By virtue of the nature of the job, it is impossible to fully safeguard Veterans, Firefighters, and first responders from all hazards, however, it may be possible to provide recovery care while off duty using a variety of modalities, including regular sauna use.

The problem of war veterans with PTSD is a national crisis. Group therapy is said to be the cornerstone of treatment for Veterans with PTSD within the VA and is expected to remain a top priority at the VA within the years to come. Groups are efficient and cost-effective, can be integrated with a variety of techniques, and serve to “counteract and confront the socially avoidant and isolative tendencies common in PTSD”

One group technique that is gaining a presence at the VA is the Native American sweat lodge ceremony. According to a VA directory of Native Veteran Services, sweat lodge ceremonies are available through VA medical facilities in fifteen states including Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington. Sweat rituals include multiple factors that produce positive effects on the body, mind, and spirit. A sweat is a ceremony conducted by a Native American spiritual leader in a dome-shaped structure, or lodge. Sweats are common in Indian country.

"It's healing right down to the core of that veteran”

The health benefits of sweat rituals have been well documented through research on saunas. Benefits include the prevention and treatment of lung, heart, and skin problems, and in promoting deeper sleep, pain relief, muscle relaxation, and helpful in treating insomnia, arthritis, and improving vascular endothelial functioning. The most frequently found psychological effects of sweat rituals are relaxation and stress relief.

More recent research indicates a benefit to combining sweating with psychotherapy. Baseline research comparing sweat and non-sweat groups showed that sweat groups accelerated and intensified group dynamics. In other words, participants in sweat groups opened up quicker and self-disclosed more. They also showed stronger group cohesion than participants in an office setting.

The first psychologist to investigate the use of a sweat ritual as a psychotherapeutic intervention was John P. Wilson, Ph.D. Dr. Wilson is an internationally recognized expert in the field of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who has authored eight books and over 20 articles on traumatic stress syndromes. He is a founding member and past president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). Included among his numerous awards and honors are a Presidential Commendation from President Jimmy Carter for his work with Vietnam Veterans.

In 1985, Dr. Wilson incorporated the sweat lodge ceremony as part of a comprehensive treatment program for Vietnam Veteran’s with PTSD and examined how the Native American sweat lodge can function as a form of treatment for anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders +1-484-747-7702. He explained how sweat rituals work to help people with PTSD.

Uforia Sauna is working with State Representative’s, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research & Development, in hopes to bring Pennsylvania to a place where positive heat therapy is helping improve the mind, body, health, and spirits of Veterans, Firefighters, Police Officers, and First Responders.