Halotherapy/Salt therapy refers to various treatments that involve being immersed in salt environments, including active and passive experiences. Salt therapy originated in Eastern Europe in the 12th century, and involved spending time in naturally occurring salt caves (speleotherapy). The dry, “active” method of halotherapy in our modern era is conducted in man-made, humidity-free salt rooms/caves where precise micro-particles of salt are actively dispersed by special equipment called a halogenerator. Most studies on halotherapy are small, but proponents point to studies that show benefit for respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and allergies–and for skin conditions from psoriasis to acne.
Research Spotlight
The databases often return hundreds of medical studies for a single wellness approach. This section summarizes a sampling of five studies – providing just a taste of the available research. These Spotlights were not selected because they are the most favorable or the most recent, but to provide you an introduction to the more extensive research you’ll uncover searching the four databases found in the “Research” section of this site.
- Inhaling Salt-Infused Vapor Improved Breathing in Cystic Fibrosis Patients
A small 2006 study in the New England Journal of Medicinefound that for cystic fibrosis patients, inhalation of a salt-infused vapor significantly improved lung function and produced a sustained acceleration of mucus clearance.
Access this study - Regular Halotherapy Helped Asthma Patients Breathe Easier
A small 2006 study from Finnish medical researchers found that several weeks of halotherapy treatments in a salt chamber led to significantly reduced bronchial hyperresponsiveness–and better breathing flow–for asthmatic patients.
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