People experience sand therapy in Shanshan county of NW China’s Xinjiang

Photo shows two people experiencing sand therapy at the edge of a desert in Shanshan county, Turpan city, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Ablet Ablimit)

In recent days, tourists and local residents have flocked to a desert in Shanshan county, Turpan city, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to experience sand therapy.

While undergoing sand therapy, people will bury themselves in the sand in the hope of having their diseases dispelled through the influence of the hot sunshine, the dry air, pressure from the sands and the magnetic minerals that the sands contain.

The hot desert sands contain minerals that are believed to provide a cure for multiple diseases and symptoms, such as fatigue, soreness and tiredness in the arms and legs, chronic back and leg pain, ischialgia, and scapulohumeral periarthritis.

A man experiences sand therapy at the edge of a desert in Shanshan county, Turpan city, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Ablet Ablimit)

Besides, sand therapy can also drive toxins out of the patients’ bodies and thus keep them healthy. The best time to experience sand therapy is between June and September.

Ehmeti Yimiti, vice president and an attending physician of a hospital in Lukqun township in Shanshan county, explained that sand therapy produces good treatment results for diseases such as arthritis, rheumatalgia, cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis.

He also suggested that a session of sand therapy should not last too long so as to avoid heatstroke, while those patients with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease are advised against sand therapy.

The autonomous region’s meteorological center issued an orange alert for high temperatures around noontime on June 11. Between June 11 and 13, the temperatures in multiple places across Xinjiang were expected to hit 37 degrees centigrade and above.