Armenia's Underground Salt Mine Offers Hope for Asthma Patients

For Armen Stepanyan, descending into an ancient salt mine 235 meters below Armenia's capital wasn't a last resort. It was salvation.

The 63-year-old engineer from Russia had suffered with severe asthma for years, trying conventional treatments that never quite worked. Then he discovered the Republican Centre of Speleotherapy in Yerevan, where the medicine isn't in pills but in the mineral-rich air itself.

"After that, I came to Yerevan every year," Stepanyan says. "This is already the 13th time I've come to these caves for treatment."

Inside the vast underground chambers, patients rest in rows of beds, exercise gently, and participate in therapy sessions while doctors monitor their breathing. The caverns are naturally free from allergens, pollution, and temperature swings, maintaining a steady 19-20°C year-round.

Dr. Anush Voskanyan has worked at the clinic since it opened in 1987. She explains that the underground environment provides unique healing conditions: ionized air, zero radiation, and no surface allergens or magnetic waves.

The center treats mainly bronchial asthma and respiratory allergies using speleotherapy, a practice rooted in Greek medicine where patients spend extended time in underground environments. For decades, this approach was part of Armenia's public healthcare system, serving countless patients across eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

But in 2019, the government withdrew funding, saying the treatment lacked sufficient scientific evidence to justify public healthcare spending. The decision sharply reduced patient numbers and put the clinic's future at risk.

The Bright Side

Rather than closing its doors, the center is finding new possibilities. The Armenian government is now working to privatize the facility, opening doors for private investors and medical tourism that could secure its future.

The move reflects a growing global interest in combining traditional healing practices with modern healthcare standards. While critics call for more large-scale research, supporters point to decades of patient testimonials and the low-risk nature of the treatment.

For patients like Stepanyan who've found relief underground, the potential for new investment means continued access to a therapy that changed their lives. The clinic's survival could also encourage more rigorous studies that bridge the gap between traditional medicine and evidence-based healthcare.

As interest in alternative respiratory therapies grows worldwide, this underground sanctuary may be perfectly positioned for its next chapter.