According to the Salt Therapy Association, modern dry salt therapy has its origins from the salt mines and caves of Europe and Russia. As the workers were mining the salt (through chiseling, grinding and hammering at the salt), micro-sized salt particles were being disbursed into the air. Additionally there were ideal conditions below the Earth’s surface where air pressure and circulation, humidity and temperature affected the quality of the environment. In this environment, miners were receiving many natural health benefits by breathing in the salt particles. Considering that mining jobs were usually recognized as dangerous to life and health, salt miners seemed to thrive on good health. They rarely had any respiratory issues and also looked younger due to great skin appearance.
It is considered beneficial to a great majority of individuals due to using a mineral of nature that is present in every cell of the human body.
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1838 - Dr. Feliks Boczkowski opened the first health resort facility a the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland offering salt baths.
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1949 - German physician D. K. H. Spannahel after observing that people hiding in salt caves and mines during WWII had significant respiratory health benefits, performed studies and laid the foundation of modern speleotherapy or halotherapy.
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1958 - Professor mieczyslaw Skulimowski became the offician physician of the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine and started regular treatment of patients in the salt chambers.
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1964 - Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland expands into the underground "Kinga Allergy Treatment Spa".
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1968 - first speleo-hospital was opened in the Solotvyno Salt Mine In Ukraine.
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1985 - Odessa, Russia - First Halotherapy device developed.
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1994 - After the fall of the Soviet Union, halotherapy protocols transfrred and became accessible to non Eastern European countries.
If interested in more information on the strange beauty of salt mines, take a look at this