Halotherapy, across its many forms of application, has been used medicinally for thousands of years, to the ancient Greeks and beyond. Back then, it was merely a practice of taking advantage of a natural medicine found in caves – particularly, salt! The first mention of man-made pools used to ‘bathe in mineral waters dates from twelfth century Poland, around 900 years ago! But, while salt is great for seasoning – why does it have such tremendous benefits for your health and wellbeing? First off, a question.
What is Halotherapy?
Halotherapy (halo being derived from the Greek ‘alas’, meaning ‘salt’) is a family of highly therapeutic applications for aerosolised salt in medicine. In living memory here in the UK – some of us may remember being prescribed a trip to the seaside to breath in the ‘salty air’. In a nutshell, that’s Halotherapy! As the microscopic salt crystals enter your nose, sinuses and mouth – the benefits begin – so let’s start exploring those!
The Benefits
The benefits of halotherapy are myriad and eclectic – we’re going to start with the physical and then move on to the emotional, mental, and spiritual…
1. Miraculous results for people with respiratory disease
For people who suffer from chronic rhinitis, COPD, asthma or even frequent chest infections (which can lead to pneumonia) – is proven. This takes us back to twelfth century Polish salt mining (which inspired the locals back then to build a salt pool) – in 1843 a physician working with salt miners by the name of Dr. Feliks Boczkowski, noticed that none of the salt miners developed any respiratory diseases whatsoever, a result of breathing in aerosolised salt! Successors, influenced by Boczkowski, built some of the first salt rooms and salt cabins in Poland and Germany – and, coming into the 20th century, Halotherapy had reached our Great British shores. Salt is excellent at cleaning out mucus and debris from the nasal and bronchial cavities, relieving symptoms and even eliminating hayfever!
A natural salt cave in Toledo, Spain. Courtesy of Saltium, regulated by [CC BY-SA 4.0] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
2. Halotherapy is great for your skin!
Have a rash that won’t go away! Eczema that won’t stop itching? Maybe your children might suffer from those ailments as well? Then Halotherapy is step one on the path the recovery. Its ability to treat skin conditions lies in the neutralising affect of the micro-crystals on your skin. Regulating skin acidity levels and bring you relief that will be practically euphoric without the need for a single scratch…
3. Say goodbye to stress, anxiety, depression!
One of the most important wellbeing priorities in the modern world is looking after your mind. Halotherapy spaces are in themselves incredibly relaxing, allowing you to just let the mind wander while the medicine gets to work. Salt (NaCl) contains negatively charged ions that when inhaled reach the brain and reduce serotonin levels. You might think “wait! Serotonin is what makes me calm and content! Why would I want to reduce that? Two words, serotonin storm, one of the most serious causes for severe anxiety and insomnia, results from an overabundance of the hormone in your brain. Those negatively charged ions bind to the serotonin – reducing levels, and allowing your natural (and now balanced) brain chemistry to give you the all-encompassing feeling of well-being that you deserve.