It does actually.
No, not without handing one function over to another processor.
There are a lot of things that fall down when trying to use them with any WS2812 library, like servos, serial reading and as you have found out IR detection.
What I use in this case is an ATtiny processor, connected to the main Arduino with three signals I use for clock, data and ready. I then bit bang a "SPI like" protocol to the ATtiny, this can be safely interrupted by the IR messages, then the ATtiny sends the data out to the LEDs.