Being discerning as a Therapist and checking your facts

In a world where everything is becoming AI driven, it is even more important that we check facts before giving advice to our clients or making claims on our advertising and websites. There are many "trending" videos and social media posts and knowing what to believe is becoming more and more difficult, and not just within our profession! What you need to consistently do is question what you are seeing and reading and ask yourself if it makes logical sense. As complementary therapists we have all studied in depth human anatomy and physiology, so we must continue to go back to that knowledge and check to see if a claim that is being made actually makes sense in the way the body works. If you need clarification and belong to a professional association such as ours, you can always check with us, especially as here at CHP we are all complementary therapists ourselves. You may be on a social media forum, but remember that these are just other therapists and they may not always know the correct answer.

Recently we have been asked about standing on salt as it is all over the internet being purported as having amazing health benefits. We hate when claims are made to "detox" the body from something external! So we have done a little fact checking for you and have laid this out below:

Standing on salt has no proven health benefits, and current scientific evidence does not support claims that it detoxifies the body, improves energy, or provides measurable medical effects.  

Standing on Salt: Why the Claimed Health Benefits Aren’t Supported by Science

Many wellness trends circulate online, but not all are grounded in evidence. One such practice is standing barefoot on salt, often promoted as a way to “detox,” “absorb negative energy,” or “improve circulation.” While these ideas sound appealing, scientific research does not support any real health benefits from simply standing on salt.

1. Salt Does Not Detoxify the Body

Claims that salt can “draw out toxins” through the feet have no physiological basis. Medical research shows that salt is primarily sodium chloride, and its effects on the body depend on ingestion, not skin contact. Trace minerals in salt contribute very little to health and do not penetrate the skin in meaningful amounts. 

2. No Evidence That Salt Affects Energy, Hormones, or Nerves Through the feet

Some online sources claim that standing on salt stimulates nerves or influences the parasympathetic nervous system. However, these claims rely on reflexology theories, not on controlled scientific studies. Current medical literature does not show that standing on salt alters cortisol, circadian rhythms, or nerve activity in a measurable way.

3. “Grounding” and “Negative Ion” Claims Are Not Supported by Salt Research

Certain blogs suggest that salt enhances grounding or releases negative ions that improve mood. These ideas come from alternative wellness traditions, not from validated clinical research. Studies on salt focus on dietary sodium, hydration, and cardiovascular health—not on energy fields or ion transfer through the feet. 

4. What Salt Can Do: Only Surface-Level Effects

Salt can be helpful in foot soaks, where warm water and dissolved minerals may soften skin or reduce mild swelling. But this is due to warm water and osmotic effects, not standing on dry salt. Even wellness articles promoting salt foot soaks acknowledge benefits only when salt is dissolved in water—not when simply stood upon. 

5. Cultural or Spiritual Practices ≠ Medical Evidence

Some traditions (e.g., Vastu or energy healing) use salt symbolically for cleansing or grounding. These practices are cultural or spiritual, not medical. Even proponents acknowledge they are not treatments and rely on subjective experience, not scientific proof. 

Conclusion

Standing on salt does not provide measurable health benefits, does not detoxify the body, and does not influence circulation, hormones, or energy systems in any scientifically validated way.  Any sensations of relaxation are likely due to placebo effects, texture stimulation, or personal ritual, not physiological changes.

So, you can see how you need to be thinking and to always remain discerning. This is just as relevant to making claims on the benefits of massage therapy, reflexology or about essential oils. Check your facts and where possible, reference your sources when making claims on your websites. Keep it real and then our profession will get the respect it deserves. It is especially important to think about how the body works. For example, massage does not stimulate the general circulation; instead it promotes localised blood circulation where the muscles are being worked (Ingraham 2021). Similarly, the claims about massage detoxing the body are also incorrect. There is no scientific evidence supporting these claims and whilst massage does enhance circulation and lymphatic flow, it does not directly remove harmful substances or toxins from the body. Instead, it is the the liver and kidneys that are responsible for detoxifying the body. Other claims are about the benefits to the lymphatic system. It's role is to filter out bacteria, dead cells, and other waste products, not to remove toxins such as environmental pollutants or chemicals. Improved lymph flow through massage can boost immune function but this does not equate to detoxifcation. This physiological process is part of normal homeostasis and does not require any external assistance through massage.

Massage therapy as well as many other complementary therapies does have many, many benefits on health, so ensure you focus on those and stay away from further promoting incorrect information, even if it was taught on your original training course, which may have been outdated. This is why we always have to be vigilant and keep up to date with new information within our profession and we do this through continuing professional development and reflective practice.