Red Flags in Hydrotherapy Marketing and Practice: Detox, Cure and Colon Claims

Urgent Guidance First

In the US, call 911 for severe abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, fainting, chest pain, trouble breathing or collapse after any treatment. For poisoning questions in the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222; see Poison Help by country. Do not delay care, and never stop a prescribed medicine because of a marketing claim. This page is information only and judges claims, not people.

How to Use This Page

A red flag is a reason to ask more questions, not proof of wrongdoing. Many water-based services are ordinary and safe when run well. The flags below are about claims that go beyond the evidence or practices with known harms. For the library's evidence standard, see hydrotherapy claims with no good trial support.

Red Flag 1: Promises to Detox the Body

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists colon hydrotherapy and using a sauna among the approaches sold as detoxes. [1] It says some detoxification or cleansing programs can be unsafe and falsely advertised. [1] It also says these programs may be advertised commercially, offered at health centers, or be part of naturopathic treatment. [1] See the claim check on sweating and detox and detox programs and chelation claims.

Red Flag 2: Colon Hydrotherapy ("Colonics") Sold for General Wellness

NCCIH says there is limited clinical evidence validating colonic irrigation and insufficient evidence for its prescribed uses. [1] It says colon cleansing procedures may have side effects, some of them serious. [1] In the US, the federal device rule for colonic irrigation systems places those intended for colon cleansing when medically indicated, such as before radiological or endoscopic exams, in Class II. [2] It places systems intended for other uses, including routine colon cleansing for general well-being, in Class III, which requires premarket approval. [2] We do not give procedure details. See the colon hydrotherapy claim check.

Red Flag 3: Detox Foot Baths and Ionic Foot Spas

A 2012 proof-of-principle study of an ionic footbath in six healthy participants reported that, contrary to claims made for the machine, there did not appear to be any specific induction of toxic element release through the feet. [3] The authors were from a naturopathic college. The study was small and tested one machine. See detox foot baths and ionic foot spas.

Red Flag 4: Cure, Miracle and "Cleanse" Language

The FDA describes health fraud scams as products that claim to prevent, treat or cure disease but are not proven safe and effective, and says they waste money and can delay proper diagnosis and treatment. [4] NCCIH says the FDA and FTC have taken action against companies selling detox or cleansing products with false claims that they could treat serious diseases. [1] A claim of cure, prevention or immunity from a bath, tub or sauna is a flag. See how to read health product marketing claims.

Red Flag 5: Pressure, Packages and Stopping Other Care

Be wary of anyone who tells you to stop a medicine, avoid your clinician or buy a long package up front. NCCIH advises asking whether a practitioner will work with your conventional health care providers. [5] Ask what training and licence the person holds. NCCIH says credentials vary tremendously from state to state and from discipline to discipline. [5] See who is who.

Where to Report a Problem

FDA MedWatch is the FDA's medical product safety reporting program for health professionals, patients and consumers. [6] The FDA also has a "Report a problem" link on its health fraud page. [4] The FTC runs ReportFraud.ftc.gov, with the stated aim of reporting fraud, scams and bad business practices. [7] For harm from a practitioner, see reporting adverse events from therapies. We did not read each state's complaint route, so check your state licensing board or health department.