What is Halotherapy: Salt Room Therapy?

Halotherapy is deemed an alternative therapy for many respiratory issues and skin conditions. What is halotherapy and is it safe?

What Is Halotherapy? Halotherapy is also known as speleotherapy and salt room therapy. It is an alternative therapy widely used in Europe for respiratory and skin ailments. Salt rooms are created in an attempt to mimic the environment found in a natural salt cave.

What Conditions Does Salt Room Therapy Claim to Treat? Halotherapy is believed to help reduce symptoms of respiratory ailments such as asthma, colds, bronchitis, allergies and even cystic fibrosis. Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne are said to improve after salt room therapy treatments.

How Does Halotherapy Work? Salt is believed to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. You can find saline nasal sprays at the store to relieve congestion. Often, doctors will recommend gargling with salt water for sore throats. With halotherapy, very small particles of salt are inhaled as you sit in specially constructed salt rooms.

Does Salt Room Therapy Really Work? While researching this topic, most of the information found was from companies who own salt rooms. There were also many personal testimonials. However, very few research studies have been made into the effectiveness of salt room therapy.

Research on Halotherapy. There are several research studies published by Russian doctor A.V. Chervinskaya. Abstracts in English can be found. However, salt rooms were not used for many of the studies. Rather, special inhalers that delivered concentrated doses of salt particles were used and showed some effectiveness for the conditions mentioned above.

Salt Rooms in the United States. Many entrepreneurs are creating salt rooms in the United States, especially in the major cities. Be careful of companies that claim using their salt room is an actual cure for conditions, as these claims have not been proven or thoroughly researched.

Dangers of Halotherapy. Salt room therapy is fairly safe. The most common side effects are itching of the skin and throat. However, people with severe respiratory disorders or bleeding disorders, among others, are discouraged from trying halotherapy. The biggest danger is that people may stop taking doctor prescribed medication when using this alternative therapy.

Salt Room Therapy Is not a Miracle Cure. There is not enough research to show that halotherapy can actually cure any conditions. Though symptoms may be improved with the use of a salt room, the condition is not cured. Do not stop taking doctor prescribed medications unless he or she says it is okay while attending halotherapy in a salt room. Halotherapy may be a good addition to your medication, but not a replacement.

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN. IF YOU THINK SALT ROOM THERAPY MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO YOU, PLEASE SPEAK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN AND DO NOT STOP TAKING PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS.

SOURCES:

Cloe Cabrera; Tampa gets first U.S. Salt room for respiratory sufferers; Tampa Bay Online

Laura Johannes; Taking a Mound of Salt for What Ails You; Wall Street Journal Health

RESEARCH STUDY REFERENCES:

AV Chervinskaya and NA Zilber; Halotherapy for treatment of respiratory diseases; PubMed

RA Chernenkov, et al.; The use of an artificial microclimate chamber in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive lung disease; PubMed

LV Borisenko, et al.; The use of halotherapy for the rehabilitation of patients with acute bronchitis and a protracted and recurrent course; PubMed