Following my daily workout at the Y I spend 15 minutes or so inthe spa. Sure, the temperature and jets feel good, but is there any real therapeutic value to spending time in a spa?
The last time I looked into this, the research was somewhat mixed. I seem to recall some conditions for which specific kinds of water therapy were clearly good, but not much to conclusively prove that general spa use is generally good.
On the other hand, I don’t think there’s anyone who will say that 15 minutes of relaxation is a bad thing. It’s just not the kind of thing that will cure condition X.
I know that for me it helps reduce the pain of my arthritis, letting me avoid taking more pain meds. Usually half an hour in my hot tub will make me more mobile for about 3 hours or so as long as I avoid getting chilled.
If I had a dream hot tub, it would be 20 feet diameter, seating all around the rim, set of steps at one side with grab rails, and be stepped, sitting area, with about 2 feet of step then a center portion that was about 7 feet deep for doing my hydrotherapy moves [think very elaborate choreographed treading water, sort of]
The pool my hydro gets done in is kept fairly cool =(
There is often a warning sign about not getting in if you are under the effects of drugs or alcohol. Ironic, since that’s the only time I consider getting in.