Salt, Sun & Spoonies: In Which the Ocean Enables Chronic Illness Wellbeing

Have you ever noticed how your mood improves when you've spent some time by or in the sea? There actually is some scientific basis to this. The ocean is not just a pleasant picture to us chronically ill folk—it possesses actual therapeutic benefits which scientists are only just starting to wise up to.

About 133 million Americans suffer from chronic diseases, and we, in large part, are constantly on the hunt for natural methods of symptom alleviation to use alongside standard therapies. The marine coastal environment is unique in that its circumstances have the ability to greatly enhance our health.

1. Wave Sounds Reset Your Nervous System

Pink noise like waves have also in certain studies been proven to enhance the quality of sleep and reduce stress hormones. Waves and other natural sounds, it was found in a 2017 Scientific Reports study, are able to suppress fight-or-flight and activate the body's rest-and-digest system.

For patients with conditions under which stress triggers flares (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia are good examples), this nervous system reboot could be a lifesaver. Waves have the happenstance of being frequencies that induce alpha brain waves, relaxation ones.

2. Topical Absorption of Magnesium

Seawater contains about 1,300 mg of magnesium per liter. Although the physiology of transdermal absorption of magnesium is in its infancy, a study published in PLOS ONE in 2017 showed that magnesium actually was being absorbed through the skin, and this was under conditions in which the skin barrier has been disrupted, as is the case for most chronic disease states.

Magnesium deficiency is a shocking 50% in Americans and most prevalent in patients with autoimmune diseases. The mineral is at the heart of muscle health, inflammation, and sleep—three of the top problems in chronic disease land.

3. Hydrotherapy Benefits Without the Spa Price Tag

Medically, water therapy is as old as centuries. Aquatic exercise is even prescribed by the Arthritis Foundation for joint disease because water buoyancy reduces joint stress to as much as 90%. Seawater also has a similar benefit with a pinch of minerals and negative ions thrown in.

A 2018 foreign study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found balneotherapy (treatment with mineral water) reduced fibromyalgia pain and also highly improved quality of life in only two weeks.

4. Difficulty with Vitamin D Generation

The surprise is that many who have chronic illness need vitamin D but can't receive it from the sun. Approximately 40% of Americans lack vitamin D, but this is greater, at 60-70%, in those with autoimmune disease.

Medications like methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and the majority of antibiotics increase photosensitivity. However, 10-15 minutes of morning sun on arms and legs may be helpful to cause vitamin D synthesis with minimal risk of burning even in patients with lupus or other photosensitive disorders.

5. Blue Space Psychology Research

Environmental psychologists have even discovered so-called "blue spaces" – seaside areas that have quantifiable positive impacts on mental wellbeing. A study published in Environment International in 2019 discovered those who live up to 1km from the coast have better mental health and wellbeing.

People who have difficulty with long-term physical health issues are 2-3 times more likely to experience depression compared to the rest of the population. Exposure to blue space has also been shown to reduce rumination (negative repetitive thoughts) and increase positive affect, according to research by Health & Place.

6. Circadian Rhythm Support

Natural light exposure, especially that reflected from water in the morning, strengthens circadian rhythm regulation. It is especially true for patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or autoimmune diseases where sleep is disturbed.

A 2020 Journal of Clinical Medicine study found that light therapy was highly effective in enhancing the quality of sleep as well as reducing fatigue in fibromyalgia patients. Coastal areas automatically provide this light therapy, especially during golden hour.

7. Grounding and Inflammation

We have been experimenting with the activity of "earthing" or grounding—gaining direct skin contact with the earth's surface—and it has been promising in minimizing inflammation. A study in 2012 in the Journal of Inflammation Research concluded that grounding was able to minimize inflammation markers and boost immune response.

Beach sand is an excellent grounding surface, and most individuals have reduced aches and pains and better sleep after barefoot beach walking. While more study is needed, initial data suggest that this can assist with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain syndromes.

Practical Ocean Access for Spoonies

Regular travel or living near the coast may not be an option. Studies suggest, however, that even ocean simulations are beneficial:

• Ocean apps have been discovered to reduce your cortisol
• Salt lamps can be used to clean the air (albeit low-key in effect)
• Epsom bath salts provide a mechanism for magnesium uptake such as drinking the ocean
• Blue light therapy machines are able to mimic some of the natural effects of water light

Incorporating Beach Visits into Sustainability

When you finally arrive at the beach, energy conservation is a must. The ideal sun hours (10 AM - 4 PM) are also the peak people hours, which can be draining for people with sensory sensitivities or social anxiety that so often go hand in hand with long-term illness. Some autoimmune diseases don't like us getting direct sun/heat anyway!

Early or late morning or afternoon outings give less intense light, smaller groups of people, and cooler weather—something to keep in mind for patients who experience heat intolerance secondary to disease such as multiple sclerosis or POTS.

The Bottom Line on Blue Therapy

Replicating studies repeatedly confirms that natural environments, particularly coastal environments, provide measurable health benefits. For the chronically ill population for whom any degree of extra relief from their symptoms is worth fighting for, these benefits are not nice-to-have extras—these are actually therapeutic treatments.

The ocean won't cure chronic illness, but it does offer a uniquely exquisite combination of bodily, sensory, and mental balm that may complement other therapies. There is some medicine, on occasion, that comes from the most primitive of sources: ocean breeze, wave sound, and the constant rumble of the tides.