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

RELATED ARTICLE: Medipas: the real treat.

From 1997 to 2002, the number of "medispas"--consisting of doctors and spa professionals who provide both medical and aesthetic treatments in the same facility--increased by more than 143 percent; there are currently about 300 such centers in the United States, according to the International Spa Association. "These facilities are the future of medicine," says internist Derrick DeSilva Jr., M.D. His advice: Research the medical day spa you intend to visit to make sure it's operated by a licensed physician. A few suggestions are:

NEW YORK CITY Juva Skin & Laser Center MediSpa (juvaskin.com). Founded by Bruce Katz, M.D., Juva is a full-service dermatology office that also offers physician-formulated spa treatments.

LOS ANGELES Ona Spa (onaspa.com). Led by the facility's director, plastic surgeon Stanley Frileck, M.D., a staff of doctors, dentists, nurses and aestheticians work together to make you look and feel your best.

RALEIGH, N.C. Blue Water Spa (bluewaterspa.com). Michael Law, M.D., a plastic surgeon, opened Blue Water Spa to offer skin-care treatments and aesthetic surgery in one location.