The Arizona Republic
by Kasia Michalik – March 22, 2011

Two white rooms equipped with reclining chairs take up just a small portion of a homeopathic clinic in Scottsdale.
But they are no ordinary rooms. Their walls are covered with eight to 10 layers of salt from the Dead Sea. The floors likewise are covered with salt, which looks like white sand.
Those entering the rooms must remove their shoes and replace them with blue slippers. Once the doors close, a Halogenerator engages and begins distributing the tiny salt particles throughout the room as the surrounding colors are changed and soft music plays.
The Salt Chalet, which opened in September, operates Arizona’s first therapeutic rooms using salt from the Dead Sea, which has higher concentrations of beneficial minerals than other sea salts.
Proponents claim that inhaling the salt can provide relief from a host of respiratory ailments.
“When the particles are dispersed into the air, people can feel them on their lips, nose and throat,” said Pavel Gershkovich, spa director at Salt Chalet. “Once it gets in the lungs and sinuses, it kills bacteria and reduces inflammation in the lungs and sinuses.”
The Halogenerator creates an ideal aerosol microclimate, similar to natural salt caves, while the light therapy provides a calming environment, Gershkovich said.
“Forty-five minutes and people feel energized and relaxed,” Gershkovich said
Gershkovich found an interest in salt therapy after reading an article about the first salt room in Israel. According to Salt Chalet staffers, a Polish doctor determined that miners were experiencing respiratory health benefits in the mid-19th century while working in salt caves. Since then, the practice of breathing the salt’s benefits has been common in Europe.
“I flew to Israel at the time, but nobody wanted to talk to me,” he said .Eight months after his return from Israel, he read another article about a salt room opening in the Los Angeles area. He contacted the operators, who assisted him in learning about the rooms.
Gershkovich himself had been an asthma sufferer, so he was interested in knowing whether the salt rooms could help.
“I wanted to cure myself first and then help others,” he said. “I used to take asthma medicine two to three times a day and now I use it three to four times a week.”
Amy Achen, who has had asthma for 10 years, decided it was time to try something new. “My husband started doing research and found the salt lamps and salt rooms,” Achen said.
The first time Achen went to the Salt Chalet she noticed a change. “My ears started draining, they started popping, my sinuses started clearing,” she said. “You start coughing and expelling mucus from your lungs. I swear it works.”
She went for 12 sessions, visiting three times a week. So convinced, she purchased an annual package for her family of four.
Treatment prices begin at $55 for one session, with the cost per session declining if larger packages are purchased, such as $600 for 15 sessions. Further discounts are available with family packages. “We try and go twice a week,” she said.
Gershkovich said the treatment can help with a host of respiratory ailments.
“Lungs have a big connection with the rest of the body,” Gershkovich said. “If you have constant mucus dripping, the whole body is contaminated, but when your sinuses and lungs are free of mucus, your body feels better, cleaner.”
Infants have been taken into the salt room.
“Parents go in for free because they have to hold their child,” Gershkovich said. “And for little ones, it is half the price because they only go in for 25-30 minutes.”
Dr. Abram Ber, a homeopathic physician whose clinic includes the salt spa, said he has referred patients to the treatments.
“My wife was the first patient to try out the salt room,” Ber said. “After seven, eight treatments, it reversed her bronchitis. She does the treatments every time she gets bronchitis.”
Gershkovich said more than 600 people have tried the spa, which he hopes will continue to grow, “naturally cleansing the Valley.”

Today we hear from Josh and his experience with the Salt Chalet. As a long time allergy sufferer Josh found immediate benefits from using the Salt Chalet and recommends it to anyone.

Today we hear from Connie about how using the Salt Chalet Arizona has helped her with respiratory and bronchial issues. She also enjoys how relaxing the Salt Chalet room is with comfortable chairs and light therapy.

Today we hear from Connie who has used the Salt Chalet with great results. She uses it help with various skin conditions from acne to heat rashes. She also feels an improvement with her recovery from when she used to smoke cigarettes.

Today we are fortunate to have Dr Abram Ber, an esteemed homeopathic medical doctor, talking about his experience with patients and salt therapy. As he discusses in the video the benefits of salt room therapy have been shown effective with a number of patients, including his wife. Watch here:

Dr. Abram Ber graduated from McGill University, Montreal, Canada with a medical degree and for more than 30 years has practiced holistic medicine. He made the transition from a conventional medical practice when he realized that his role as a doctor was to create a holistic wellness model. His lifelong research has produced many natural health modalities that have assisted thousands in his busy Scottsdale office. As a leading advocate for holistic medicine, he has been politically active in maintaining our freedom of health choices in Arizona.
Dr. Ber’s use of non-invasive electro-dermal testing quickly gives him insights into creating diagnostic and therapeutic avenues to correct the imbalances of his patients and return them to wellness.

Modalities used by Dr. Ber include:

ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE – Allergies to food, inhalants and chemicals treated by the use of sublingual drops to desensitize the patients’ allergic reactions.

ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICINE – Intravenous administration of vitamins and minerals.

TREATMENT OF GLANDULAR WEAKNESS – Thyroid, adrenal, and non-toxic drug free hormone replacement for men and women.

ANTI-AGING THERAPIES – Natural hormone replacement, supplemental programs, and newly discovered super nutrients.

Chronic Health Challenges Treated:

Yeast – Candida Albicans

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Allergies – Food, Environmental, and Inhalants

Learning Disabilities (Focus on Children)

Auto-Immune Disorders

Bowel Problems i.e. Crohns, Irritable, Constipation…

DR. ABRAM BER, M.D. – HOMEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN 5011 N. Granite Reef Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250. 480-941-2141. Homeopathy, Neutralization of Allergies, and Chronic Conditions addressed.

Listen to another Salt Chalet Arizona Testimonial. This time we learn about how an asthma sufferer has benefited from spending time in the Salt Chalet Arizona salt room. We shot this on location from within the Salt Therapy room. You can see how comfortable the chairs are and the simplicity of the sessions. You literally just sit and breath the salt therapy in.

A centuriesold salt mine is offering experimental asthma therapy, attracting patients from all over the world.

Khewra, billed as the world’s second largest salt mine, has for centuries extracted the crucial mineral for export and has become a tourist attraction complete with a salt mosque and an electric train.

Now, the mine is cashing in on salt therapy, already a draw in the salt mines of eastern Europe and a synthetic clinic in Britain.

Clinics claim that asthma patients and sufferers of other respiratory illnesses benefit from inhaling antibacterial salt particles in a sterile environment, helping loosen mucus and clear the lung passages.

“We don’t use any medicine, because the asthmatic allergy patients recover through the air, so we pro vide them an environment in which their breathing can improve,” said Akhlaq Bukhari, head doctor at the Khewra clinic.

Although there have been few clinical studies, salt caves are seen by some as a therapeutic alternative to drugs and there are natural and synthetic salt caves springing up all over the world.

While other clinics offer treatment for bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and even ear infections, Dr Shah says the Khewra clinic only treats patients whose asthma is triggered by allergies.

“I have come here all the way from Canada. I could not recover there through medicine, but I am feeling better since my arrival here,” said Naeem Shamsher, a civil engineer from Canada.

Mr Shamsher had tried medicine doled out by doctors back home but felt little relief and struggled to walk far without becoming breathless, so relatives in Pakistan suggested he visit the Khewra Mines.

“Now I can run and even play soccer just after spending three days in the mine,” said Shamsher, who says he feels 60 per cent better after the treatment.

The mine, located 160km south of Islamabad, was discovered in 320 BC by Alexander’s troops and first developed by British colonial rulers in 1872, mine officials say.

Located deep underground in the mine, the asthma clinic resembles an upmarket guesthouse, with 12 beds covered in white sheets and red blankets in six independent cabins separated with salt bricks and softly lit by lamps.

There is a reception area decora ted with salt lamps and a lounge complete with a fountain, sofas and a television set.

The walls and roof of the clinic are made from pure salt and a fan helps maintain the temperature and humidity, creating the so-called “microclimate” that offers patients relief, Dr Shah says.

A 10-day course at the Khewra Mines salt therapy centre costs Rs5,300, with 11 hours a day spent in the caves while nights are spent in a nearby hospital.

Since opening in 2007, the clinic has treated about 500 patients. Dr Shah claims that 60 per cent of patients experience some relief from their symptoms and says patients have come from as far as Britain and Saudi Arabia.

But Shahid Abbas, a doctor who runs the private Allergy and Asthma Centre in Islamabad, said that although an asthma or allergy sufferer may get temporary relief, there is no quick-fix cure.

“There is no scientific proof that a person can permanently get rid of asthma by breathing in a salt mine or in a particular environment,” he said.

Khaled Sajjad Khokhar, managing director of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, a government body which owns the mine, says they will assess the success of the Khewra clinic before approving its expansion to 100 beds.

But some patients are returning, happy to get even temporary relief. “This hospital is a blessing, it gave me a second life.

“I never had problems breathing after spending 10 days over there in 2007,” said Adnan Khan, on his second visit to the clinic.—AFP

Listen to another Salt Chalet Arizona Testimonial. This time we learn about how an asthma sufferer has benefited from spending time in the Salt Chalet Arizona salt room. We shot this on location from within the Salt Therapy room. You can see how comfortable the chairs are and the simplicity of the sessions. You literally just sit and breath the salt therapy in.

You don’t have to travel to Pakistan to get this ancient natural salt therapy, but you can read more about it here:

Khewra, billed as the world’s second largest salt mine, has for centuries extracted the crucial mineral for export and has become a tourist attraction complete with a salt mosque and an electric train.
Now, the mine is cashing in on salt therapy, already a draw in the salt mines of eastern Europe and a synthetic clinic in Britain.
Clinics claim that asthma patients and sufferers of other respiratory illnesses benefit from inhaling antibacterial salt particles in a sterile environment, which helps loosen mucus and clear the lung passages.
“We don’t use any medicine, because the asthmatic allergy patients recover through the air, so we provide them an environment in which their breathing can improve,” said Akhlaq Bukhari, head doctor at the Khewra clinic.
Although there have been few clinical studies, salt caves are seen by some as a therapeutic alternative to drugs and there are natural and synthetic salt caves springing up all over the world.
While other clinics offer treatment for bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and even ear infections, Shah says the Khewra clinic only treats patients whose asthma is triggered by allergies.
“I have come here all the way from Canada. I could not recover there through medicine, but I am feeling better since my arrival here,” said Naeem Shamsher, a civil engineer from Canada.
Shamsher had tried medicine doled out by doctors back home but felt little relief and struggled to walk far without becoming breathless, so relatives in Pakistan suggested he visit the Khewra Mines.
“Now I can run and even play soccer just after spending three days in the mine,” said Shamsher, who says he feels 60 per cent better after the treatment.
The mine, located 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, was discovered in 320 BC by Alexander’s troops and first developed by British colonial rulers in 1872, mine officials say.
Located deep underground in the mine, the asthma clinic resembles an upmarket guesthouse, with 12 beds covered in white sheets and red blankets in six independent cabins separated with salt bricks and softly lit by lamps.
There is a reception area decorated with salt lamps and a lounge complete with a fountain, sofas and a television set.
The walls and roof of the clinic are made from pure salt and a fan helps maintain the temperature and humidity, creating the so-called “micro-climate” that offers patients relief, Shah says.
A 10-day course at the Khewra Mines salt therapy centre costs 5,300 rupees (£42), with 11 hours a day spent in the caves while nights are spent in a nearby hospital.
Since opening in 2007, the clinic has treated about 500 patients. Shah claims that 60 per cent have experienced some relief from their symptoms and says patients have come from as far as Britain and Saudi Arabia.
But Shahid Abbas, a doctor who runs the private Allergy and Asthma Centre in Islamabad, said that although an asthma or allergy sufferer may get temporary relief, there is no quick-fix cure.
“There is no scientific proof that a person can permanently get rid of asthma by breathing in a salt mine or in a particular environment,” he said.
Khaled Sajjad Khokhar, managing director of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, a government body which owns the mine, says they will assess the success of the Khewra clinic before approving its expansion to 100 beds.
But some patients are returning, happy to get even temporary relief.
“This hospital is a blessing, it gave me a second life. I never had problems breathing after spending 10 days over there in 2007,” said Adnan Khan, a Pakistani patient, on his second visit to the clinic.

This week has been quite the media extravaganza for Salt Chalet Arizona. I was interviewed for two different segments by FOX news here in Phoenix Arizona to discuss the benefits for Allergies, Asthma, and many other respiratory and skin conditions. The FOX news team was great and they did a full walk through of the facility. Have a watch and then call me to setup an appointment to try it for yourself:

Here is the page on Fox News about Salt Chalet Arizona:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Homeopathic salt therapy is now being offered at the Salt Chalet in Scottsdale near Chaparral and Hayden.

Its walls and floors are covered in layers of salt from the Dead Sea.

Here’s how it works: people lay in the reclining chairs while a halogenerator distributes the tiny salt particles throughout the room.

“Get into your system..your lungs, respiratory tract, your sinuses..they kill the bacteria on the spot, they kill all the parasites, microbes..if you have mold, they dry the mold, they open your passages..they make you feel great like a brand new person,” said Pavel Gershovich, Salt Chalet’s owner.

Soft music plays and two million different colors rotate in the room which Gershovich says helps with stress.

Watch me talk about using salt therapy to handle allergies. Why take pills and shots of allergy drugs when a natural treatment is available today?

Watch a video of me talking about salt therapy for skin problems like Psoriasis, eczema, Atopic Dermatitis, and many others with salt therapy. At Salt Chalet Arizona we use technology known from ancient times in the Dead Sea and Eastern European salt caves.