Spa Treatments Using Water

Water has always borne a close association to spas. One definition of spa is “a health resort near a spring or at the seaside”.

Modern spas use water in a variety of ways that begin with the drinking water, offered to spa patrons to keep them hydrated throughout their spa treatment choices. Water is an essential ingredient of many spa treatments including masques, mud baths, body wraps, and body scrubs as well as water used for rinsing off these spa applications. In addition, steam rooms provide inhalation therapies and whirlpools and hot tubs are used for various spa hydrotherapy treatments. Spas in the United States have steadily risen in popularity since Saratoga Springs, NY debuted the first US spa in the 1850s. Luminaries that ranged from Edgar Allen Poe to Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Saratoga Springs. Roosevelt was a huge champion of the therapeutic value of water, which he proved by purchasing and operating his own spa, Mineral Springs, during his presidency.

Water therapies, both hot and cold, have most probably been in use since the dawn of time, when humans first experienced the invigorating refreshment of a shower under a sparkling waterfall. As far back as the 4th century BCE, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, prescribed both bathing in and drinking spring water for its therapeutic benefits.

Spas today capitalize on the restorative value of falling water in a number of different ways. Along with the traditional shower, many spas offer their patrons the options of the Swiss shower, the Scotch hose, and the Vichy shower.

1. Swiss shower is a walk-in unit with multiple jets on each of the three shower walls. The jets alternate between spurts of hot and cold water, giving you an invigorating massage. Some Swiss showers also have a hand wand so that you may deliver pressure precisely on areas of your body that need it.
2. Scotch hose works to speed up your metabolism through a pressurized hot/cold spray of either regular water or seawater that your therapist directs on specific pressure points. A Scotch hose treatment is recognized as one of the most relaxing methods of water massage and hydrotherapy.
3. Vichy shower is similar to sun bathing during a summer rain. As you lie back on a massage table, overhead jets release water at varying temperatures and water pressures. Many of the better spas often use the Vichy shower as a follow-up rinsing treatment for body scrubs, masks, and wraps.

Water therapies take many different forms. Hydrotherapies today involve the use of water in all its forms – steam, liquid, and ice – to ease a variety of conditions from physical sprains and chronic arthritic pain to mental stress. Whirlpools relieve low back pain and Sitz baths bring relief to hemorrhoids and after birthing damaged tissues.
Still, like any other therapies, there are cautions about water therapies.

• Prolonged treatments should be avoided. Depending on the type of therapy, water therapies should last from about 20 minutes and usually no more than an hour.
• People with fractures, blood clots, bleeding disorders, severe osteoporosis or open wounds and pregnant women should avoid vigorous water therapies, such as whirlpool and water jet therapies.
• Those with high blood pressure, chronic heart problems and other serious chronic illnesses should begin hydrotherapy only after consulting with their healthcare provider.

From hot towels to ice packs, foot baths to full baths, swims to showers, water… water is everywhere, effectively quenching our bodies' thirsts as it refreshes and invigorates!