To contribute your sauna story, go to the Contact Us page.

For more information on traditional saunas, bathing and their use, please also visit The American Sauna Society"

by Carlene Viboch
Hot Spring Spa of North County

"Saunas can be used for Medical Purposes"

Over the past 15 years, many saunas have been sold by Hot Spring Spa of North County in Escondido, California for a variety of health reasons. In fact, some saunas have been sold to Doctors offices for the rehabilitation of smokers and drug and alcohol users, for the elimination from the body of pesticides and other toxins, and even in Lupis treatment programs.

In June of 1997, a family of six visited the store at the recommendation of their doctor to purchase a sauna for relief of pesticide poisoning. The family had used a lethal insecticide to rid their property of ants. The opened container of poison was stored in the garage near their furnace. As winter approached, the family began using the furnace to heat their home. Unknown to them, the chemical was traveling through the air ducts, ultimately contaminating the entire family. The mother suffered the most from the poison because she did not work outside of the home; whereas the husband was gone at work during the day and the kids were at school. The entire family suffered from muscle twitches, headaches and were constantly lethargic. The family doctors could not determine the source of their apparent illness. It wasn't until the mother noticed that her urine and perspiration smelled of the chemical that the insecticide may be causing their problems. When it was realized what was causing their illness, doctors prescribed daily sauna therapy. To obtain therapy, the family would have to drive 35 minutes. Within a month, the family was highly improved but was growing tired of the daily drives so they contacted Hot Spring Spa of North County for help with obtaining a Finnleo® home sauna.

After learning about the unique needs of this family, a visit to the customer's home was in order. The home was in the process of being repainted and having all the air ducts cleaned and purified. During the home visit, a place had to be located to position a sauna and to answer the customer's concerns over the ventilation needed in the sauna. In addition, the mother had to touch the different sauna woods to see if she had a reaction. The ultimate purchase was a Finnleo® Thera-Port made from Nordic White Spruce and with an all wood floor.

Afer devlivery and installation of their sauna, the family used the sauna everyday. While using the sauna, the family noticed the smell of poison as they were sweating. Gradually and with daily use, this smell diminished in strength. After 6 months of continued usage, every member of the family felt much better. Their headaches and muscle twitches were gone and they felt a greater sense of energy and overall well-being. The sauna usage results were so great that the family has referred several other customers to us for purchase of their own Finnleo® saunas.

Finnleo® Sauna and Steam Press Release Sauna delivers suite pleasures: Upscale amenity defines new level of luxury If home design has a soul, it might be defined by how the physical structure interacts with its physical occupants. Consider the ultimate bath suite. For most homeowners, it might include a jetted tub, oversize shower, or maybe a steam bath. But one Minnesota homeowner, a second- generation Finn, had more traditional – and decidedly Finnish – ideas in mind when it came time to design a new bath suite for his family’s home. The goal was to create a space that mirrored the functional design aesthetic frequently seen in the bath suites of Finnish homes: clean lines complemented with wood, glass and chrome accents. Taken individually, these elements are surely pleasing. But in this bathroom, they find new harmony when combined with decidedly upscale amenities – including the centerpiece, a traditional Finnish sauna – that introduce a more personal sense of purpose and underscore this bathroom’s place in the home as a haven for renewal. The bathroom echoes the great traditions if Finnish design: organic materials and clean lines that are at once traditional and comforting, but progressive. Yet each design element has purpose: natural wood provides an organic backdrop for the senses, and glass block softens and diffuses, but doesn’t obscure, the view outside. The design is pure Finnish, but the heart of this bathroom – a custom Finnleo® sauna – should strike a chord with anyone who ever had a tough day at the office or on the golf course, or felt the stress of balancing family and career. The sauna is really the pressure relief valve, a haven of comfort and solitude that is designed to sooth, relax and reinvigorate. The sauna measures nine- by-nine feet, and features neo-angles, low-voltage lighting and is built of clear nordic pine from Finland. It seats up to nine people on three tiers of benches that are made of a light, clear-grained wood that stays comfortable to the touch at any sauna temperature. Outside the sauna, the seven-by-nine foot tiled shower area sports two multi-head showers plus an integral bench for bathing kids or shaving. Immediately adjacent to the shower is a changing area, toilet and home fitness center. True to their Finnish roots, the family uses the sauna as an integral part of their daily routine. It serves as a center for bringing the family together, and also provides a personal sanctuary for mom and dad – a quiet space to catch up on the day’s events, or to wind down in solitude. For more information on saunas and steam baths, call Finnleo® at 800-346-6536.