Salt Water Therapy – Why you should try it

Is salt water therapy good for healing?
What is salt water good for?
Does salt water draw out infection?
What is salt water therapy?
How does float therapy work?
What is float therapy good for?
Float therapy and physiotherapy

Is salt water therapy good for healing?

It’s no accident that a day at the beach makes us feel fantastic.  There is actually a great deal of science to suggest that that salt water therapy promotes overall health and wellbeing. 

What is salt water good for?

salt water healing

Salt water contains magnesium which helps us calm down. It also stimulates cell production to strengthen the immune system increasing both red and white blood cells in the body. Seawater contains sodium and iodine, antiseptic minerals which help clean the skin and promote healing.  Laying or swimming in salt water helps target toxins that attack the lungs and lead to respiratory issues.  Gargling and or ingesting small amounts of salt water can help a number of ailments. These include cleansing the intestines, clearing up canker sores and also stimulating cell generation in the liver and kidneys.

Does salt water draw out infection?

Salt water containing Epsom salts can be an effective way to soak wounds and draw out infection while leaving skin supple and soft. A salt soak helps heal wounds through the process of osmosis. The sodium forces the liquid from within a cell out, including any liquids containing harmful bacteria and as a result the skin is cleansed. Another salt based solution is saline used to simulate seawater salt volumes, this solution is widely used in surgical procedures in order to stimulate quicker healing of wounds and scars. Simple saline solutions are available at most pharmacies.  Water with a high sodium content has antiseptic properties and is an effective way to reduce infection and stimulate healing.

What is salt water therapy?

There are a few forms of salt water therapy out there, most include a soak in a personal sized pod, pool or tank that contains water with a high salt content and various degrees of sensory deprivation (either low to no light and sound).  The goal: reduce stress, increase focus and boost the body’s immune system one soak at a time.

How does float therapy work?

Floating in Salt water increases the body’s buoyancy and allows the body to soak in the relaxing benefits of magnesium and zinc which are vital to our stress response systems.  Floating in salt water stimulates the skin and decrease the effects and appearances of skin based ailments such as psoriasis, acne and surface wounds.  Salt soaks also stimulate the body’s anti-inflammatory responses and are high in antimicrobials. 

What is float therapy good for?

float therapy

Anyone can benefit from salt water therapy (floating).  Athletes and fitness buffs benefit from the healing properties magnesium in a salt soak which increases muscle cell regeneration and healing.  Also, the sensory deprivation that accompanies many float therapies is beneficial for visualizing future success and honing focus. Others find solace in increased restfulness and decreased symptoms of insomnia. Consistent salt soaks or float therapy sessions lead to a more consistent sleep schedule and less disruption during the night.   Epsom salt soaks bring benefits to ease symptoms of arthritis and chronic back pain as well as easing congestion from mucus build up.  Float therapy has many physical benefits but also has many aspects that contribute to our overall health and wellbeing.

Float therapy and Physiotherapy

There are a number of theories that suggest that the abundance of magnesium in float therapy helps to relax muscles. In fact, a number of physiotherapy clinics actually encourage patients to float before they come in for their physio treatments to help increase the effectiveness of their treatments. If you’d like more information on the benefits of salt water or float therapy, get in touch!

Author: Alix Long

Alix graduated from the School of Health and Sciences in Lausanne, Switzerland with a degree in Physiotherapy in 2015. She is bilingual, with fluency in both English and French. Since graduating, she gained extensive experience at Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland’s largest health system, where her rehabilitation focused on patients with complex neurological disorders and injuries, such as strokes, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Guillan-Barre Syndrome and back surgery. With her diverse physiotherapy expertise, Alix applies her in-depth neurological knowledge to treat both musculoskeletal injuries and post-operative patients.