Scientia Press

Halotherapy (HT, from Greek halos=salt) uses dry aerosol microparticles of salt and, in one version, minerals to treat respiratory diseases. HT seeks to replicate the conditions of speleotherapy (from Greek speleos=cave), a treatment that has been practiced in old salt mines of Eastern Europe since the early 19th Century.

Halotherapy belongs to the category of the physical therapies–non-drug treatments of diseases, many associated with the spa treatments of Eastern Europe. In the former Soviet Union, medical researchers engaged in a concerted effort to develop physical therapies in order to avoid the costs and side effects of drug therapy as well as microbial and tumor resistance. Russia has become a world leader in developing and testing new and increasingly effective physical therapies. Continue reading »

Originating in Eastern Europe, Halotherapy uses aerosol microparticles of salt to treat respiratory conditions.  While it has shown effectiveness against asthma, bronchitis, and other chronic respiratory conditions, there is evidence that HT is also effective as prophylaxis against respiratory infections.  In this video, Viktoria Nagudi discusses with Kenneth Dillon of Scientia Press the history, modalities, applications, and potential benefits of HT in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, including for reopening the economy and schools.  See also https://www.scientiapress.com/halotherapy.

Halotherapy versus COVID-19

Concerned over shortages of face masks, U.S. medical authorities initially discouraged the use of face masks by the public.  But a good deal of evidence (Jefferson T 2007) shows that face masks reduced the risk of infection by 68% in SARS, an analogue of COVID-19.  This suggests that wearing face masks can go far toward slowing the spread of the pandemic.  Therefore, we need to find a way to provide enough of them not just to protect medical personnel but also to protect the public.  Reusing them seems a very attractive strategy. Continue reading »

Even though much inhaled COVID-19 virus immediately penetrates into the lungs, some remains in the throat where it replicates to very high numbers–for instance, a peak at 711,000,000 RNA copies per throat swab day 4 (Wölfel R et al.  Nature 2020;Apr 1).  According to a Reinforcement Model of COVID-19 infections, many of these replicates descend into the lungs, where they furnish a stream of reinforcements that cumulatively outweigh the replication of the initial penetrating dose.  Hence treating the throat with gargling seems highly desirable. Continue reading »

Here are three overlooked methods of treating respiratory and disseminated infections that resemble the one caused by the COVID-19 virus.  Continue reading »

Studies by Japanese researchers show that gargling is protective against respiratory infections.  Here is a letter that lays out the case for gargling against COVID-19. Continue reading »

1.  Medicinal bracelets offer an attractive, simple, easy-to-use kind of natural medicine.  They can also teach us much about deeper patterns of physiology and nutrition.

2.  The bracelets can be composed of various minerals.  In practice, to avoid overdosing of trace elements, they tend to contain mainly copper and zinc.  The principles governing bracelets also apply to other kinds of jewelry, but here also one needs to steer clear of overdosing.  In South Asia silver anklets actually may be implicated Continue reading »

Musical instruments play an important role in music therapy. Sometimes therapists play them to exert a calming effect on certain kinds of patients. Often the therapy consists of patients themselves extemporizing on instruments they choose. Or a patient can undertake to learn how to play an instrument as part of healing. The piano or various wind instruments are popular in these uses, but any instrument can presumably be employed.  Continue reading »