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Raleigh Day Spas : Detoxification Treatments Uncovered
Whenever I hear about a detoxifying spa treatment I am skeptical yet intrigued. A new "detox" treatments involves an individual immersing their feet in a basin of water for 30 minutes. The claim is that toxic waste will be released through the feet.
Whenever I hear about a detoxifying spa treatment I am skeptical yet intrigued. A new “detox” treatments involves an individual immersing their feet in a basin of water for 30 minutes. The claim is that toxic waste will be released through the feet.
I was told the water in the basin may change color and consistency from orange, brown through to black—due to the release of toxic substances through the pores on the sole of each foot. I was told when the water is changing colors, each color represents the part of the body that is being detoxified.
I thought I would give this a try and experienced a demonstration myself. Fortunately, my spa manager also agreed. I didn’t want to this one alone.
Mari Beth and I both elected to have treatments. We sat side by side as our treatments started. We placed our feet in basins of warm, clear water. An electrical device that looked like it might be a filter (but clearly was NOT a filter) was placed in the basin. Apparently, this device powered the machine. Within minutes, the water began changing color. Yellow, orange, green, black. The water was also bubbly. It looked like sewage. The woman providing the demonstration analyzed the water in the basins. We were told we were releasing toxins through our feet. The colors, according to her, indicated we both were releasing a lot of toxins and a lot of metals. She said something about toxins from our gallbladder being released. She also stated that she noticed “lymph” in the water. Hmmmmm. I’, 13 years older than Mari Beth, I’m 5’10 and she’s 4’11’ , I just finished breastfeeding, at the time I was taking prescription meds and she wasn’t but our toxin release was exactly the same. What a coincidence.
I asked about evidence. There were no published medical studies available. And, the person providing the demonstration could not give me the name of even one physician who uses this device in their practice. What I was told is how much money spas, chiropractors and others were making by offering this treatment.
The biggest surprise was when I asked what would happen if we performed a treatment but did not immerse feet in the water. Apparently, the water would turn colors and bubble up whether an individual’s feet were immersed in the water or not. Hmmmm. I thought the colors in the water were an indication of the particular toxins being released during a treatment
Maybe this treatment really does something. There are several manufacturers of these devices and it is possible that there are significant differences between the systems. Maybe somewhere, evidence does exist that this treatment really does work. All I know personally is that when I asked for evidence it was not available to me.
After the treatment, my feet felt dirty. I couldn’t wait to go home and shower. After all, I allowed my feet to soak in filthy, disgusting water. I also felt foolish. It’s one thing to be open minded but I was not given one shred of medical evidence that this device could work. I didn’t do my homework on this device because I thought it couldn’t possibly cause a problem. I was skeptical about the efficacy of the treatment. But, I didn’t think there could be any danger associated with a treatment. Perhaps it is safe. But after the treatment I felt like I had soaked my feet in sewage. I have no idea what was in that water. I have no idea what, if anything in that water could penetrate the skin.
In my opinion, this treatment may provide a deep cleaning of one’s wallet. The only real evidence presented about this device was the amount of money practitioners were making by providing this treatment to consumers. This device claims to help from everything from arthritis to cancer. The woman providing the demonstration mentioned a several times the positive effects this treatment can have on children with autism. Of course, there was absolutely no evidence available about how this treatment could possibly treat autism. I was sickened by the thought of practitioners purchasing this system and promoting it to parents who are desperately looking for anything available that might help a child with a health concern
I am blessed with healthy children. But, I imagine that if the health of my children was compromised I would try absolutely anything and spend any amount of money on a treatment that promised a cure or an improvement. I urge parents and others looking for help to demand medical evidence before spending money and time on modalities without proven results.
People need to ask for evidence of safety and efficacy of products and devices that make claims about improving health. Sadly, there will always be some unscrupulous business owners and healthcare providers who evaluate treatments based on the revenue they can generate rather than the safety and efficacy of a procedure or device.