therapy for some of the conditions that we can present at the skin level. Being this star completely vital in the development of life on the planet, its benefits do not escape the eyes of medicine.
And it is not a modern concept. From the beginning of humanity , man has understood the vital importance of this star in the development of life-sustaining activities: crops, housing, health
How light is and why it is so important
Light waves have three components, which reach Earth through radiation:
- Ultraviolet radiation (UV rays), which represents 1% of the light beam.
- Visible light, which makes it 40%.
- Infrared rays form the remaining 59%.
Each of these components of sunlight have a different effect and level of penetration into the skin . Heliotherapy, therefore, is responsible for taking advantage of each of these therapeutic benefits.
The beneficial effects of light
Among the main effects that solar radiation has on our skin is the improvement of metabolic processes and nutrition by increasing body temperature, good vasodilation, increased sweating (very useful to eliminate toxins) and quality in skin pigmentation
In addition, it improves arterial hypotension, promotes the wound healing process, stimulates the immune system, improves glandular activity (especially the thyroid), produces a bactericidal effect, functions as an antidepressant and synthesizes provitamin D in vitamin D, essential for the assimilation of calcium and phosphorus.
In this way, Heliotherapy has been implemented to treat symptoms of skin diseases such as acne, psoriasis or neonatal jaundice. It also stimulates muscle activity, vascularization, helps eliminate toxins received from daily contamination and improves the immune response in order to prevent diseases.
Therapy applications
To apply this therapy it is important to consider its contraindications, since inadequate or very prolonged exposure to sunlight, especially in areas where air pollution is abundant, can be harmful.
If not done properly, sun exposure can cause photosensitivity, skin inflammation, pulmonary tuberculosis, hyperthermia and elevated fever, infections, sunspots or Adisson disease.
To carry out Heliotherapy it is necessary to determine if the application will be localized or general. The areas to be exposed can be separated into five parts:
- Feet and ankles.
- Legs.
- Thighs and hands
- Hips, belly and forearms.
- Chest and arms.
You can also divide the exposure in the front and back of the body, always protecting the head. It starts with a 5 minute exposure the first day in the front.
From the second day you can alternate the two parts and increase exponentially the time, never passing 40 minutes. It is advisable to do it in the morning, and avoid the sun at 12:00.
You see that this is a new alternative therapy that you might not know, but that is as old and effective as life itself.
Seen in Online Physiotherapy, by Pedro, editor of the Great White Brotherhood
