How does Infrared Therapy work?

[Rajesh Krishnamurthy]

As mentioned in the subject, could somebody please tell me how infrared 
therapy (usually recommended for muscle strains etc.) works?

In a discussion I was having with a friend, it was suggested that muscles 
tend to relax (does this mean expand?) under action of heat, in this case 
supplied by infrared radiation and that is the mechanism of action of 
infrared therapy. Is this correct?

Does this mean that infrared therapy has the same effect as soaking in 
hot water? And is the expansion because everything expands with heat, or 
is it because the warmth triggers a process which ultimately results in 
"relaxation" of muscle?

If you could suggest any references I would be grateful.

Thank You.

Rajesh

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A reasonable man tries to adapt himself to the world. An unreasonable man
tries to adapt the world to himself. So it is quite obvious that all
progress depends on the unreasonable man. :-)

quotes from the graves - G.B.Shaw
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Rajesh Krishnamurthy
E-mail: krishnam at umbc7.umbc.edu		
        http://research.umbc.edu/~krishnam
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