Ionithermie is a service offered in some

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

s that involves the application of

electric stimulation Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technique that uses low-energy electrical pulses to artificially generate body movements in individuals who have been paralyzed due to injury to the central nervous system. More specifically, FES can ...

followed by different topical applications that vary depending on the practitioner. Ionithermie originated in France. It was invented by

Olivier Fouche Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver. It may refer to: * Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Olivier (surname), a list of people * Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery *Olivier, Louisiana, a rural popul ...

in 1979 and then launched in the UK in 1983. With claims to reduce "toxic waste" in the body, ionithermie is a form of pseudoscientific

detoxification Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...

. There is no clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness.

References

External links

* {{Skeptoid , id= 4436, number= 436, title= Ionithermie, date= October 14, 2014, last=Wagg, first=Jeff , access-date=October 19, 2020 Alternative detoxification