When I first wrote a post about alkaline baths on X, I had no idea it would trigger a wave of questions — everything from “Is it more potent if I use a full kilo of salt?” to “Why do I feel dizzy after my salt bath?” So let’s clear it up: alkaline and osmotic baths are not the same.
Do you use Epsom salt or sea salt? I have hEDS so constant joint and muscle pain and constant low blood pressure/high heartbeat. Epsom salt baths help w/ the pain! I personally think it’s worth some dizziness 😅 but I replenish with electrolytes each time.
For this type of bath, I use sea salt not Epsom salt. Epsom salt can feel great for pain because magnesium relaxes muscles, but it also drops BP. Glad to hear that epsom salt bath helps with pain! For low-BP bodies though, sodium is usually the better base.
A great follow up article building on the previous. The reason and evidence followed by the practical. This is what 'modern medicine' never does... Explains itself...
Thank you for including “adrenal fatigue does not mix with osmotic baths.” And “Depleted people should not be stripping themselves further.” Many functional practitioners I’ve seen have never understood why I refuse to do this because they always make me feel unwell. I have HPA axis dysfunction and very depleted adrenals. I’m thankful you’re educating others about when it’s not safe.
Is this best done in the evening right before sleep or could you do it earlier in the day as long as you rest/nap afterwards? Thank you for the fascinating article
So in both osmotic and alkaline protocols, you suggest a mixture of salt and baking soda in hot water. Only the amount of time differs in any meaningful sense (20 minutes for alkaline relaxation/50+ for an osmotic stressor). For all your bluster on their chemical differences and supposed separate mechanisms of action, all you seem to differ is the time.
Does time alone account for the differences that you profess? If so, why do the same conditions for different lengths of time create effects that “are not cousins”?
That actually makes a lot of sense. A strong salt bath can pull water out of tissues, and if nerves or discs are already irritated, that shift can make pain like sciatica louder. In this situation, switching to an alkaline bath is logical. I lean toward alkaline baths because of their effect on CO2. They help in a few ways: they don’t dehydrate already stressed tissues, they tend to calm nerve endings rather than stimulate them, and if magnesium is part of the mix, it can reduce muscle guarding around the nerve. Warm alkaline water also improves circulation and shifts the body into a more relaxed, parasympathetic state. For irritated nerves, that combination actually matters.I hope you feel better and notice fewer flares with alkaline baths!
Do you use Epsom salt or sea salt? I have hEDS so constant joint and muscle pain and constant low blood pressure/high heartbeat. Epsom salt baths help w/ the pain! I personally think it’s worth some dizziness 😅 but I replenish with electrolytes each time.
For this type of bath, I use sea salt not Epsom salt. Epsom salt can feel great for pain because magnesium relaxes muscles, but it also drops BP. Glad to hear that epsom salt bath helps with pain! For low-BP bodies though, sodium is usually the better base.
I found the addition of arnica to be beneficial. I bruise very easily and this helps clear the bruises faster.
Thank you!
A great follow up article building on the previous. The reason and evidence followed by the practical. This is what 'modern medicine' never does... Explains itself...
Thank you!🙏🏻
Thank you for including “adrenal fatigue does not mix with osmotic baths.” And “Depleted people should not be stripping themselves further.” Many functional practitioners I’ve seen have never understood why I refuse to do this because they always make me feel unwell. I have HPA axis dysfunction and very depleted adrenals. I’m thankful you’re educating others about when it’s not safe.
Wow! This is so cool to read about. I love baths and have intuitively used them like this for years, but never knew any of the why behind it.
I had no idea baths could be this much of a physiological workout. Thanks for sharing!👍🏻
Yes! A heavy salt bath creates a real osmotic load. The body has to actively adapt
Is this best done in the evening right before sleep or could you do it earlier in the day as long as you rest/nap afterwards? Thank you for the fascinating article
So in both osmotic and alkaline protocols, you suggest a mixture of salt and baking soda in hot water. Only the amount of time differs in any meaningful sense (20 minutes for alkaline relaxation/50+ for an osmotic stressor). For all your bluster on their chemical differences and supposed separate mechanisms of action, all you seem to differ is the time.
Does time alone account for the differences that you profess? If so, why do the same conditions for different lengths of time create effects that “are not cousins”?
That actually makes a lot of sense. A strong salt bath can pull water out of tissues, and if nerves or discs are already irritated, that shift can make pain like sciatica louder. In this situation, switching to an alkaline bath is logical. I lean toward alkaline baths because of their effect on CO2. They help in a few ways: they don’t dehydrate already stressed tissues, they tend to calm nerve endings rather than stimulate them, and if magnesium is part of the mix, it can reduce muscle guarding around the nerve. Warm alkaline water also improves circulation and shifts the body into a more relaxed, parasympathetic state. For irritated nerves, that combination actually matters.I hope you feel better and notice fewer flares with alkaline baths!
🙏🏻