New November 2026 reflection: My infrared story continues. Some workdays I stepped into a demonstration sauna fully dressed and used a low setting for a little comfortable warmth before returning to my desk. Other days I booked mPulse sessions at the Day Spa. The mPulse remains my favorite of the sauna models I tried, and I still use my Solo System at home, especially when pain is bad. I have kept that newer first-person recollection on its own page so it doesn't silently rewrite the older archived account.
The story behind the sessions
For years, I was looking for ways to make life with chronic pain more manageable. By the time I wrote the original infrared article, I had already been trying chiropractic care, cold laser sessions, therapeutic exercises, and other approaches. My life was changing in several ways at once.
In that period I was working at Sunlighten in Overland Park. I had access to an mPulse infrared sauna at the adjoining day spa and began making sessions part of my lunch-break routine. In the original account, I described going about three times a week and staying in the sauna for around 30 minutes, within a longer break to change, settle in, and return to work.
More than a hot room
I wrote about using meditation music, controlled breathing, and gentle stretching while in the sauna. Those details matter to me because this wasn't simply a piece of equipment. It was a period of quiet in the middle of the workday, when I could focus on how I felt instead of trying to push through the next task.
I also wrote about being mindful of hydration. That was part of my personal routine, not a medical instruction for other people. Anyone considering heat exposure, especially with a medical condition, should discuss safety with their own care team.
“I have found that consistent usage of infrared therapy has shown a dramatic improvement in my daily pain levels.”— My original website account; a personal report, not a clinical finding
The Solo system at home
The original site also included a photograph of me using the portable Solo System at home. I described it as especially meaningful during colder periods, when I felt that my pain was harder to manage.
This is one reason I want to preserve the old photographs and words. They document what I was doing at the time, and how I understood my experience then. They don't tell us what would have happened without the sauna, or which part of a much broader routine made the most difference.
The published 2019 article and video
Sunlighten published a first-person version of my CRPS journey on November 1, 2019. That article specifically names the mPulse Conquer used at the spa and links to a video testimonial. It also says Sunlighten's owners provided the portable Solo System for use at home. Those are relevant historical facts and an important part of understanding the commercial setting for my experience.
I've created a separate 2019 article and video source file to preserve that context without confusing an old testimonial, the modern sauna lineup, or independent clinical research.
Experience versus evidence
What I can say is that I experienced these sessions as helpful during that chapter of my life. I cannot conclude from my own story that infrared saunas are an established treatment for CRPS, that the heat caused my longer-term improvements, or that someone else will have the same response.
The original account sits alongside my experiences with laser treatment, rehabilitation, working again, and increasing activity. These overlapped, and it's important not to erase that complexity.
I worked for Sunlighten at the time of this account and had access to its equipment. The company's November 2019 article also states that Sunlighten's owners provided a Solo System for my home use. The mention of Sunlighten, mPulse, and Solo identifies my historical experience. This page is not a product endorsement, purchase recommendation, or evidence of CRPS treatment effectiveness.
New: explore the Sunlighten models and technology
Rather than turning this first-person account into a giant product catalog, I have built a separate Sunlighten model and technology library. It now branches into mPulse, Amplify, Amplify RED, Signature, and Solo, with individual model pages and official manufacturer source links.
For a clearer distinction between my memories, Sunlighten product documentation, and medical research, see Infrared, CRPS and evidence questions. Product features are not proof of clinical benefit, and my historical Sunlighten employment disclosure applies to this larger section too.
What comes next
We are preserving the original infrared article and examining the broader research separately. The research review will distinguish studies of heat exposure, infrared technology, and CRPS itself rather than treating them as interchangeable.
For general, medically reviewed background on CRPS, see MedlinePlus: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.