Speleotherapy

Speleotherapy is treatment in a so-called healing or climate cave. Speleotherapy is also known as cave therapy, underground climatic therapy or healing cave therapy.

Indications

The treatment is used for bronchial asthma , bronchitis , allergic and chronic rhinitis , allergic and chronic sinus diseases , various allergies and skin diseases , fibrosing alveolitis and croup .

background

Two causes are assumed for the therapeutic effect of damp, cold caves on respiratory diseases:

• The low level of dust and allergens, which is greatly supported by the high relative humidity. Dust and allergen particles present in the air are caused to sediment quickly and then remain largely bound to the damp walls and floor.
• The air temperature of 6.8 ° C with almost 100% relative humidity , whereby the absolute humidity is very low. When inhaling the cold air, it is warmed up to 37 ° C. As a result of the warming, the relative humidity sinks to approx. 20%, the air is now dry like in the desert and has to withdraw water from the body tissue to be saturated with water vapor. During a one-hour stay in the tunnel, around 22 ml of water is extracted from the airways - enough to dehydrate the swollen mucous membranes of the airways to such an extent that they become more accessible for the airflow.

The effectiveness of cave therapy for bronchial asthma could not be proven beyond doubt before 2002; A study by the University of Ulm in 2002 on a group of 133 children with bronchial asthma in three different healing institutions finally provided evidence that “speleotherapy has a demonstrably positive therapeutic effect”.

The costs of a cave therapy are reimbursed by the statutory health insurance companies as part of free spa treatments .

Ten places in Germany have joined together in the German Healing Gallery Association.

See also

List of speleotherapeutic institutions in Germany

Austria

In Austria there are the following healing caves:

• Gasteiner Heilstollen (1,270 m) in Böckstein
• Heilstollen (930 m) in Oberzeiring
• Friedrichstollen (902 m) in Bad Bleiberg
• Thomasstollen (915 m) in Bad Bleiberg
• Barbarastollen (606 m) in Dellach

literature

• Michael Berliner: Compendium of Physical Medicine . Manuscript. Steinkopff, Darmstadt 1992 ( mh-hannover.de [PDF; 612 kB ; accessed on April 16, 2014]).
• Rudolf Bengesser: History of Speleotherapy in Austria . 3rd Symposium on the History of Earth Sciences in Austria (September 27-29, 2001). Reports of the Federal Geological Institute, Volume 56, Vienna / Hallstatt 2001, Vienna 2001 ( [1] [PDF; accessed on November 15, 2019]).
• Rudolf Bengesser, Rudolf Pavuza: On the state of speleotherapy in Austria . Die Höhle / 55th year / issue 1-4 / 2004. Association of Austrian Cave Researchers, Linz March 3, 2004 ( [2] [PDF; accessed on November 14, 2019]).

Web links

• German Speleotherapy Association V.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Beaumon et al .: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001; (2): CD001741 PMID 11406004
2. ↑ Michael Leichsenring: Proof of the effectiveness of the Heilstollenluft. (PDF, 60kB) University Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm, May 26, 2010, accessed on April 16, 2014 (summary). 
3. ↑ Heike Lindacher: Speleotherapy of obstructive pulmonary diseases in children. (PDF, 2MB) University Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm, December 14, 2006, accessed on April 16, 2014 (dissertation on obtaining a doctorate in medicine from the Medical Faculty of Ulm University). 
4. ↑ Gallery therapy. Historic Bodenmais visitor mine, accessed on April 16, 2014 . 
5. ↑ www.oehkv.at/Search "Heilstollen"

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !