The Harmful Effects of the Ion Foot Spa

Ionic foot baths and spas are one form of alternative medicine that have absolutely no scientific proof to back up how effective they are. The theory is that by using positive and negative ions one of these foot spas can pull the toxins (such as acids, fats and heavy metals) out of your body through your feet. Negative and harmful effects can arise from using ionic foot spas for which consumers should be aware.

Expense

• Ionic foot baths, whether you're getting them done at a health spa for $50 or you buy your own home spa (which can range from $40 to well over $100), have at least one major negative effect: they definitely lighten the wallet. For the opportunity to rest your feet in a hot bath you are in fact paying huge amounts of cash if you intend to use one of these ionic foot baths on a regular basis.

False Help

• Another harmful effect of ionic foot baths is that they often promise to do things that they don't. Cleansing toxins like fats and heavy metals from your blood stream is the job of your kidneys which are perfectly made for the task. There are, according to spaindex.com, websites that claim ionic foot baths can help (or outright cure) conditions like herpes, AIDS, cancer and a slew of other diseases and disorders. This can lead many people to actually harm themselves by not seeking proper, medical treatment and relying upon an unproven promise from an alternative product.

No Scientific Proof

• There is absolutely no scientific proof that ionic foot spas do anything at all. There does not exist a single scientific study that proves that ionic foot baths have any actual effect on a person's body. The relaxation that comes from going through an ionic foot bath treatment could be chalked up to putting your feet in a pool of flowing, warm water. As far as pulling toxins and unhealthy things out of your body (much less treating or curing diseases) the claims come from people who have a vested interest in selling more foot spas and more ionic sessions.