Deep within the Radhausberg Mountain in Bad Gastein, Austria, I was lying silently on a cot in a dimly lit tunnel, toe to toe and head to head with untold numbers of others doing the same. Listening to soft music while dreamily noting that the narrow, chiseled stone tunnel seemed endless, I felt the perspiration literally rolling off of my body. Meanwhile two things kept coming to mind -- the wicked witch in the "Wizard of Oz" melting, and the feeling that even my lips were perspiring.
Oh, and one more thing, what was I doing here in the first place? Not only was it hot and humid, this tunnel was exposing me, for nearly an hour and a half, to a low dose of radon.
"How can radon be good for you?" I had asked Dr. Christa Nosko, one of the doctors at the Gasteiner Heilstollen. "In the U.S. we try to get rid of it in our homes."
She explained that when radon is breathed in, it remains in the body for about three hours. During this time, the low stimulating dose of radon, through the regeneration of enzymes and other vital substances, activates cell renewal. Chromosome damage is reduced, the body's immune system is stabilized and its natural repair system is enhanced.
Combined with the heat, which increases circulation, it's reported that treatment is beneficial for: musculoskeletal diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and sports injuries; respiratory illnesses like chronic bronchitis, asthma, and chronic sinusitis; skin conditions such as psoriasis, neurodermatitis, scleroderma and wounds that won't heal.
The reports come from medical studies done by several European and American universities, articles published in medical journals and 76 percent of patients surveyed. Nosko said many patients return each year, reporting that their pain and symptoms have lessened.
There are five stations within the Heilstollen -- the deeper into the mountain you go, the higher the heat and humidity. These range from 100.4 to 106.7 degrees F. with the relative air humidity of between 70 and 95 percent. The total length of the tunnel is about 1.5 miles, with the duration of stay and travel about 90 minutes.
Depending on an individual's disease and how advanced it is, the number of visits is prescribed by a doctor. My group consisted of many from all over the world who were going to experience the Heilstollen for the first time -- our destination, station 1. Before being herded into the long, miniature train (looking like a brightly colored kiddy ride) that would take us into the radon galleries, we were examined by doctors. All patients are also monitored by doctors in the tunnels. (People too ill or debilitated, ride in cars with bunks, where they remain lying flat the entire time.)
After my trip into the tunnel, my muscle aches from skiing the day before were gone and I hadn't melted like the Wicked Witch of the West.
