What Are Footbaths Good For?

Footbaths have been used in myriad applications both leisurely and medical. Their uses have gained praise and criticism from podiatrists, chiropractors, and holistic medicine practitioners due to their ionizing and detox qualities..

The most obvious use for foot spas is a leisurely one. Soaking the feet in warm water as a method of relaxation is an ancient practice, carried into the 21 st Century in every nail salon around the world. Thanks to foot spa downsizing and features such as massaging jets, pedicure brushes, and attachments galore, home footbaths can offer almost the same experience as a full-scale salon pedicure preparation. They even have a lower-leg and foot massaging attachment, for the truly stressed.

Proponents of alternative medicine claim that ionizing footbaths cleanse the body of toxins through the use of heavy metals and the small electric currents they produce when combined and placed in water. Theoretically, a warm footbath with these special ion-producing bars stimulates the body to systemically detoxify. Through increased perspiration and urination, proponents claim that heavy metals and other unnatural substances are removed through the body’s lymphatic system.

Another alternative footbath therapy is chiropractic in nature. Many doctors of chiropractic medicine subscribe to the notion that the feet are the key to treating many types of lower-back pain. Specifically, alternating footbaths in hot and cold water is said to cure many types of activity-related back pain. Professional athletic programs often employ the use of a commercial-grade foot spa for just such issues.

As with any alternative therapy, footbaths are only for healthy individuals or those who have been cleared through a medical professional. Contraindications to footbath therapy include pregnancy, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other chronic diseases. Disorders of the lymphatic system may also preclude foot spa usage, due to research that indicates increased heart rate, respiration, perspiration, and urination when the feet are exposed not only to ionizing particles, but also to simple warm water.

Practitioners make many claims about footbath therapy, and rising personal spa sales, if not scientific evidence, seem to support those claims. Even if Western medicine doesn’t utilize the footbath as an everyday therapy for various maladies, women everywhere know well the soothing properties of a relaxing tootsie soak after a long day of being up and about. If the claims about other benefits are substantiated, then it could be said that a 20 minute foot soak at the end of every day is absolutely imperative for good health. That’s good news for tired feet everywhere.