A.N. Bokhan, A.K. Barsukov, A.P. Vasyukov, E.V. Vladimirskiy, Yu.V. Gorbunov,

I.F. Kondratyeva, A.N. Razumov, R.Kh. Sabirov, S.P. Subbotin

Udmurt State University, Izhevsk, Russia,

All-Russia scientific research center for restorative and resort medicine (Federal Agency for Health and Social Development), Moscow, Russia

Historical grounds along with many results gained through specific research have revealed a clear evidence of the therapeutic effects caused by the minerals contained in the rocks of the Verkhnekamskoye deposit of potash salts. Since the earliest 60-ties of the last century, rockforming minerals, such as halite, sylvite, and carnallite, have been widely investigated by means of physiotherapy and rehabilitation medicine. It is generally assumed that therapeutic and preventive effect induced by those minerals is mediated by potassium, natrium (sodium), and magnesium chlorides. Moreover, their increased concentration filling the air of any closed and isolated room results from the collapse of mineral lattice, thus causing cluster radiation.

Based on the above mentioned facts, sylvinite speleoclimatic chambers (here and further indicated as the SSC(s)) have been constructed which posses the same climatic characteristics as those found in potash mines of the Verkhnekamskoye deposit (specification according to the Russian standards: TU 9452-004-29952684-2004). During development of design features and specification documents, comparative measurements of the air concentration of K- and Na-ions have been conducted. The results of this work allowed us to choose the red sylvinite as the appropriate facing material which has a layer-like structure and consists of all the above mentioned minerals in equal quantities.

The speleoclimatic chambers serially produced by the OJSC «Sylvinite» represent therapeutic complexes where concentration of light negative and light positive air ions along with air concentration of potassium and natrium, as well as bacterial semination are being registered and regulated owing to constant temperature and humidity control. The point is that the physical and chemical effect which produces therapeutic and preventive response of the SSCs is defined by temperature and humidity. For that purpose special equipment is included in every SSC. In speleoclimatic chambers made from the red sylvinite only temperature and humidity are artificially generated, thus giving the chambers the following characteristics:

- 0.8 — 1.4 mg/m3 is NaCl concentration;
- 0.4 — 0.6 mg/m3 is KCl concentration;
- 800 — 1200 e/cm3 is concentration of light air ions;
- less than 1000 KOE/m3 is concentration of microorganisms;
- 14 — 220C is temperature of air and salt blocks;
- 40 — 75%% is relative air humidity;
- 0.01 — 0.15 m/s is rate of air motion.

The most stable therapeutic results of aerosol have been revealed after 5 up to 7 layers of the facing material called Kr-II had been applied. This conclusion is drawn from the air research results done in the chambers located in different climatic zones of Russia and some foreign countries. The fact has been also established that chemical composition of aerosol varies if sylvinite blocks are substituted through halite ones, e.g. adding halite blocks causes potassium air concentration to decrease depending on how much halite is added.

Results concerning bacterial semination in the air and on the chamber’s surface are also worth mentioning. Distinct antimicrobial effect of the chamber caused by negative air ions produces conditions which are almost equal with GMP production standard. However people working at GMP’s conditions are exposed to various diseases stimulated by pathogenic bacteria or widely known viruses. But thanks to the «sterillizing» effect the speleochambers do not have such adverse reaction. This summary is based on long-term investigations of patients who have completed the course of speleotherapy as well as of many volunteers who spent much time in the chambers. The same regularity is confirmed by the 40 year long clinical examination of people working at the salt mines of the OJSC «Sylvinite».

Taking into consideration the long-term medical and biological research some therapeutic and preventive mechanisms of speleocambers have been discovered. In particular it has been found that salt aerosol consisting of the particles less than 5 mcm in size is able to fully penetrate the respiratory apparatus and cause a multitype effect. Along with air ionization the chemical compounds of sylvinite activate the villus motion in ciliary epithelium of trachea and bronchial tube which leads to favourable mucociliary clearance. Chemical compounds of salt influence electrolyte balance in the fibres of ustriped muscle thus causing lung alveolus to relax, be entirely ventilated. Moreover the preventing effect is achieved against hypostatic conditions in pulmonary tissues. Improvement of ventilating lungs perfusion, increase of oxygene diffusion rate through the capillaries have already been indicated in many medical and biological research works.

Based on these physiological principles a new approach in physiotherapy has been started, which reaches the same effect owing to aerosol which is made artificially on the base of chemically clear natrium chloride. This technocratic approach in physiotherapy reflects the widely known method of conquering nature. By saying that we mean «conquering nature of the human-being» by means of hermetic technocratic constructions of speleochambers inside of which different natrium chloride concentrations in air can be produced and regulated.

However the basic strategy of rehabilitation medicine is quite different. Its goal consists in studying the nature as the highest value in the Universe, i.e. to develop medical technologies which cause no harm to biosphere and base on natural resources. Physical, mathematical, and biological components of red sylvinite speleoclimatotherapy include precise concentrations natrium, potassium, and magnesium chlorides plus 16 minor components. Salt aerosol of cluster origin in red sylvinite chambers has a very complicated composition of chemical elements taken as air ions in precise equimolar proportions. Cluster origin of the aerosol produces in the chamber a specific physical field of natural origin in the conditions of natural radioactive background. These characteristics allow to apply medical speleotechnologies in treatment and prevention of respiratory, skin, allergic diseases, cardiovascular system disturbances, in correction of homeostasis and overworking conditions. Due to the versatile physical and chemical effect of red sylvinite, it is impossible to assign therapeutical principles of speleochambers into any group of drug therapy. Traditional pharmacotherapeutical methods «dose — effect» do not work because no wave generator exists which waves could be compared to those generated by aerosol of cluster nature. Obviously it would be too difficult to mechanically disperse over 20 chemical compounds in order to reach low and ultra-low air concentrations. Thus nowadays it is possible to produce speleochambers in various modifications. But still the achievements of rehabilitation medicine are a bit different. The main goal is to research the potential of the red sylvinite and to develop constructions from natural therapeutic resources with distinct medical and preventive effect based on the results of long-term clinical examinations.