Spa Demo 1 - Spa history

Spa Demo 1

By Direct Hit Strategies

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Spa history

SPA comes from Latin "salus per aquam" meaning "health from water." It is so the name of a small village in Belgium where the ancient Romans discovered that a good soak in hot mineral springs relieved their post-battle soldiers' aches and pains.

For centuries Europeans have been "taking the waters" - either through soaking in them or drinking them because of their curative elements. Depending on the mineral content of the spring, European physicians prescribed "the kur," or the cure to their patients for the relief of rheumatism, arthritis, infertility, eye soreness, kin irritations and more. In fact, these practices were founded on a whole contemporary "science" and for centrureis were taught in all major medical schools in Europe. Even today, in most European spa towns, the "taking of the waters" is restricted, unless a consultation with, and a prescription from, the local M.D. has been obtained. In addition to taking the waters or basking in radon-active caves, doctors would also prescribe herbal wraps, dry and wet heat treatments, massages and more. Recommended stays for "the kur" were usually 2-3 weeks, and until quite recently Government health insurance covered not only the medical examinations and treaments, but also lodging and meals for 2-3 week stays by "patients" at these "Kur/Cure Centers."

This traditional practice with its roots in Europe, was the first "day spa program" and the only European day spa, until the American day spa model began to take form. At the turn of the 20th century, European immigrants to the United States brought with, among many others of their customs, the "spa cure" concept. Spa towns started to spring up around the American continent, sponsored by local governments, states or national parks.

The oldest operating "spa town" in America, still with its original treatment facility in the center of the city, is Berkeley Springs, in West Virginia. New York State recently invested $2 million to restore the old bathhouses in Saratoga, NY, once one of the major spa towns of the Northeast.

The Hamman, or steam baths of the Middle East were another spa tradition, as were the Finnish Sauna, the Russian Bath and the Japanese bathhouses. In the United States, the only practice that remotely resembled a day spa as the public baths in the metropolitan areas. However, these baths were designed out of necessity essentially to address the lack of bathing facilities in peoples' small apartments. In Europe, such facilities would offer massage and beauty/skin care services administered by concessionaires who leased space within the "bathing centers."

Meanwhile, during the early to mid 20th century, a different breed of health resorts emerged in the U.S. termed "fat farms" because they were geared toward weight loss and detoxification, they were places for the rich and famous who went to trim down, or in some cases, to dry out. Many of them were run like boot camps, with fasting and a severely restricted diet often being the core of the program. A week at such a place would achieve the promised result, but the experience was by no means pleasant. Few offered relaxation, behavior modification programs, and even fewer provided beauty treatments, and because the emphasis was not on proper nutritional or the benefits of exercise, most gained back the pounds they had lost.

Then in 1940 came Rancho La Puerta, founded by Deborah Szekley and her husband. Rancho la Puerta ws the first "holistic spa," with emphasis not so much on weight loss as on health, nature and nutrition. After that, the Szekeleys opened The Golden Door Spa, and in the early 1980's Mel Zuckerman's Canyon Ranch in Tucson followed, and these, along with other resorts, helped establish the popularity of t"destination spas" and "resort spas." This new model supplemented a basis formula of health, nutrition and exercise with beauty treatments for skin and body adding an aspect of luxury and pampering.

Today, the popularity of these full service salons and destination spas demonstrate that clients seek to fulfill their needs with a day or week of multiple services. These wellness therapies are now seen as a legitimate health benefit.