The first electric baths appeared not in Japan, but in France. They became especially popular around the second half of the 19th century. However, over time, they completely disappeared.
But in Japan, on the contrary, they took root. And today in the land of the rising sun, many public baths, swimming pools and baths offer a similar service. What is the purpose? According to the Japanese, this not only allows you to keep your muscles in good shape, but also to increase the pain threshold.
Many public baths in Japan have special pools lined with metal electrodes. These baths are known as "Denki Buro" or "Electric Baths" and are found throughout Japan.
Everything you learned about the deadly combination of electricity and water in elementary school, you can experience firsthand in these Japanese quirky Denki Buro baths. The bather sits in a small pool between two plates of opposite electrical polarity and allows a low-level electrical current to pass through his body. The current produces a mild shock, muscle contraction, a subtle tingling sensation that some people find relaxing, while others find it painful. Electric baths are said by the Japanese to provide relief from rheumatism and ankylosing spondylitis, and Denki Buro is rumored to reduce sperm counts especially by the younger generation.
French electric bath, circa late 1870s.
Denki Buro's story is difficult to trace, and can be traced back to at least 1928, when a story called Denki Buro by author Kayshi Jiken (“The Suspicious Death In An Electric Bathtub Case”) was published. Electrotherapy itself has existed since the 18th century, when it was first used in a London hospital for unknown therapeutic purposes.
Galvanic baths.
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In the 1940s, the US military used electrotherapy to treat wounded soldiers, to delay and prevent atrophy, and to restore muscle mass and strength. Electrotherapy has also been used with positive results to treat cancer. In 1985, the Journal of Cancer Research published the results of a remarkable study in which researchers reported that they reduced tumors by 98% in test animals when treated with electrotherapy for five days.
A modern galvanic bath that you can use at home.
Although its effectiveness has not been conclusively proven, electrotherapy is often used as an alternative treatment for back pain, muscle pain, headaches and migraines, arthritis, nervous system disorders, neuromuscular dysfunction, and a variety of other conditions.
Electric bath.