Onnetsu - Device & Mat
Ron Ben Bachar · Chinese medicine & acupuncture practitioner · Reidman College graduate · 8+ years of experience
Japanese treatment combining a special mat and heating device, helping with deep relaxation and tension release
- Improves blood and lymph flow
- Supports capillary dilation and better circulation
- Supports the tissues' oxygen supply and a sense of relief
- A good fit in winter and through tiring, stressful periods
Onnetsu is a Japanese heat therapy: a far-infrared mat that warms the whole body, and a handheld device I run over specific points and areas. The heat penetrates deep into the tissue, releases muscles and calms the nervous system.
If acupuncture is precise work with a needle, Onnetsu is a warm blanket for a body in pain. For some patients it's exactly what they need, especially in winter, and in periods of fatigue and burnout.
What's special about far-infrared heat?
A hot water bottle warms only the skin. Far-infrared (FIR) waves penetrate below the surface and warm the tissue from within: blood vessels dilate, flow improves, and the muscle gets a comfortable environment to release in. The method was developed in Japan by Dr. Tomeko Mitsui in the 1980s, and it combines this heat with the map of Chinese medicine.
What does an Onnetsu session look like?
You lie clothed on the warm mat while I run the handheld device along the back or the painful area. I look for points where the heat is felt especially strongly, a sign in Japanese medicine of an area asking for attention, and there I linger. Most patients leave very relaxed. Some barely want to get up.
What do I combine Onnetsu with?
The heat prepares the tissue, so Onnetsu works nicely as an opener for acupuncture or shiatsu in the same session. For patients who are very sensitive to needles it's sometimes the main treatment. And for anyone wondering about the Israeli summer: the heat intensity is set individually. Nobody leaves here cooked.
Who is heat less suitable for?
Some situations call for caution: reduced skin sensation, active skin conditions, pregnancy, or certain cardiac conditions. In some cases we simply lower the intensity and shorten the exposure, and in others we choose a different tool. That's exactly why the treatment always starts with an intake conversation, not with the on switch.
A case from the clinic
A 74-year-old woman with knee osteoarthritis came in mid-winter, when the morning stiffness was at its peak. We combined Onnetsu on the knees and lower back with gentle acupuncture. A few weeks later she told me the morning pain had eased, and that the walk to the grocery store had gone back to being a simple thing. For me that's the real goal: not mountains, but the small, everyday life.
Who is the treatment for?
- Chronic back, neck and shoulder pain
- Arthritis and osteoarthritis
- Blood circulation disorders and cold extremities
- Nerve pain and numbness in limbs
- Fatigue, weakness and lack of energy
- Stress, anxiety and sleep disorders
From patient reviews
Ron is a very professional therapist with a unique and pleasant approach. Works with a very effective method for treating pain and getting quick results. Indeed, I saw results from the first treatments.
