According to the Benefit of Water Therapy website, people use thermal spa treatments for therapeutic and medicinal purposes. They may derive relaxation from naturally heated water, gain well-being, partake in recreation, find pain relief for injuries or gain positive social interaction through group activities at spas. Mineral springs and spas often have a natural backdrop or luxurious setting conducive to an invigorating and therapeutic experience. Facilities often offer a range of water therapy treatments.
Thermal Bathing
One typical treatment at natural hot springs is thermal bathing. Before the water bubbles to the surface of a natural spring, it passes through rocks high in mineral content. An article on thermal bathing by Frommer's, published in the New York Times, states that some frequent visitors to thermal baths attest to the medicinal benefits of soaking in thermal pools, sometimes for as long as four hours, or in several short visits as part of a cycle of spa treatments. They may use thermal baths to treat a skin condition, soothe muscles or address a bone ailment, though these claims are not supported by any in-depth medical study.
Mud Treatments
Around some thermal springs, volcanic rock has made the mud high in sulfur, minerals and nutrients. Spas use this mud for a variety of treatments. The classic mud mask, for example, is applied in a thin coat over your face and left to harden before you rinse it off. The Calistoga Spas website describes mud baths in which people soak in pits of mud enriched by the region's volcanic ash.
Tonics
A spa may also offer a regimen involving drinking water with mineral, sulfur or alkaline content. According to a report on alkaline water published on MayoClinic.com, alkaline water has a high pH level. Guests drink the water to increase metabolism, neutralize acid in the bloodstream, build immunity or gain youthful energy. Although MayoClinic.com cites research supporting the claim that drinking alkaline water can slow down bone loss, a common ailment of the aging process, no medical studies have yet found validity to any claims of the long-term benefit of alkaline water.
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