Speleotherapy And Salt Lamps - A Cure For Asthma?

July 1, 2008 · 97 views · Filed Under Disease

The practice of Speleotherapy has been common in Eastern Europe for over 150 years now, but if you are a resident of the US, you quite possibly haven’t even heard of it.Â

The name is derived from the Greek word speleos meaning cave, and it involves the practice of taking patients with respiratory diseases into salt mines to affect a cure. It is likely that, in days gone by, salt miners and others knew about the beneficial health effects of the microclimate of salt mines. It only came to the attention of the scientific community, however, in 1843 after Polish physician Felix Boczkowski published a book advocating its benefits. Since then Speleotherapy has become a widespread treatment in Easter Europe.

With the increasingly worrying impact of respiratory diseases such as Asthma in industrialized societies, especially amongst children, there has never been a time when such treatments have been more required. Cigarette smoking has caused a huge increase in chronic bronchitis and emphysema particularly in developing nations such as India and China and the added effect of the drastic levels of air pollution in these countries further adds to the misery.

The reported healing effects of the microclimate of salt mines are not simple to explain. What is evident is that the micro-particles of salt floating in the air, the temperature, relative humidity, near or total absence of pathogens and allergens, effects of radiation from minerals, and the tranquillity of the setting all play a part. In addition, each chamber in each mine has a distinct microclimate. Many countries and organisations such as the Russian space agency are developing the idea of microclimate optimization devices for cosmonauts that would replicate the microclimates of salt mines. Most of this work has been done in St. Petersburg, which is now the location of the leading Russian HT company, Aeromed Ltd, and of the Arsenal Design Bureau, which works on the salt + mineral approach.

The major drawback of Speleotherapy is that, naturally, the mines are not conveniently located for most people, and therefore the cost, in both terms of time and money is prohibitive. However, similar effect to Speleotherapy have been observed by users of Salt Lamps. These lamps are constructed from solid pieces of mineral salt and are mined in the same places that Speleotherapy treatment has been administered for hundreds of years.. Not only are they very decorative and highly individual pieces of artwork, they are also good for your health it would appear.

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