The Taizen bath is offered regularly in Japan as a way to ease the pain of arthritis and sporting injuries. It increases circulation and can help conditions such as diabetes. Submerged in small, hot stones, the body eliminates toxins with consequent weight loss as the heart rate goes up and sweat starts to drip.
Apparently, the stones contain trace elements such as vanadium, zirconium and titanium. When heated, they encourage healthy cell growth and improve the immune system.
There are no clinical trials to back up the claims. But in Japan it is believed passionately that the Taizen bath can ease illness and physical discomfort. During the 9-20 minutes of the average treatment, it relaxes muscles and tendons, the blood supply to the skin increases, and the heart pushes more blood through vessels that are normally closed.