Wikipedia
defines
common salt or sodium chloride (NaCl), as a mineral that is essential to not
only human function, but is one of our five basic tastes. Too much can be harmful to our health (blood
pressure, heart, etc.), and too little in a recipe can cheat us out of the full
flavoring that a foodstuff has to offer (2015). Setting aside the culinary
aspect, it begs the question: What other medicinal benefits can we reap from
this gift of the Earth? Today we are
going to venture into the world of halotherapy, also known as “salt therapy”.
Danica Collins, columnist for the Underground Health Reporter, describes
the origin of halotherapy as follows:
“Hippocrates,
the father of modern medicine, prescribed saltwater inhalation therapy for
bronchial and lung disorders. Today, the
intentional use of salt for medicinal purposes is called “salt therapy” (also
halotherapy, from the Greek word halos for salt, and spleotherapy, from the
Latin word spalenca for cave)”.
Ms Collins further relates that salt caves
were used as far back as the mid 1800s to treat and improve the symptoms of
diseases such as: asthma, psoriasis, congestion, and sinusitis. Additionally, the author noted that
spleotherapy originated in Poland in the 1950s when healthcare workers
discovered that salt miners rarely suffered from tuberculosis. Collins also named
a few studies which demonstrated the benefits of spending time in natural salt
caves (2015). Since most of us may not
live near a natural salt cave, how can we reap the benefits of the same?
An increasingly popular movement in the
United States is the construction of artificial caves using Himalayan or other
equivalent form of rock salt. Zajac, etal, noted that due to an ever increasing degradation of air quality, people are
seeking an environment without pollution that is replicated in a natural salt
cave microclimate (2014). These authors
conducted a study of 303 Polish citizens and made the following observations
and recommendations concerning artificial caves:
1.
A therapeutic cave uses a salt generator
that produces a dry salt aerosol within the room. This is a purified air which is kept at a
temperature between 64 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity of 50-60%. When the air crosses the salt walls it
releases the microelements: iodine, calcium, potassium, sodium, copper
selenium, and bromine. The authors
stated that the inhaled aerosol contains both anti-inflammatory and
bactericidal (bacterial-killing) properties.
The above noted conditions are essential in order to reap the most
health benefits.
2.
The use of a salt generator is equivalent
to being in a salt mine or by the sea.
In caves that were constructed without one, the concentrations of the
microelements were negligible. The time
spent in the cave was anywhere from 45 minutes (minimum) to upwards of 2 hours.
3.
A disadvantage to halotherapy is the
attached cost, as it may require several sessions to notice improvement. However, even one session will provide a
participant a place to escape from the stresses of life. Rest and relaxation are the order of the day
in the salt cave (2014).
So what is it like to
spend time in an artificial salt cave?
 |
| Salt Cave in Worth, Illinois |
A couple of weeks ago I visited the Salt Cave in Worth, Illinois. This business is
located in a strip mall unit off of a busy street running through this city,
and from the exterior it was a very unassuming place. I entered the main lobby area which was
simply decorated and had a couch, and bench seats where customers can place
their shoes, hang their coats, and wait for the next treatment time. The staff is very pleasant and greets
customers as they make entry into the facility. The treatment is 45 minutes in length and
starts every hour on the hour which is paid for prior to entry into the cave.
After I removed my coat and shoes, the
receptionist handed me a pair of blue foot coverings (similar to ones that you
might see a surgeon or crime scene investigator wear as part of their
professional apparel). Myself and
several other customers entered the cave through a brown, solid oak door approximately
five minutes before the start of the session.
The first thing I noted was the lighted, ornate mosaic of dolphins that
occupied the back wall of the cave. The
cave itself is designed to mimic a beach scene, and felt as such as I walked on
the fine granulated “beach salt”. Several
zero gravity chairs were lined up like soldiers in a formation on the left and
right side walls. Blankets found on each
chair doubled as either a covering on a pillow for comfort. The walls and the ceiling were covered with
thick layers of Himalayan salt that resembled stalactites that I recalled
seeing as a young teenager in the Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico.
I descended into my chair of choice in the
middle of the left side wall, leaned back, and quickly found myself in the
horizontal position. Even though the
room was a comfortable temperature, I felt more relaxed under the cover of a
blanket. Exactly on the hour, the door
was closed, the lights dimmed, and soft relaxation music that filled the room
added an extra special touch to the experience.
I closed my eyes and began a deep meditative practice which sometimes
found my mind drifting off to thoughts of past and future events. I quickly refocused attention on my breath to
center myself once again.
Before I knew it, 45 minutes passed by like
the blink of an eye. The lights were
brought back to full strength, the door opened, and I exited with a renewed
sense of purpose. As I left the cave I
promised myself that I would return to this little piece of “Hawaii” I could
call my own, even if for just three-quarters of an hour at a time. If you do not live near Worth, I highly
recommend seeking a salt cave nearest to where you live. Even if you do not seek the medicinal
benefits, the relaxation experience is well worth the trip. However,
before adding this modality to any wellness regimen, please consult with your
licensed healthcare provider to ensure that it will safely compliment an
existing prescribed treatment plan.
References
Collins,
D. (No date). Salt Therapy A Powerful Healing Detoxifier. Retrieved from http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/salt-therapy/
on 2/13/2015.
Salt
Cave Micro-Climate Center. Retrieved
from http://www.saltcaveworth.com/
on 2/13/2015.
Zajac,
et al (2014). Salt caves as simulation of natural environment and significance of
halotherapy. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24738510 on
2/13/2015.
Note: click on the green box that says open access full text to retrieve
the PDF file for this study.
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