The effect of sauna therapy as a form of complimentary therapy on perceived stress levels, pulse and blood pressure

Stress affects everyone to varying degrees at some point in their lives. If excessive and/or prolonged, stress can have adverse effects on the body and cause multiple health conditions. In addition, some people engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope with stress. Thus, health care providers need to be able to equip patients with healthy means with which to handle stress. One such means that has received little to no recognition is sauna therapy. The purpose of this practice improvement project was to determine if sauna therapy has an effect on perceived stress levels, blood pressure and pulse.;The project was quasi-experimental and used a one group pre-test, post-test design. The sample of 55 participants was recruited from a community center with a public sauna in west central Minnesota. Participants were asked to fill out a 49-item stress assessment survey before and after taking a sauna, as well as have their blood pressure and pulse measured before and after. Participants were allowed to stay in the sauna for the amount of time they deemed appropriate. The data revealed a significant decrease (p<0.01) in participants' perceived stress levels, with an average decrease of 30 points on the stress assessment test scores. Data also yielded a significant difference in participants' systolic blood pressures (p<0.01) and diastolic blood pressures (p<0.01) between pre and post sauna, with an average decrease of six and seven points, respectively. Finally, the study also determined a significant decrease in pulse (p=0.01) from pre to post sauna, with an average decrease of five beats per minute.;Further research is needed to determine specifics for the optimum duration, temperature, frequency and time of day for sauna therapy. Future research should also attempt to determine what it is about sauna therapy that decreases stress levels. Provider knowledge of and attitudes toward sauna therapy should be determined to identify information gaps and help plan interventions and education on sauna therapy as appropriate. The greatest implication of the study findings is for advanced practice nurses and other health care professionals to begin routinely incorporating the recommendation of sauna therapy for stress reduction into practice.