Halotherapy is the treatment of certain diseases by having a person to inhale the fumes of salt. It’s actually a very old therapy, having previously been known as Speleotherapy because, in the past, the only way someone could partake of this kind of therapy was to visit salt mines and caves.
The idea behind this is based on knowing that salt is a great preservative, although too much salt can help bring on high blood pressure. But salt in some form has many positive uses, and in this case, salt is seen as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory way to address respiratory diseases.
As strange as it might sound on the surface to the Western world, it’s a therapy that’s not only been promoted in most countries around the world, but something that’s actually been tested and found to help in some situations. The New England Journal of Medicine even posted a study in 2006 that showed patients with cystic fibrosis who followed a course of treatment using salt for 48 weeks showed significant results without any adverse affects.
These days, instead of sending everyone out of the country, many clinics are being built that are called salt rooms, where there’s a measured concentration of saline air that matches what would be found in a salt cave. People go into chambers where they can sit or lay down, as the entire room is covered in salt, and in some places they have the option of keeping their clothes on or not, as salt is everywhere, including on the floors. The idea isn’t to rub oneself in the salt, although they can if they wish to, but just to breathe the air.
There are also some devices one can use at home to try to simulate the salt air, but they’re not as effective as being in a place that’s totally dedicated to the process. It’s recommended that a person stay in the room anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, and after a few weeks many people with breathing conditions state that they’re breathing better.
Halotherapy seems to be safe and does actually help some people, and luckily, you don’t have to book a trip to Romania or Poland or Greece if you’re not in the mood since there are more clinics coming your way.
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Dr. Michael J. Murphy has been serving the East Valley communities of Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler at 2 locations since relocating from Wisconsin in the spring of 2006. Dr. Murphy graduated Magna Cum Laude from the prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa and practiced for over 20 years in the Madison area.