Want to Visit the Salt Caves? 

Occasionally, a new alternative therapy comes around that catches the internet by storm. Well, it’s time for cold plunges and sensory deprivation tanks to move over. The new kid has arrived in town, and it’s called, “salt-cave therapy”.

That’s right, salt.  

The old-fashioned earth, which is in the form of rocks.  

The ground up minerals that you ask a member of your family to pass at the dinner table.  

Now, the one thing that is considered strange with this new alternative therapy is that you’re not actually digesting the salt. Instead, you’re breathing it in! 

Breath in salt? 

As you may know, I have written extensively about the health benefits of the earth. Specifically, my books have focused on the therapeutic benefit of eating clay.  

The clay which I eat daily is montmorillonite clay. There has been a solid amount of research, which has validated its use as an oral detoxicant in addition to other uses which include digestive disturbances, mineral supplementation, and a source of natural microbiome. All of this information is included in my book, Healing with Clay. 

In fact, not only do people eat clay but also put it on their skin. 

But wait, is this an article about breathing in salt? Breathing it a rock?  

Referred to as halotherapy, it is a naturopathic treatment, which people are trying for respiratory conditions. Essentially, you step into a salt cave and breath in air that contains tiny, microscopic salt particles.  

Also, the therapy has been credited with helping skin problems and allergies. Another supposed benefit that has been is that it helps clear up mucus from one’s airways.

 How does it work?

There are two types of salt rooms.  

An “active” room where it features a machine that breaks salt apart and circulates the particles. This allows for the patient to breath in the tiny particles and expose their skin.  

Or there is a “passive” room, which is a room that contains large salt blocks of different types of salt and is meant as more of a meditative versus physically therapeutic experience.  

The practice of breathing in salt has been around for a long time. It’s most popular in Eastern Europe. A Polish physician noted that miners at a local salt mine suffered less respiratory issues than workers at other types of mines.  

According to Google Trends, its popularity has now extended over the pond over to the US, Canada and even as far south as Australia. 

So, Does it work?

There isn’t much clinical evidence that I am aware of to validate the therapy.  

In one bronchiectasis clinical trial, it was reported that 65% of the participants said that they wanted to continue with the therapy simply because of its relaxation benefits.  

So why am I writing about it? Because it’s an interesting topic, and I like to learn about new trends in health and wellness. Also, because salt is a rock, and I eat clay daily, the subject matter piqued my interest and I simply wanted to learn more about it.