Spa cures to go: once bastions of healing remedies, spas are returning to their roots, integrating alternative medicine into their lineup of treatments. Relief from common health problems—from arthritis to back pain—has never felt so good

Natural Health, Jan, 2004 by Megan O'Connell

Not all spa treatments are created equal. Glowing skin, tension-free muscles, a more relaxed start to the new year--sure, you can get all of these from a few days' stay at a relaxing resort. But some spas feature treatments that are more than just indulgent; they also help relieve a host of common health problems, all in a setting that's calming and comforting. "We think of spas as having a frivolous connotation," says Roberta Lee, M.D., medical director at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. "But medicine doesn't have to be sterile and traditional in order to work."

To learn how effective spa remedies can be--and what alternatives are available for home use--we tracked down top experts in holistic medicine and therapies.

PROBLEM: ECZEMA

dry, itchy, flaking and sometimes broken patches of skin caused by factors such as food and chemical allergens

SPA SOLUTION

Green Tea Therapy at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas ($150 for 80 minutes; lakeaustin.com). This skin-soothing treatment begins with a cup of warm green tea. In the treatment room, a massage therapist first gently smoothes skin with a gel/oil mix that contains crushed and dried green-tea leaves. Then you're wrapped with warm linens to allow your skin to absorb the nutrient and antioxidant benefits of the tea leaves. (Green tea is a potent source of flavonoids, botanical compounds that are believed to have anti-inflammatory effects.) A shower with green-tea shower gel, a 35-minute massage and an application of green-tea lotion follow.

EXPERT OPINION

During test-tube studies at Showa University in Tokyo, published in the Archives of Dermatological Research, a major component of green tea, EGCg, seemed to neutralize the effects of a toxin thought to trigger eczema.

"Eczema affects the superficial layers of the skin, so a topical application of green tea can help," says Lee. But there are also underlying causes of eczema that need to be addressed. Diet often plays a role, with wheat and dairy being the most common food offenders. "It makes sense to treat eczema internally by drinking green tea because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects," says Cynthia Geyer, M.D., director of women's health at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Mass. Stress relief is also key, as anxiety can swiftly trigger symptoms.

HOME REMEDY

Calm irritated skin with anti-inflammatory green-tea shower gel ($8.95), body lotion ($10.50) and bath salts ($14.95) from Back to Basics (all at backtobasics.com).

PROBLEM: PMS

stomach cramps, breast tenderness, mood swings and depression

SPA SOLUTION

Foot Reflexology at Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Ariz. ($95 for 50 minutes; canyonranch.com). Reflexology is a healing art first practiced centuries ago in China and India. Pressure, applied to points on the feet that correspond to almost every area of the body, is thought to relieve pain and strengthen the immune system.

After a consultation to determine which areas need specific attention, your certified reflexologist begins to loosen your leg muscles by massaging your lower legs, then moving to the calves, then the ankles, and finally to the feet. Next, she works her hands over the sole of each foot, pressing and holding the pressure on certain places for a few seconds and then releasing. For a woman suffering from PMS, added pressure is placed on the arch of the foot, the big toe and the inside of the ankle. Reflexologists say these areas are connected to the adrenals, pituitary glands and uterus, respectively.

EXPERT OPINION

Scientists have conducted only a few controlled studies on the use of reflexology treatments on women with PMS, but some have shown results that reinforce the effectiveness of the therapy. In a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 35 women were asked to keep a daily diary recording the severity of almost 40 common PMS symptoms over six months. For two months, 18 of the women were given 30-minute reflexology treatments each week while the other 17 were given ordinary foot massages. None of the women knew which group she was in. According to study co-author Terrence Oleson, Ph.D., chairman of the department of psychology at the California Graduate Institute in Los Angeles, there was a significantly greater decrease in PMS symptoms among the women who received the genuine reflexology treatments.

HOME REMEDY

Amateur reflexology won't give you the same results as a professional session, but "any type of touch can be therapeutic," says Derrick DeSilva Jr., M.D., an internist at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, N.J. To help find reflexology points on your feet, slip on reflexology socks from Earth Therapeutics ($10; earththerapeutics.com) or Australia Steamboat ($9; australiasteamboat.com), which map out the areas where you should press, hold, and then release.

PROBLEM: ARTHRITIS

swollen and stiff joints

SPA SOLUTION

Remineralizing Ocean Bath and Dead Sea Mud Wrap at Turnberry Isle Resort and Club in Aventura, Fla. ($160 for 70 minutes; turnberryisle.com). Dead Sea salts are dissolved in the warm waters of the spa's hydrotherapy tub, which features more than 100 jets that can be computer-programmed to target specific areas. The 20-minute salt soak is followed by a mud rub and wrap; a thick layer of warm, mineral-rich mud (imported from the Tuscany region of Italy) is applied to your entire body, after which you're wrapped in foil so the mud can "bake." A seven-headed Vichy shower rinses away the mud.