Editing Hot spring (section)

===Therapeutic uses===
Because of both the [[folklore]] and the claimed [[medical]] value attributed to some hot springs, they are often popular [[tourist]] destinations, and locations for [[physical therapy|rehabilitation]] [[clinic]]s for those with [[disabilities]]. However, the scientific basis for therapeutic bathing in hot springs is uncertain. Hot bath therapy for [[lead poisoning]] was common and reportedly highly successful in the 18th and 19th centuries, and may have been due to [[diuresis]] (increased production of urine) from sitting in hot water, which increased excretion of lead; better food and isolation from lead sources; and increased intake of calcium and iron. Significant improvement in patients with [[rheumatoid arthritis]] and [[ankylosing spondylitis]] have been reported in studies of spa therapy, but these studies have methodological problems, such as the obvious impracticality of [[placebo-controlled studies]] (in which a patient does not know if they are receiving the therapy). As a result, the therapeutic effectiveness of hot spring therapy remains uncertain.{{sfn|van Tubergen|2002}}