Elizabeth: Today we are here at the Banner Therapy showroom in Asheville, North Carolina. Banner Therapy is one of the largest providers of massage therapy supplies, chiropractic tools, physical therapy products and exercise equipment. My name is Elizabeth and Sarah has joined me to talk about how and why more people are designing and building spa therapy rooms at home. Sarah is a writer who works with a variety of alternative health practitioners including acupuncturists, chiropractors and massage therapists.  I’d like to jump right in to the questions I have prepared if that’s okay with you?

Sarah: Absolutely Elizabeth, I’m glad to be here and let’s get started.

Elizabeth: Are Home Spas really popular now?

Sarah: Yes they are.  Designing a spa therapy room for your home has become a popular practice throughout the United States. You can read about design ideas and popular spa therapy equipment in the paper, online and in magazines. Just recently I was reading about interior design ideas for home spas on www.Oprah.com. People love the idea of escaping every day life without leaving the house.  Our world is so busy and stressful, many people have become aware of how important it is to have the space and time to relax and clear your mind. It’s about quality of life and taking excellent care of yourself.  Enjoying spa therapy at home helps you maintain mental and emotional clarity and general physical health. Home spas are also more popular now than ever because you don’t have to be a millionaire to consider creating one; there are a lot of options that will fit any budget.

Elizabeth: Should people who exercise regularly consider a home spa?

Sarah:  A home spa is a great compliment to an exercise room, or any regular exercise routine. After strenuous exercise, you can come home, take a bath, relax your muscles and use some aromatherapy to unwind. Your massage or physical therapist can visit you in your own home or you can use self massagers like the Theracane.  You can also use therapy products like hydrocollator packs, which are easy to use heat steam packs that provide up to 30 minutes of deep, soothing, moist heat. They are great for the muscles.

Elizabeth: It sounds like a great way to start or end your day…..you can go jogging or to the gym to work out and then reward yourself with some pampering.  I like that idea.

Sarah: Exactly, so many people in America are busy all day and it is hard to take time for yourself.  Bringing spa therapy into your home makes it convenient and simple to treat yourself well. It’s like taking a vacation without leaving home.  People need to rejuvenate their energy and stay healthy so they can approach their daily lives with more clarity and passion and they can accomplish their goals. 

Elizabeth: Where do you start when you try to create a relaxing and healing space at home?

Sarah:  To get started you want to choose which area of your home that you will transform into a spa therapy room. Then you want to make choices about what kind of spa equipment will work best for you.  You want to choose products that will facilitate your personal goals whether it’s skin care, overall health, relaxation, getting in shape or pain management.  Regardless of your goals it is important that the spa therapy help you release emotional and physical toxins. 

Elizabeth: When you say it’s important to release toxins what do you mean? 

Sarah:  First of all, our environment and daily lives are physically toxic in this day and age.  We come into contact with chemicals in the air, water, and even in our food.  A home spa therapy room can include a few important things to help combat this.  First purchase an Air Purification System, this will help especially if you are sensitive to allergies, asthma or sinus problems.  Use organic and all natural oils, lotions and bath products.  These kinds of products will help you avoid adding more chemicals to your body through the skin.  You can also use high quality sheets, towels, robes and slippers.  Massage itself will help remove physical toxins from your muscle tissue just make sure you drink water after every massage. That’s another thing, if you don’t already have one purchase a water filter.

Elizabeth: And what about the emotional toxins you mentioned?

Sarah: Stress can cause a lot of emotional issues.  You can feel short tempered, chronically depressed, frustrated, lonely.  It is important to have space to let these negative feelings go.  Aromatherapy is a wonderful way to help shift emotional energy.  Many essential oils are known for their healing properties that work on an emotional and physical level.  For example, lavender oil is known to heal the skin and help people sleep better, but it also promotes a feeling of inner peace and calm.  Also to combat the affects of stress pampering yourself and having a special place to relax is essential.

Elizabeth:  Do people really want their own spa therapy equipment in their home?  Why not go to a spa for a massage and other treatments where they have a space already set up?

Sarah: It’s good to have spa therapy equipment like a massage table of your own so your massage therapist, acupuncturist, physical therapist or whomever can come to your home and work with you.  In your home spa therapy room you can control the environment and be completely comfortable.  When you are finished you don’t have to drive home you can simply sit back and allow mind and body healing to occur.  Another perk is that you, your friends and family can also use equipment like the massage table. It can provide health benefits for everyone.  Consider buying some quality massage tools as well, such as self massagers or the hydrocollator packs I mentioned earlier.  You can use them alone or with your spouse or children at the end of a long workout, after a hard day at the office or when you are feeling run down. 

Elizabeth: Can you tell me about some of the newest and most popular spa therapy tools and equipment on the market right now?

Sarah: Well that’s a loaded question Elizabeth. There are a lot of products on the market to choose from.  I think it is important that you consider what your individual physical needs are.  If you are having specific issues with things like carpal tunnel syndrome, skin problems, spinal degeneration you can find spa therapy products to help with all of these. It is important that you speak with your health practitioner or doctor to make sure you don’t use anything that can make a condition worse. 

Elizabeth: Can you give me some examples?

Sarah: A couple of great examples are kits like the Amber Spa Equipment Kit, which is used for many treatments including full body wraps and treatments, paraffin cocoons and paraffin manicure or pedicures. Also you can purchase infared mineral lights, which are used to relieve muscle strain and increase blood circulation. This type of treatment is used worldwide by acupuncturists, chiropractors, fitness specialists and naturopaths. Some of the more cutting edge spa therapy equipment are products like portable or stationary hydrotherapy tables and tubs and there is something new called the Power Plate, which uses vibration therapy.

Elizabeth: What is Vibration Therapy?

Sarah: Vibration therapy or whole body vibration therapy (WBV) has been the focus of a number of recent studies, one by NASA.  NASA is exploring how vibration therapy can help astronauts.  Many astronauts eventually suffer from bone loss and osteoporosis as a result of weightlessness in space.  It has been shown to prevent bone loss when applied for as little as 10 to 20 minutes a day. Vibration therapy is being explored in so many ways has been proven to help improve muscle strength, flexibility, range of motion, circulation, and bone density.  This type of product can help everyone from  older women suffering from osteoporosis or athletes dealing with issues of rehabilitation.  

Elizabeth: The home spa trend makes sense now.  It’s a matter of setting aside a space and making a commitment to your own health.  Going back to our earlier question…how much space do you think you need at home to create a spa therapy room?

Sarah:  Like I said earlier you don’t need to live in Hollywood and be rich to have a spa therapy room at home.  A massage table can fit in a spare room, and an aromatherapy device is small and can be moved from room to room. Air purifiers can be placed anywhere. You might want to consider using a room near the bathroom especially if you have a Jacuzzi tub or steam shower. Some people prefer the spa therapy room have great natural lighting so they choose a more open space, other prefer the space be located near their own bedroom for convenience. It really all comes down to what fits your personal lifestyle.

Elizabeth: Well thank you for being here Sarah. 

Sarah: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure.

Elizabeth: Again we are here in Asheville, North Carolina at the Banner Therapy showroom.  To learn more about our therapy products and alternative health trends please visit us online at www.BannerTherapy.com.