Index of Water Practices Covered on This Site
A single index of every water practice in the hydrotherapy library, from warm baths and pool exercise to cold swims, spas, traditions and claims we check, each linked to its page.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
How This Index Works
This page lists the water practices covered on AlternativeMed.com and sends you to the page that covers each one. It does not rate or rank practices, spas or products, and it does not list places to go. Each linked page gives the evidence for that specific practice, labeled plainly, and the safety points that go with it. Water practices are at most an extra to medical care, not a cure or prevention for any disease. For definitions, see the glossary; for the big picture, see What Is Hydrotherapy?.Warm Baths, Hot Tubs and Home Water Practices
- Warm baths for relaxation and sleep
- Epsom salt baths, with the ingredient profile at Epsom salt
- Hot tubs and whirlpools
- Sitz baths
- Hot and cold compresses and packs
- Steam inhalation and steam towels
- Overview of warm-water bathing, aquatic exercise and aquatic therapy
Pool Exercise and Aquatic Therapy
- Aquatic physical therapy
- Water aerobics and aquatic exercise classes
- Aquatic therapy for osteoarthritis and joint replacement
- Aquatic therapy for low back pain
- Aquatic therapy for stroke, Parkinson disease and multiple sclerosis
- Watsu, Ai Chi and water-based bodywork
- Flotation tanks
- Pool safety for exercise and therapy
Cold, Contrast and Heat Practices
- Cold-water immersion and contrast-water practices
- Cold showers
- Open-water and cold-water swimming safety
- Saunas and steam rooms and steam rooms and steam baths
- Where the full cold plunge, ice bath and sauna evidence lives: cold plunge and ice bath, sauna and infrared sauna
Spas, Balneology and Bathing Traditions
- Hot springs and thermal baths
- Balneotherapy in Europe
- Japanese onsen customs
- Hammam, Turkish baths and Roman baths
- Kneipp-style water treatments, and the history at Nature cure and Kneipp
- Hydrotherapy in naturopathic care
- Ayurvedic steam therapies
Claims We Check
- Colon hydrotherapy. NCCIH lists colon hydrotherapy among "detox" approaches and describes limited clinical evidence validating colonic irrigation. [1]
- Detox foot baths and ionic foot spas
- Sweating as detox
- Fat melting and metabolism
- Immunity claims
- Marketing red flags and claims with no good trial support
Comparisons
Sauna and hot tub, sauna and steam room, warm and cold immersion, cold shower and ice bath, heat and cold for soreness, aquatic and land-based exercise.Frequently asked questions
Which water practice is best?
This library does not rank practices. Each page reports what studies found for a specific practice, condition and comparison. Start with evidence by goal.
Are saunas part of hydrotherapy?
Saunas heat the air rather than immerse you in water, so this library treats them as close relatives and links to saunas and steam rooms and to the Specialty Topics sauna evidence.
Where is cold plunge covered?
Cold plunge and ice bath evidence is owned by the Specialty Topics section. See cold-water immersion and where it is covered.
Do you list spas or pools near me?
No. This site does not list or recommend places. See how to check a pool, spa or clinic.
Is colon hydrotherapy the same as a bath?
No. NCCIH lists colon hydrotherapy among ways of cleansing the colon (the lower intestinal tract). [1] See the claim check.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety First
References
- NCCIH. “Detoxes” and “Cleanses”: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-22.
- NHS. Burns and scalds. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization. Drowning. Fact sheet, 1 May 2026. Read 2026-10-22.