Himalayan Salt Booth NYC - Dr. Alicia Armitstead

"Halotherapy was been used for centuries to improve breathing function, skin health, and symptoms related to immune disorders."

-Dr. Alicia Armitstead

Halotherapy Salt Booth at the Healing Arts NYC Health and Wellness Center in Manhattan, NY 10017

So with the new office and the 8 treatment rooms I wanted one of the rooms to be a Himalayan salt room but with COVID I was thinking shared space for halo therapy was not a great idea at the same time we needed the support for our lungs and immune system now more than ever so I was so grateful when I found a Himalayan salt booth. Best of both worlds, halotherapy with privacy!

Before COVID I was thinking halo therapy was great for 4 things: sinus and lung issues, skin issues, to boost up the immune system and to detox from crappy NYC air. Now with COVID I think halo therapy is a must to stay healthy. We can no longer just assume we are healthy but to take preventative measures to ensure we really do stay as healthy as possible. So we can add wellness care to the list of why one would get halo therapy.  

The Health Benefits of Salt Therapy

Salt itself is known to be: anti-bacterial, anti-viral, mucolytic (loosens mucus & phlegm) and anti-inflammatory. For this reason I have suggested using a Neti Pot which is specific container that you put warm salt water in to wash your nasal passages and sinuses with. Instead of just rinsing out your sinuses, which is wet salt therapy, halotherapy, or breathing in salt vapor takes the healing properties of salt deep into the body through the lungs and the skin. Breathing in the salt is super cleansing to the body because it’s full of negative ions.

How can negative ions help your body? Well, back to Science 101, “A negative ion is an atom that has more electrons than protons, giving the atom a negative electrical charge.” Our bodies are full of positive ions from all the chemical reactions that occur and toxins we have in our bodies. Positive ions also come from electronic devices like computers, TVs, microwaves, and even vacuum cleaners and can often exacerbate problems like allergies, stress and sleep trouble.

An ion having a charge is known as a free radical and causes oxidative stress in the body. That's why eating and drinking antioxidants is healthy for your body and now with the Salt Booth you can breath in salt which acts like an antioxidant helping the body to heal. On a much smaller scale you can get a Himalayan salt lamp to have the health benefits at home. I would keep it at your bedside to get the most benefit of breathing in salted air while you sleep. The salt from the lamp automatically goes into the air from the humidity. 

When you breath in the salt or negative ions they neutralize positive ions by bonding to them. With less positive charge on the body there is less stress and inflammation on the body and the immune system is boosted. Negative ions occur more often in nature and they are often created by things like lightening storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. This is one of the reasons people often report feeling renewed or refreshed after a storm or at the beach. Other than walking along the ocean, or being outside immediately after a thunderstorm, it’s hard to expose yourself to as many negative ions as you can inside a halotherapy room or booth. It’s an enjoyable way to spend time literally recharging your body!

More than 40 years of research, conducted around the world, shows that treatment with halotherapy has beneficial effects for patients with:

• Asthma
• Chronic Bronchitis
• Sinusitis
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Allergies
• Ear Infections
• Various acute or chronic respiratory diseases
• Smoker’s cough
• Viral infections
• Coughs and colds
• Chronic ear-nose-throat illnesses
• Psoriasis
  

• Acne
• Hives
• Eczema
• Relief stress
• Reduce headaches and migraines 
• Lethargy
• Help with depression
• Reduce High blood pressure
• Increase your Immune system
• Improves energy
• Stimulate mental alertness
• Boost overall sense of well-being
  

As you sit in the salt booth you really want to spend your time taking deep breaths to get the most of your salt treatment. The deeper the breath, the more oxygen can come in per breath. The amount of oxygen that we inhale through our breathing, influences the amount of energy that is released into our cells.

On a molecular level, this progresses all sorts of chemical and physiological processes. Breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The part of our nervous system we don’t have to think about that makes our heart beat and digests our food. There are two parts to the autonomic nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic.

These two parts control different things in the body. The parasympathetic controls the breathing, digestion, sleep and libido. This is the part of our nervous system that makes us feel relaxed and that is why breathing is so good to do during stressful times. It helps get us out of fight or flight mode. Breathing is also the easiest part of the autonomic nervous system to control and navigate.

In fact, the way you breathe strongly affects the chemical and physiological activities in your body. It’s amazing what you can do when you can control your breath. I’m not just talking about how long you can swim under water for but Wim Hof has developed special breathing techniques that keep his body in optimal condition and in complete control in the most extreme conditions. The breathing technique is first and foremost premised on inhaling deeply and exhaling without any use of force! With his controlled breathing the heightened oxygen levels hold a treasure of benefits, more energy, reduced stress levels, and an augmented immune response that swiftly deals with all germs.

If that wasn’t enough the salt booth also does sound and light therapy. I love light therapy, which you may already know because we have chakra light therapy and chakra glasses in the office already as forms of light therapy but this is my first type of sound therapy in the office. Sound therapy has been shown to help relieve stress, help people have few headaches, increase focus and energy, have clearer thoughts, improve attention span and Relief from common ailments such as hypertension, stomach pain, depression, and joint pain.

Additional References

• Salt Booth Therapy - Healing Arts NYC Podcast
• Salt Therapy - Salt Therapy Association