Speleotherapy
or underground climatotherapy is an alternative treatment
for asthma used in Eastern Europe10. Curing asthma involves
spending 2-3 hours a day underground in subterranean
caves or salt mines over a 2-3 month period. This rather
old therapeutic modality without a scientific explanation
seems to give some benefit to patients with COAD and
asthma." - 0. Karakoca Y, Demir G, Kisacik G et
al. Speleotherapy in asthma and allergic diseases. Clin
Exp Allergy 1995;25:666-667. |
Although
not known to be practiced in the U.S., speleotherapy,
a process that involves using the health enhancing effect
of salt mines or caves to cure asthma, is an old and
yet popular alternative therapy that is still used in
some regions of Central Europe, the Balkans, and in
Turkey (Karakoca, Demir, Kisackik, Kalyoncu & Findik,
1995). One study describes a course of therapy which
was 4 hours a day for 6-8 weeks, the 100 COPD and asthma
patients reported improvement which lasted 6 months
to 7 years (Skulimowski, 1965). Similar studies were
published from Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia with
cure rate of around 20% for asthma (Bichonski &
Skumlowski, 1971; Kessler, Morik, Morlin & Varkonyi,
1969; Paskova, Kolesar & Siposova, 1976). Despite
several published articles reporting a decrease in the
symptoms of asthma and allergies, the investigations
lack the scientific rigor necessary for many government
and private organizations. |
The
positive impact of the cave environment in general and
salt's particular effect on man's health has been known
since ancient times. Early on, people noticed that wounded
animals escaped to caves, where they healed their wounds
or stings. People investigated this phenomena and a
new branch of medicine called Speleotherapy began. ("speleo"
is Greek for cave). One study describes a course of
therapy that was 4 hours a day for 6-8 weeks; the 100
asthma patients reported improvement, which lasted 6
months to 7 years (Skulimowski, 1965). |
