Imagine lying down in a cozy, dimly lit room. Soft music is playing in the background and
warm water massages you like rain falling from above.
Sound heavenly?
Oh, it is. It also happens to be very beneficial. This luxurious water treatment is detoxifying, hydrating, and intensely relaxing. It affects both the skin and the muscles. It calms the lungs, heart, stomach, and endocrine system by stimulating nerve reflexes on the spinal cord.
The Vichy shower, which originated in Vichy, France, is a form of hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic use of hot and /or cold water to alleviate pain, relieve stress, and to achieve a state of comfort, relaxation, and refreshment. During your Vichy shower treatment the therapist will adjust and alternate massage jets over your entire body. The Vichy shower is a 6 headed rain bar that can be adjusted to provide light pressure (for a soothing, tingling, sedating effect) or stronger pressure (for relieving tension in your problem areas). Your therapist will decide with you beforehand whether you should have a hot, cold, or contrast shower. The hot water is to relax tense muscles and muscle spasms, increase blood flow to the tissues, and relieve pain. It also initiates a good night?s sleep. The cold shower is used to reduce inflammation and to invigorate the body and mind. Some treatments involve alternating between hot and cold water to relieve congestion and headaches as well as to promote circulation. Switching from a hot shower to a cold shower for just 30 seconds sends an immediate rush of blood through your system, which speeds up the body?s healing process and gives you a burst of energy.
A Vichy shower treatment is especially beneficial for people with sports injuries, arthritis, neck and back pain, fatigue, and tense muscles. We can combine a Vichy shower with any spa treatment. I personally recommend a Vichy Shower followed by a Full Body Massage for maximum benefit.
Colleen Dougherty graduated from the New York Institute of Massage in 1997. Since 1998, she has worked as a Licensed Massage Therapist at Scott Miller ? a salon, spa, and store in Rochester, NY (http://www.scottmillerstyle.com). Colleen has advanced training in LaStone Therapy, Reflexology, Deep Tissue Massage, Pregnancy and Infant Massage, Orthopedic Massage, Myofacial Pain & Disfunction, and more. | |
