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| Halotherapy cabins at Ahhhsome Relaxation in Ammon |
Centuries ago, European monks noticed when they treated respiratory ailments in natural salt caverns, their patients got better faster. The monks produced salt dust by grinding salt rocks against each other, which the patients then inhaled.
Dr. Felix Bochkowsky, the state authority for occupational health in Polish industry in the 1840s, saw the same thing was true with miners: while metal and coal miners battled relentless, deadly respiratory ailments, workers in salt mines were healthier than average people, let alone other miners.
In 1843, he published a book about the health benefits of salt dust. His successor, Mstislav Poljakowski, followed by establishing the first salt clinic near Krakow, Poland, which is still in operation today.
By the 1950s, scientific studies (primarily in the USSR) were proving how effective salt therapy is in treating respiratory ailments. Manmade, above-ground Saltrooms provided a controlled environment, and Halotherapy (from “halo”, Greek for salt) became a new option for respiratory treatment.
The first Halotherapy salt chambers opened in the 1960s in Eastern Europe. They were destination health sanatoriums and respiratory hospitals, paid for by the socialized medical system of those countries. As Halotherapy grew more popular in the 1980s and 1990s, health and beauty resorts throughout Europe and Scandinavia began to install Saltrooms and offer Halotherapy as one of their restorative treatments.
Halotherapy is an exposure to kinetically activated dry salt where the micro sized particles are being inhaled while the large salt particles are spread on the top of the skin. Since dry salt is antibacterial and super absorbent it actively kills bacteria, reduces the inflammation in the respiratory system, and widens the airways for better breathing.
Medical studies in Europe and Russia have confirmed that Halotherapy is safe and that the benefits of Halotherapy are accumulative. It helps children effectively manage existing respiratory conditions, support better breathing, and build a stronger immune system. Regular Halotherapy, two or three times a week, can help prevent the common coughs, colds, runny noses, earaches and skin rashes. In addition, regular Halotherapy also calms the nervous system and helps children to focus better in school as well as sleep better at night. Many adults and children suffering from asthma, allergies, cystic fibrosis, COPD, or other respiratory conditions found that Halotherapy sessions helped manage respiratory problems and reduce the intake of respiratory medications.
“Our mission has always been to help our members improve their health and now we have another way to specifically help with many types of respiratory conditions without the negative side effects often experienced from prescription drugs,” said Alyce Jeppesen, co-owner of Ahhhsome Relaxation, which has been open since November 2015. More information can be found on their website at www.ahhhsomerelaxation.com.
