Spa treatments and home Spas

Spa treatments are one way of rejuvenating the body and mind and they come in many forms.

To most people a Spa treatment conjures up the image of a massage or a facial, however you can include facilities like saunas, Jacuzzis and bathing in this category. Also included are a number of the complementary therapies that fall outside the scope of regular medicine and which use water, massage or a therapy commonly associated with relaxation or de-stressing.

Today most Spa treatments are offered through “Spa hotels” or beauty salons although some sports centres and clinics now provide these services.

Home Spa treatments are available too and these can come in a diverse array of forms. Many of the better known Spa chains offer packages of their products that make it possible to have a relaxing bathe followed by the infusion of oils and creams of the same type offered at the Spa in question. These “home use” treatments are not cheap, but they add a touch of luxury to bathing time.

Advances in technology have also made it possible to incorporate some quite extravagant spa equipment in the home or garden. The most obvious examples are the garden Jacuzzi and the steam shower, and home sauna kits are readily available online or through home improvement stores.

The steam shower is usually nothing more than an extra (and cost incurred) additional function of a more up-market home shower. This means that it doubles as a regular shower and a mini steam room.

Jacuzzis can be installed outside or inside and they come with a lid that helps to keep them clean and prevent evaporative heat loss. They are a luxury that can be enjoyed throughout the year and many owners find that they enjoy using them more in the winter months than the summer months.

What all of these options mean is that it is possible to make nearly all of the Spa resort services available in your own home, the only feature that you will lack is the therapist to deliver some of the “hands on” treatments. However, even here it is quite feasible to learn general massage, or hot rock massage and the application of creams and oils is typically explained in detailed instructions when they are supplied as packages from propriety brands.

How much you do or do not invest is something that you can build on gradually. You can start by using aromatherapy oils and bathing products and progress to installing specialist equipment like a sauna room at a later stage.

Searching for Spa products will produce many options for buying different oils, creams, gels etc. Therapists can be found at health centres, Spa hotels and some clinics.

Complementary therapies

There are many alternative or complementary therapies that can be used to treat any number of injuries, illnesses and physical or mental disorders.

Some of these treatments are on the border of becoming a recognised variation of conventional medicine whilst others are considered slightly wacky. What they all have in common is a different approach to body wellbeing or healing. In many cases this is globally termed as holistic, meaning a treatment for the entire body – and often the mind too.

An interesting feature of some complementary therapies is the fact that, whilst considered outside the classification of conventional medicine in the west, many are seen as main stream in other parts of the world like China and India.

Examples of complementary and holistic therapies include Indian head massage, Rolfing, Thai massage, hypnosis, acupuncture, aromatherapy, shiatsu, Reiki and many more. You can get details of many different therapies from http://www.healthandmobilitystore.com/Treatments.html, where full descriptions are provided. You will also see information on some of the “lesser” known treatments.

Some of these therapies can involve a one time treatment, however most will have a systematic approach to the treatment that starts with a complete assessment following on from which a number of appointments will be scheduled. Because so many of these therapies are holistic they look to treat the body as a whole and in some cases, e.g. acupuncture or reflexology, they will be focussed on the bodies natural energy. This is something that regular medicine ignores or dismisses.

The success of complementary therapies is something about which there is much debate. Most therapies have limited conclusive evidence to support their claims, however gaining this type of evidence is near impossible as reports into the effectiveness of conventional medicine often show.

Many alternative therapies use some form of massage or manipulation, however an equal number use a non physical contact therapy. Examples of these can include the likes of hypnotherapy and Reiki.

Some therapies like NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) appear to combine older approaches like hypnosis with a more modern understanding of how the mind works. Others like Thai massage have been around for centuries and, in their countries of origin, are practiced by “masters” who have acquired years of carefully developed experience.

In the west the best place to access a good selection of alternative therapy treatments will usually be at a Complementary Therapy Clinic. These clinics are increasing in popularity on a massive scale as people seek more holistic solutions to their health problems. Clinics of this kind will often include the services of some better known medical practitioners like osteopaths and chiropractors. They should also offer a degree of security in the competence of the therapists that they employ or provide services to.

The cost of complementary therapies varies greatly. The better known therapies are more expensive, as are those therapists who have been in practice for prolonged periods of time and have built up a good reputation. Many therapists will travel to someone’s home if the treatment can be performed using a portable treatment chair or bed, however most patients prefer to visit a clinic.

Most therapies will have one or more national voluntary bodies for their members. These associations are not usually government validated, but they do set out rules and qualifications for their members aimed at ensuring best practices. Seeking a therapist who is a member of one of these bodies increases the chances of getting a “Good one”.