Halotherapy: Why So Salty?

We enjoyed trying out another alternative therapy last weekend. This time it was simply relaxing in a salt room for 30 minutes. These salt therapy rooms try to reproduce the unique microclimate found in natural salt caves or while sitting on the beach near the ocean. They use ultra-dry pharmaceutical grade salt diffused in the room air to help treat a variety of upper and lower respiratory tract disorders and skin conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, eczema, and psoriasis.
During the treatment, microscopic salt particles enter the airways and reach down deep to the cellular level. At this level, particles stimulate airway linings, improve mucous clearance and enable a better immune response to pathogens.
The effects of salt therapy on your sinuses, skin and lungs is vastly different from what you might experience when using nasal sprays and is actually much more effective than what you may experience from a walk on the beach. That is: salt therapy not only alleviates symptoms, but also helps prevent against symptoms recurring. Thus, it helps ward off sickness and reduce dependence on medications. People with psoriasis and eczema may experience dramatic improvement in their skin condition. Other wellness benefits promoted by salt therapy include: less stress, lowered blood pressure, better sleep, and faster recovery from cold and flu symptoms.
We enjoyed our first experience! My wife fell asleep right away and had a 20 minute nap. I practiced the Wim Hof breathing and meditation technique and felt an extra level of relaxation from the salt room atmosphere. We will try to keep this alternative therapy in mind the next time we feel like we want to take the edge off of the listed respiratory symptoms. The business that we went to was in Overland Park, KS and also offered sensory deprivation chambers.