Tenerife Sandbathing: Psammotherapy on the beach at Playa de la Arena
"Back to nature" is the theme of modern natural healing. Old and long forgotten
remedies have been rediscovered - including sand bathing or "Psammo" therapy. The
black lava sand on the beach at Playa
de la Arena is particularly suitable for this.
“pasmos” is the Greek word for sand - hence the name.
It is not very well known that for centuries sand has been used for therapeutic purposes to ease and cure illnesses. People with back problems, rheumatism and stress experience beneficial effects from lying in sand heated by the sun.
The Swedes opened the first rehab clinic (called "Vintersol") in the Canaries as early as 1960 in Los Christianos. They used sandbathing to treat neurological illnesses, joint problems and rheumatism as well as easing problems for MS sufferers.
Conditions for sandbathing are ideal on the southwest coast of Tenerife where sand and sun are plentiful and there is a special microclimate. The original inhabitants of the island used to immerse their whole bodies in the sand and enjoy its healing qualities. The Professor for Spa Medicine in Munich (Jurgen Kleinschmidt) explains that the warmth of the sand can be absorbed by the whole body. Also, rubbing off the sand particles is a pleasant massage experience and walking barefoot in the sand can help to remove dead skin. However care must be taken to avoid the heat of the midday sun and it is always necessary to have beach shoes available.
Dry beach sand is 100% inorganic and contains no bacteria or algae.
