History of Modern Salt Therapy
Did you know salt therapy has roots that goes way back to the 1800s?
A curious doctor named Felix Boczkowski noticed something interesting—Polish salt miners, despite working in dusty conditions, actually had fewer breathing problems. Turns out, all that salty air they were inhaling was doing them a world of good! And just like that, the idea behind salt therapy was born.
Image : Minas de sal de Cardona
During WWII, people sheltering in Germany’s Klutert salt caves also experienced respiratory relief.When conflict swept across Germany, people in the town of Ennepetal sought refuge in the Klutert salt caves.
As they took shelter underground, breathing in the salty air, a German doctor, Dr. K.H. Spannahel, noticed something surprising—many emerged with clearer breathing and relief from respiratory issues.
Word spread, and soon salt caves were being used for health benefits across countries like Poland, Russia, Belarus, Romania, and beyond.
Fast forward to 1980, when scientists at the Odessa Science Research Institute in Ukraine decided to bottle this salty magic.
They built the first Halotherapy machine—a device that grinds salt into fine particles and disperses them into the air, mimicking the atmosphere of a natural salt cave.
And just like that, modern salt therapy—also known as Halotherapy—was born!
Since the early ’90s, salt therapy has journeyed far beyond Eastern Europe and is now making waves in the West as a relaxing, natural way to support better breathing, healthier skin, and overall wellbeing.
Studies & Citations
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1
Halotherapy—An Ancient Natural Ally in the Management of Asthma: A Comprehensive Review (2021)
Crisan-Dabija, R., et al. Healthcare.
This review provides an overview of the history (Speleotherapy) and the transition to modern Halotherapy. It supports the method as an additional therapy for conditions like Asthma, COPD, Psoriasis, and Atopic Dermatitis, explaining its positive impact on pulmonary functions and skin.
2
Salt Therapy as a Complementary Method for the Treatment of Respiratory Tract Diseases, With a Focus on Mold-Related Illness (2021)
Wasik, A. A., & Tuuminen, T. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
This article broadly discusses the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of salt aerosol and how it aids mucociliary transport (clearing mucus). It validates the use for conditions like sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.
3
Halotherapy for chronic respiratory disorders: From the cave to the clinical (2022)
Barber D, et al. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
This is a comprehensive review published in a medical journal, which is excellent reference to the therapeutic effects of Halotherapy and its potential as an adjunctive (complementary) therapy for a common chronic respiratory condition.