#Voices: Uncovering Columbia’s holistic therapies

Holistic treatments have come a long way, where they aren’t bizarre rituals sought out by hippies, but are mainstream treatments that everyday people use alongside traditional medicine to achieve better health goals. So, what are holistic treatments? The name is derived from the practice of treating the whole person, their mind, body, and spirit, rather than just treating physical symptoms and diseases. In other words, it’s to make people feel good from head to toes, inside and out.

There are tons of holistic options for issues from overwhelming allergies to persistent back pain from sitting at work all day. Holistic therapies can also include things that are now considered mainstream, like yoga and chiropractic medicine.

We’re taking a look at the less common holistic therapies found in Columbia, demystifying them + talking about where to find them. Who knew we had a Himalayan salt spa?

Breath of Salt Spa | 817 Moss Creek Dr., Cayce | single sessions $35+
Visiting a salt cave in Asheville (because of course they have a few!) inspired Brenda Streett to offer the same relief she experienced there in little ole Columbia. A visit to a Himalayan salt spa can help to heal the respiratory system and bring relief from asthma, allergies, and acts as “a good scrubbing out of your lungs,” according to Streett.

The experience is really simple. You enter through the garage, up the stairs, fill out a little paperwork, and remove your shoes but keep on your socks. Brenda then guides you to a chair that can be tilted to lay all the way flat and offers you a blanket. Then, you sit.

Breath of Salt Spa | photo courtesy of Breath of Salt Spa

Cell phones or other devices are not allowed, as the air is filled with millions of tiny salt particles blown into the room that you breathe in for the 45-minute session. Stay awake, or fall asleep under the ethereal warm pink salt glow. Pro tip: don’t wear dark colors, or you’ll look like you’ve been in, well, a salt cave. Also note the salt spa does not allow smokers as to reduce allergens in an environment for sensitive breathers in a small space.

With the pollen furiously filling the air and the remnants of a nasty flu season lingering, a few salt spa sessions are in order. Imagine it like a trip to the beach for a nap, minus the water and seagulls.

Carolina Drip Bar | 3231 Sunset Blvd., Suite C, West Columbia | drip sessions $99-150
If you want vitamins and you want them now, believe it or not, West Columbia has a Drip Bar, where patients can post up for an Intravenous Micronutrient Therapy session. Yes, you can get essential vitamins, amino acids, and minerals put directly into your bloodstream via an IV drip.

Carolina Hormone and Health Care Center | photo by Carolina Hormone and Health

Carolina Hormone and Health Care Center, which houses the Drip Bar, states on its website that the IV therapy is ideal for people who are looking to ensure optimal health, enhance performance, boost vitality, increase energy, and build immunity.

So, what should you expect from an appointment? Each new patient receives a free one-on-one consultation and blood test to guide in creating a personalized course of treatment. Then come the needles, but also a relaxing 30-60 minutes to hang out and watch TV, have a snack, or take a nap while your body absorbs the IV treatment.

Drip prices range from $99-150 each and items on their “menu” include immunity boosts (to keep you going when germs are trying to get you down) and the slightly less noble hangover cure (which can hydrate you back up into fighting shape after a night of carousing).

Rolfing Columbia | 1911 Barnwell St., Suite C | single session $140

Looking past the unfortunate sounding name, rolfing looks like massage therapy on the surface, but deep below the skin is where the action is taking place. Rolfing manipulates the soft connective tissue to reduce pain and inflammation using precise and measured movements from the therapist’s hands. It isn’t only for people in pain, those who are looking to increase flexibility, improve posture from slumping over a keyboard all day, and anyone who wants to have their body realigned are all candidates for rolfing sessions.

Anne Marie Cockrell is a certified rolfer who does everything from rolfing sessions, craniosacral therapy, ergonomic movement consultation, and conscious movement and dance classes.
One rolfing session costs $140 and lasts for 75 minutes. Many rolfing clients have reported feeling noticeably better even after one session.

About Your Health SC | 120 Kaminer Way Pkwy., Suite J | prices range per service

About Your Health is a natural wellness clinic off of Broad River Rd. that offers several services that can’t (easily, at least) be found anywhere else in Columbia. In addition to nutritional counseling, massage, and a blood analysis, you can get some other soothingly intriguing services like an aqua chi foot bath, take a nap in the warmth of their FAR infrared sauna, or even explore the ways that mild hyperbaric chamber sessions could help you. Their services are extensive and are best read over to find ones that work for each individual.

Another holistic therapy Beth from the COLAtoday team swears by is dry needling for headache and pain relief – available at THERx Physical Therapy & Pain Management at 800 Columbiana Dr. Suite 50 in Irmo (inside MUV Fitness). A thin, monofilament needle is inserted into soft tissue to promote increased blood flow + tissue healing within muscles. It’s legit – Dr. Ashley Baggett at THERx has worked on clients like Steve Spurrier + the Gamecock Football team.

Beth in a dry needling session | photo via Facebook

Do you know of a local holistic therapy we should try next? Reply to this email to let us know.

–April Blake, a freelance writer and recipe developer who lives in Cayce.

This is a #Voices contributor submission. Want to write your own? Here’s how.