Hydrotherapy: What Is a Vichy Shower?
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Hydrotherapy is the use of water to treat disease, injury, or pain. Water therapy has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.
Why Is Hydrotherapy Beneficial
Water can be therapeutic based on its mechanical and thermal properties. The body’s reaction to hot and cold temperatures, combined with the pressure of water flow can help promote healing. Our nerves carry the warmth or the coolness into the body where it can stimulate the immune systems, influence our stress hormones, promote circulation, and lessen our sensitivities to pain.
Heat therapy is typically used to relax and soothe the body, slowing down the activities of our organs and body systems. Cold, on the other hand, can be used to stimulate and invigorate the body and the mind (think of how a cold shower wakes you up and a hot bath relaxes you). And flowing water can create a massage-like effect, as the pressure gently (or not-so-gently) kneads our muscles.
Hydrotherapy can benefit the body in many ways, including:
- Increasing the elimination of waste from the body and skin, aiding in detoxification
- Releasing tight muscles
- Relaxing the body, slowing down our systems, and easing stress on the mind
- Increasing digestive activity and metabolism
- Improving body systems by promoting circulation
What Is a Vichy Shower?
A Vichy Shower, named for the town of Vichy, France, is a popular method of relaxing, detoxifying, and cleansing, especially when paired with a body scrub or wrap. Typically after engaging in a scrub or wrap, we jump right into a regular shower to get clean. However, a Vichy Shower can help you relax and get the most from your other treatments while cleansing your body.
Instead of standing under a single shower head as you would in a standard shower stall, a Vichy Shower allows you to lay comfortably on a treatment table, under strategically-placed towels. Five to seven shower heads run parallel to the table, and you are able to lie flat and relax in a calm and serene setting. You are able to choose your own temperature and pressure settings and even utilize color therapy to affect and change your mood, therefore personalizing your Vichy Shower experience. When a Vichy Shower is used after another treatment, you can soothe your muscles and relax, and you’ll leave the spa feeling clean and refreshed.
Learn More About Vichy Showers
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of a Vichy Shower, please call The Medical Spa of Baton Rouge today. We can answer any questions you may have, and help you pair your shower with an invigorating body wrap or scrub to help you get the most from your experience.
