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Corporate Profile - |
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Spa -aaah Therapy
by Wally Kooiman
Not so many years ago, spa therapy was either a resort pleasure for the well-heeled, or a hospital-based medical treatment to help rehab an injury. Fortunately, the pleasures and benefits of spa therapy are now an affordable and accessible luxury for just about anyone. Backyard spas are about the cost of a week’s vacation, and can provide many years of relaxation and enjoyment with minimal installation and maintenance requirements.
One of the main reasons spa owners say they made their purchase is stress relief and relaxation. That’s no surprise, considering water therapy is one of the oldest, cheapest and safest methods of treating many common ailments. Water simply makes you feel better – clean, with less fatigue and stiffness. As early as the 4th century B.C., the Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed bathing and drinking spring water for its therapeutic effects. Ancient Romans built communal baths because they believed in the healing qualities of hot springs.
How it works
Hydrotherapy, or the use of water in treating disease, is based on the body’s reaction to hot and cold stimuli, and the pressure and sensation of water on the skin. Nerves close to the skin carry impulses deeper into the body, influencing the production of stress hormones, invigorating circulation and digestion, encouraging blood flow and lessening pain. Hot water, like that found in spas, slow down the activity of internal organs and relaxes muscles and nerves. Cold water, in contrast, invigorates and stimulates mind and body.
Submerging your body in water also creates a sensation of weightlessness, relieving your body of the pull of gravity. Water also simulates a massaging effect as it repeatedly creates waves again the skin, relaxing tight muscles and releasing natural pain killers called endorphins.
Health benefits
Because hot water causes blood vessels to dilate and increases circulation, it stimulates the healing process and is commonly used by health practitioners for care of wounds and injuries. Studies also suggest that a hot soak at 103 degrees can help fight a cold or flu, by increasing the number of white blood cells, which fight infection. The Arthritis Foundation advocates that hydrotherapy significantly improve strength and mobility in patients with osteoarthritis, stimulating muscles and helping to make joints stronger and more stable.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends taking regular dips in the water a few hours before bed to enhance sleep quality, and a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that soaking for 30 minutes per day can reduce blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.
While most spa owners would prefer to sit and soak away their cares, even a modest amount of exercise or movement in the water can increase cardiovascular activity without putting muscles and joints under pressure.
One additional benefit of spa therapy is that it puts the rest of the world on hold. You can’t work on your laptop or Blackberry, talk on your cell phone or write notes (although some might try). Some spas can even be equipped with pop-up, flat screen televisions, surround-sound music, or mood lighting to further enhance relaxation and enjoyment.
That’s a prescription for health and healing that most of us would be happy to receive.
Wally Kooiman is president of Southeast Oasis Pools, LLC, dba Oasis Pools Plus Outdoor Living Showplace in Pineville, North Carolina. Founded in 1979, Oasis Pools Plus Outdoor Living Showplace is one of the largest outdoor furniture, spa and pool retail stores in America. For more information, call 704-542-5300 or 1-800-839-3665 or visit www.OasisPoolsPlus.com. |
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