Breathe in Wellness: Discover the Magic of Halotherapy

You may have heard that we added halotherapy (salt therapy) to our sauna at Hidden Springs Integrative Health. Allow us to introduce what this service involves and how it might benefit your next visit.

What is Halotherapy?

Halotherapy, or salt therapy, is a holistic wellness practice involving exposure to a controlled environment infused with aerosolized salt particles. It is inspired by the natural salt caves in Eastern Europe where doctors discovered that workers in salt mines experienced  fewer respiratory ailments when compared to the general public. 

Wet halotherapy treatment involves the mixing of water with salt and dispensing it into the air.  During a typical session, individuals sit in a small room or dry sauna, where microscopic particles of salt are distributed into the air via a halogenerator. They inhale the salt particles over several minutes.  Breathing in air that has a high concentration of wet salt delivers the salt deep into the lungs for maximum benefit.

Benefits of Halotherapy

Halotherapy therapy is believed to be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and to help with excessive mucus, pathogen agents, digestive issues, depression, skin conditions, and immune system conditions. 

Some of the more specific benefits suggested from halotherapy include:

• Respiratory system: Salt inhalation is believed to clear mucus, reduces inflammation, and improve respiratory function.
• Skin condition: Salt is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory and likewise may may help various skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis as well as overall skin health.
• Stress reduction: Enjoy the calming effects of salt  to promote relaxation and relief of daily stressors.
• Sleep quality: Improved relaxation promotes better sleep quantity and quality
• Immune health: Salt particles in the lungs promoting decreased inflammation are beneficial in the fight against viruses and bacteria.  Because chronic inflammation weakens the immune system, the reduction of inflammation then supports the overall immune response.

Halotherapy FAQ

Are there any side effects to salt therapy?

There are typically no side effects from salt therapy. For clients on any medications or who suffer from serious medical issues, we require that you first seek medical advice from a primary provider before initiating therapy.

Who should avoid salt therapy?

As with any natural therapy, clients with serious health conditions or who are pregnant should always seek medical advice before initiating therapy.

Contraindications to halotherapy include:

• Infections associated with a fever
• Respiratory system cancers
• Tuberculosis
• Cardiac disease patients
• Acute respiratory disease
• Severe hypertension
• Chronic obstructive lung diseases

What kind of salt is used?

In our Haloone® device, we use  99.99% pure NaCl (Pharmaceutical grade salt). It is the same salt that hospitals use with injections or infusions.

Is there any research to support salt therapy?

Absolutely, we love research! Check out these links to peer-reviewed articles supporting the use of aerosolized salt therapy:

• Halotherapy for Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
• Halotherapy application in skin and dermatology programs
• Salt caves as simulation of natural environment and significance of halotherapy
• Halotherapy and COPD
• Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of Aerosal in the treatment of sub-obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy and related diseases
• Effect of Dry Sodium chloride Aerosol On The Respiratory Tract of Tobacco Smokers
• Halotherapy, A Naturopathic Breath of Fresh Air
• The effect of salt chamber treatment on bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthmatics
• Dry sodium chloride aerosol against acute respiratory infections
• Halotherapy of Respiratory Diseases
• Halotherapy with Asthma and COPD
• Respiratory Hygiene in Health Resort Medicine

Halotherapy at Hidden Springs

If you would like to enjoy the wonderful benefits of halotherapy at the wellness center, give us a call and we will book your service for a time convenient to you.  You may also view pricing and availability on the sauna page of our website https://hiddenspringsrn.com/sauna/.

We recommend planning for a 30-minute infrared sauna session with halotherapy as a concurrent add-on option. Studies have shown that the hot sauna environment allows your lungs to best accept the inhaled salt particles for maximum benefit.  

If high temp sauna heat is contraindicated due to a medical condition but you are able to receive halotherapy, we will gladly initiate halotherapy without scheduling infrared heat.  

The halogenerator will run for approximately 5-20 minutes, depending on a few factors, and you may continue to breathe in the salt particles for a total of 30 minutes per halotherapy session.  That’s it. Your bath to respiratory and full body wellness is quite simple and very relaxing! Give us a call today and we will be happy to bring you in to see for yourself.

~Namaste my friends

~In Peace, In Health

Priscilla, MSN, RN, NC-BC