Climatotherapy In Western U.S.?|
from Hsiao M.

Hi Ed:  I have been reading the articles on your site and find them very informative.

I have had psoriasis for about 7 years, mainly on my scalp and face.  Next January, I will be moving to Boulder, Colorado due to work.  There are quite a number of hot springs around there.  Wonder if you have been to any of them and if they are good for psoriasis?  Perhaps you can recommend a few for me to try out?

And about the Great Salt Lake in Utah, I learnt that it’s the second saltiest next to the Dead Sea.  Have you heard any good results with bathing in the lake?

Hope to hear from you soon!  A great website you have!  Regards, -Hsiao M.

*****

Ed’s Response:  You’re going to have a good time in Boulder, Hsiao.  Just be careful, you may learn to ski whether you want to or not!

Of all the “hot springs” in the Eastern Rockies, I’ve never heard of one specifically known to benefit flakers.  The two I am most familiar with are in Idaho Springs and Glenwood Springs.  Glenwood Springs is on Highway I-75 between Denver and Grand Junction (a route I’ve driven many, many times).  Those Colorado’s hot springs are mineral-laden, they’re more sulfurous than salty.  They’re probably more palliative for arthritis than for psoriasis (so they might provide some relief for psoriatic arthritis, I suppose). 

Among my fondest memories are soaking in these hot spring pools — the ones outdoors — when a Rocky Mountain winter snowfall commences, particularly in the twilight.   Make a point to try it, Hsiao.

With regard to the Great Salt Lake, I’ve not heard of it as a particularly attractive climatotherapy spot for flakers, either.  I’m not sure why.  Soap Lake, in the northwestern state of Washington, on the other hand, is growing in popularity as a spa town for flakers. 

Even though the Great Salt Lake shares “saltiness” with the Dead Sea, it doesn’t share the Dead Sea’s claim to be the “lowest point on earth.”  They say a sojourn at the Dead Sea works to clear psoriasis because of both the salts in the water and the unusual sunlight in the area.  There have been many attempts to reproduce the chemical contents of the Dead Sea in bath additives for use anywhere and I’ve yet to receive an email from anybody who says these have helped their P in any dramatic way.

Good luck to you, Hsiao.  Boulder is a beautiful college town nestled against the eastern foothills of the Rockies.  (The University of Colorado, with Boulder as its home, is my alma mater.)  Enjoy!  -Ed

This Month's Mail | Archives