Sauna — the poor man's* drugstore

#5: Is sauna a miracle treatment?

Sauna — the poor man’s* drugstore (old Finnish proverb)

* and healthy woman’s

Given all the info about the variety of ways sauna is being used for different medical concerns, it could be a miracle treatment. Given the high cost of tests and procedures, I will use this healthy woman’s drugstore when it’s a feasible choice for the concerns I have. It doesn’t cure everything (though I did feel that way when I wrote “Some Like it Hot:The Sauna, Its Lore and Stories”). 
 

Here’s an incomplete list of health benefits that I haven’t found proof for: 

migraine (rare occurrence in my life now), 

hangover (rare occurrence in my life now), 
overeating (but I can take care of that on my own), 

warding off flu, 

removing toxins.

Using myself as the guinea pig, I have found sauna helps me by: 

soothing sore muscles and sunburn, 

easing stress and headaches, 

better sleep, 

cleansing of the skin, 

releasing of personal irritations.

It’s not bad for just sitting there. But to simply relax — that’s enough for me tonight.

Nikki

Copies of Some Like It Hot: The Sauna, Its Lore and Stories are available from the publisher, North Star Press of St. Cloud, Minnesota, or from local booksellers. For a personally inscribed copy, send $20 (which includes tax and shipping costs) to: Nikki Rajala, P.O. Box 372, Rockville, Minnesota 56369.