Can salt cave therapy cure asthma and allergies?

Kelly Rose Bradford tested out the healing properties of salt cave therapy to see if it could cure her allergies

 

Having tried everything from nasal sprays to herbal pillows in an attempt to cure - or at least relieve - my asthma, hayfever and cat allergies over the years, searching for the latest miracle treatment has become something of a way of life. Much like my blocked (yet always runny) nose, itchy eyes and wheezy chest. But one thing I have never tried - or even heard of - was halotherapy, also known as salt cave therapy.  And given that I would quite like to cuddle my cat or smell a flower without turning into Rentaghost's Miss Popov, when I learned that London's first salt cave was opening, I was desperate to give it a go.

 

Treatment in natural salt caves has been a commonplace alternative and complementary therapy in Eastern Europe for many years. Patients with respiratory illnesses would routinely be sent to sit in the caves and inhale the saline vapours as part of their treatment. The salt's anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties would cleanse and calm the chest and lungs, giving relief to bronchial and pulmonary disorders.

 

The Salt Cave in Wandsworth is London's first halotherapy centre, and is the brainchild of Hungarian-born Sofia Benke. Sofia used salt caves in her native Hungary to combat sinus problems, and was inspired to open her own synthetic salt cave centre when she discovered the treatment was practically unheard of in the UK.

 

Tucked away off Earlsfield high street in a converted church, the centre is welcoming, reassuringly 'clinic' like, and very professionally run. After checking some details about the severity of my asthma and allergies, Sofia handed me a hair net and plastic covers for my shoes and led me into the treatment room.

 

I immediately likened it to a winter wonderland or Santa's grotto. The walls and floor were completely covered in salt and the ceiling was punctuated with tiny star lights. Scandinavian-style loungers and footstools and a table of magazines gave it a calming and relaxing feel.

 

As my hour-long session started, wave music filled the room and the lights were dimmed. In this manmade environment, the salt cave is emulated by releasing dry sodium chloride particles into the air, and patients need to nothing more than just relax, which is exactly what I did. I snuggled down under a blanket and promptly fell asleep.

 

The air just felt exceptionally clean and clear, but the actual act of breathing seemed to require much less effortAn hour later, the lights went up and my session was complete. Apart from feeling wonderfully refreshed and relaxed, my first observation was that my nose felt decidedly less blocked. Which, having been blocked to some degree for the past 20 years was something as a result. I left the centre and met a friend for lunch. "You sound less nasal," he remarked. I didn't know I had ever sounded nasal, but his comments at least confirmed that I was less stuffy.

 

I went back to the centre for a second session the same day. This time I had a companion in the chamber - a woman with a one-year-old baby. Salt therapy is entirely safe for infants and children with asthma and allergies, and the baby happily played with the toys and rockers laid on for younger visitors, completely obvious to the 'treatment' she was experiencing.

 

I spent the hour reading and trying to focus on my breathing. There was no discernible taste or smell of saline in the salt cave;  the air just felt exceptionally clean and clear, but the actual act of breathing seemed to require much less effort. After so many years of constantly feeling 'bunged up', and having an audible wheeze when breathing deeply, the salt cave definitely offered some respite.

 

For a good two to three days after the treatment, my nose continued to feel clear, and the bouts of sinusitis, sneezing attacks and general 'allergic' reactions I have grown to live with were not present. They did return eventually, but knowing that the salt therapy does offer relief (and after just two hour-long sessions) was reassuring. And undoubtedly a far better option healthwise than the cocktail of antihistamines and nasal sprays I usually rely on. I will definitely be returning for more - and who knows, eventually, I might even be on petting terms with my cat again.

 

 

Find out more

Hour-long sessions at the London Salt Cave cost £35, by appointment only. Treatment is available on a pay-as-you-go or package basis. A course of 10 to 30 sessions is recommended. First session free of charge. For more info, visit www.saltcave.co.uk or call 020 8870 6006

 

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