Halotherapy for treatment of respiratory, skin and stress related problems

by: Justyna Podsiadlo

Halotherapy for the treatment of respiratory, skin and stress-related problems.

The discovery of the healing quality of salt dates back to the times of Hippocrates. However, it wasn’t until Polish physician Dr. F. Bochkowsky published his ground breaking book in which he observed that salt miners did not suffer from respiratory diseases due to the healing benefits of salt that they had excavated, that the salt therapy truly started. The result of Dr. Bochkowsky’s findings was a speleotherapy clinic (“speleo” in Greek means cave) where he furthered his study of salt benefits and its effect on human health. As a result of his practice, other speleocenters opened throughout Eastern Europe as an alternative way of treating respiratory diseases such as asthma or bronchitis.

Since Dr. Bochkowsky’s discovery, many Westerners have travelled to the natural caves such as the ones in Wieliczka, Poland, or the Praid salt mines in Romania to improve their respiratory health. These natural salt mines were transformed into luxurious clinics that provided treatment to over 10,000 people per year. 

Since people had to travel long distances, pay expensive accomodation and take days off from work to enjoy this natural treatment, scientists in Russia have devised a way to recreate this natural microclimate. As a result a halochamber was created the walls and floor of which are covered with salt. It is equipped with halogenerator blowing crushed salt particles into the salt room providing all the health benefits that a natural salt cave would.

Today there are many artificially created salt chambers in Europe (Germany, Poland, Uk, Slovakia) and salt therapy has gained official recognition throughout Europe. It is also becoming increasingly popular in USA and Canada.

How does halotherapy work?

The halo chamber (the chamber in which the halotherapy session takes place) recreates the natural salt mines environment through the use of halogenerators. Halogenerators dispense the negatively charged minute particles of sodium chloride into the air allowing the patient’s respiratory tract to be completely penetrated with salt. The salt has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and preventive effect on human respiratory system and skin. The air in the salt spa is biochemically pure and saturated with trace elements such as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, selenium, lithium, iodine to name just a few.

The natural purity of a salt spa’s air is enhanced by the specific environment in the salt chamber. Depending on size, a salt room is covered with 3-5 tons (6,000 Lbs.) of natural Himalayan and rock salt. Heated floors, relatively high temperature of 18 - 24 Deg Celsius (64 - 75 Fahrenheit) and humidity of 45% - 60% all contribute to creating a unique, sterile and non-allergic environment in which the salt coverings are able to emit negative ions and the healing minerals. The negative ions are responsible for eliminating allergens from air, lifting mood, alleviating depression and SAD (seasonal affective disorder, or winter depression).

Justyna Podsiadlo

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