Everyone’s talking about... D


espite regular spa- goers appreciating and understand- ing the short- and


long-term health benefi ts, some regard spas as expensive havens for the pampered, overweight and bored elite. Some health professionals, especially medical doctors, regard spa therapies with mistrust and consider practices to be a placebo eff ect, or sometimes even dangerous. Some areas within spa practices do give


me cause for concern. Promises of weight loss, anti-ageing and rejuvenation are oſt en associated with products and treatments promoted to attract clients who will pay for a quick fi x solution. Colon hydrotherapy is controversial and may cause serious prob- lems if not administered correctly. Finally, some therapists give clients unscientific advice and incorrect recommendations. Making sure all staff have recognised pro-


fessional qualifi cations, and understand the benefi ts, contraindications and complica- tions of therapies is needed to make the industry more credible. Each therapist needs to have a holistic knowledge of all the ingre-


I


f the spa industry was able and willing to engage in some form of transparent verification and valida-


tion of its work it would lead to a much greater level of credibil- ity. For it to gain the support of scientists, it will need to begin monitoring outcomes, measuring change and duration of change, become account- able and demonstrate that results are being followed up. It will have to be wholly trans- parent. Some argue it should go one step further and be limited to off ering only sci- entifi cally-verifi ed treatments. However, much of the spa industry’s clien-


tele is transient, so follow-up and outcome evaluation simply do not apply in the same way as would pertain to therapeutic inter- vention in clinical services environments. T ere are a number of reasons why the


scientifi c community is sometimes skepti- cal about alternative and complementary therapies. One reason relates to the tribal aspect of the functioning of human beings, whereby what is different or foreign is regarded as the enemy. Those who have


SCIENTIFIC PROOF


DR GERALDINE MITTON Medical doctor and wellness consultant


dients of products and the spa manager needs to have approved the products and services, mak- ing sure they adhere to ethical


and professional principles. T e High Rustenburg Health Hydro destina-


tion spa in South Africa, where I was medical director, catered for up to 100 guests (with 120 staff ) who normally stayed for a minimum of seven days on healthcare programmes. Each guest was monitored on alternate


days for weight and blood pressure, we also tested urine, blood sugar and body compo- sition. People came with problems ranging from minor to chronic health and within a week there was a marked improvement, including a dramatic sense of wellbeing. We were able to document a reduction


in blood pressure, improved digestion, nor- malised blood sugar; and, for those who stayed longer, we could show that there were improved blood lipids and liver functions. Results over a period of 14 years were always positive, but I did not publish these fi ndings


DR KIM JOBST


Editor-in-chief, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine


spent many years training and learning about pharmaceutical drugs, biomolecular science and


the mechanistic view of life, can feel under- mined and challenged by evidence that appears totally at odds with the prevailing biomolecular scientifi c paradigm. I’m working with a group of people in the


US on what I believe represents the bound- ary of so-called hard science and the more subtle world of energy to help to bridge the gap between these two ‘tribal areas’. Every scientist in the world must be aware


of the fact that our world, and the entire uni- verse, is governed by unseen forces which function precisely according to immuta- ble laws. How, then, does one explain what happens in healing or intuitive diagnosis, whether biomolecular or not? Many phy- sicians and scientists, as well as therapists, will tell you there are times when they put their hands on someone and somehow just


“Many physicians, as well as therapists, will tell you there are times when they put their hands on someone and somehow just know things about the person: information comes to them as if by fusion”


22 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital


know things about the person: information comes to them as if by some sort of fusion. By utilising some of the new developments in biophysics and technologies – which can detect micro-current, electromagnetic fi eld and electrical charge changes in living organisms – it will become possible to meas- ure and visualise some of these currently inexplicable phenomena happening. We are now working to utilise new tech-


nologies at the cutting edge of biophysics, such as diff erent forms of laser, frequency specifi c micro-current systems and other electrical, electromagnetic and bioresonance frequencies for diagnosis and treatment as well as monitoring. One might also question why the spa


industry would want, or need, the approval of the scientifi c community. T e true scien- tist must take heed that something has to be working, since the industry is very profi table and people don’t spend their money unless they feel it is worth it.


Dr Jobst is a physician dedicated to healing and integrated healthcare, and is qualifi ed in medicine and homeopathy, and trained in traditional Chinese acupuncture.


SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010


in scientifi c journals due to the stringent cri- teria required for research articles. At Sante Winelands Hotel and Wellness


Centre, also in South Africa, where I was spa director, we conducted corporate wellness programmes focused on stress reduction for female executives. Again, the results were uniformly positive. I have seen the benefi ts of spa therapies


fi rst hand over 20 years. However, scientifi c proof with double blind placebo controlled studies was not possible in our spa environ- ment. Aſt er all, our guests came to rest and relax, not to take part in clinical trials! Following the Global Spa Summit, a


number of us are collaborating on a journal which will present evidence validating the benefi ts of spa therapies. It will be presented in a language that can be understood by spa therapists and those in the industry.


Dr Mitton, based in South Africa, has more than 20 years’ experience as a medical, wellness and spa director.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84