Halotherapy

The unique red salt mine in Belarus - Soligorsk.
Halotherapy spa in Slovakia

Halotherapy, derived from the Greek halos, meaning "salt", is a form of alternative medicine which makes use of salt. Numerous forms of halotherapy have been known of and used from millennia. One finds the first mentions of spa resorts in Poland in records dating from the twelfth century. They relate to bathing in mineral waters.[1] Locations exist in the United States and Canada that attempt to reproduce the atmospheric salt concentrations found in Polish halotherapy spas.[2]

Medical health experts have said that halotherapy is an unproven treatment that lacks scientific credibility.[3] Methodological limitations call into question studies that showed improvement in symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following halotherapy.[4]

Inhalation of hypertonic saline can stimulate bronchoconstriction, which may be used in the diagnosis or evaluation of asthma symptoms.[5]

Forms

There are several forms of halotherapy:[1]

See also

Look up halotherapy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. 1 2 Kamińska, Katarzyna (2014). Halotherapy. Sulejówek: Salsano Haloterapia Polska. p. Transl. Caryl Swift. ISBN 978-83-937819-1-1.
  2. ↑ Melnick, Meredith. "Halotherapy: Is Salt Treatment for Real". TIME.
  3. ↑ Shah, R., Greenberger, P. (2012). Unproved and controversial methods and theories in allergy-immunology. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. Volume 33, Supplement 1: 100-102.
  4. ↑ Rashleigh, Rachel; Smith, Sheree (February 21, 2014). "A review of halotherapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease". International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. doi:10.2147/COPD.S57511.
  5. ↑ Borges, MC; Ferraz, E. "Protective effect of bronchial challenge with hypertonic saline on nocturnal asthma". Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. doi:10.1590/S0100-879X2008000300006.

External links

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