Daytime stays, famous as a pulmonary rehabilitation program in subterraneotherapy environment, is a creative project of the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine Health Resort, offered in the Wessel Lake and Eastern Mountains' Stable chambers placed 135 meters underground. The main goal of the program is to generally improve the quality of life of the patient, by reducing the symptoms of the disease and the anxiety associated with dyspnea. The program based on active rehabilitation (especially modern respiratory gymnastics). Particularly significant is the active participation of patients in physiotherapy in the special curative microclimate.
A group and individual consultations with professional medical staff are an opportunity to learn a lot in the field of health education (especially about the illness prevention and health promotion) knowledge of which has a major impact on improving the standards of a patient’s life and develops skills of coping with their illness, remission and relapse.
The schedule of stays of patients taking part in pulmonary rehabilitation in subterraneotherapy conditions is accepted by the Consultants for Allergy and Rehabilitation Medicine and the Polish National Health Fund.
Worth knowing
- Subterraneotherapy treatments are offered to patients under the age of 13.
Children aged 4 - 13 should be escorted by an adult.
- The following treatments are reimbursed by the National Health Fund: pulmonary, pneumonia and tuberculosis, allergy, otolaryngology, and medical rehabilitation clinics.
- Paid treatment services are offered to guests who: send the registration form, receive a positive response and then make the deposit. Each patient should be aware of contraindications to staying in the salt mine.
- Treatment stays and rehabilitation are performed under continuous supervision and last 6 hours a day.
- On the day of arrival, patients are required to provide current results of tests (urine, blood cell count (valid 1 month), chest X-ray (valid 2 years), and ECG (valid 3 months).
- The Health Resort offers accommodation (at good rates) in one of the hotel facilities (Grand Sal **** Hotel ; "Salt Mill" Guest Rooms).
- Patients should check in at the selected hotel before 2 p.m., and check out before 11 a.m.
- Guaranteed meals: FB (4 meals), HB (two meals - breakfast and supper-dinner) or BB (breakfast).
- Health Resort patients can enjoy hot drinks from vending machines underground - tea, coffee, hot chocolate.
- For an extra charge it is possible to organize transportation from and to the Krakow railway station or Krakow - Balice airport (in the case of the EXCLUSIVE paid comprehensive stay, transportation included).
For the Patient
The pulmonary rehabilitation program is individually tailored and it contains:
- health education – presentation of the facts about the disease
- special respiratory gymnastics: breath control exercises, mastering diaphragmatic breathing, breathing pattern correction, respiratory muscle training, bronchial toilet
- deep relaxation and movement exercises, singing, aerobics, integration dancing in a circle
Furthermore, clients are also offered for an extra fee:
- nebulisation -medication inhalation or brine
- sightseeing the historic Tourist Route at the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine.
Patients are under the watchful eye:
- medical staff - physicians specialising in pulmonology, otolaryngology internal medicine, medical rehabilitation or balneoclimatology
- nursing staff
- physiotherapists
Constant medical service after the return to the surface and treatments in the mine is provided by the physicians on duty.
The main goals of rehabilitation
- improving the effectiveness of the respiratory system activity
- eliminating the symptoms of seasonal allergies
- strengthening of health condition and motivating for active and systematic rehabilitation of the respiratory system
- sharing the essential knowledge regarding the nature of the disease
- providing full mental and physical relaxation
Indications
- asthma
- allergic diseases
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- recurrent nose, sinuses, pharynx and larynx conditions
- chronic bronchitis and pneumonia
Contraindications
- immunosuppressive therapy with cytostatics, cyclosporines, radiotherapy, steroids in high doses, regardless of the cause
- active cancer or during the 5-year period after remission
- severe respiratory and circulatory failure requiring a restive lifestyle
- serious damage to the musculoskeletal system preventing independent movement
- infectious diseases during clinical, acute and chronic stages (being a carrier is not a contraindication)
- acute infectious diseases with fever
The services may not be offered to people with the following conditions:
- rheumatic and degenerative diseases of the osteoarticular system
- uncontrolled hypertension
- ischemic heart disease with unstable angina or arrhythmia with possible losses of consciousness
- unstable diabetes
- pregnant women
- mental illnesses, particularly depression and claustrophobia syndromes
