Beginning with the most primitive underground hot springs, spa baths have been used for centuries for general health and well being. Early on, the Romans, Greeks, Japanese, Nords and other cultures realized the many benefits of warm water therapy to mind, body and spirit.

The Spa
It is believed the name spa is derived from the Latin words “espa” (fountain) and “sparsa” (from spargere = to bubble up). The word “spa” has now become a generic word referring to natural mineral springs and surrounding areas where people came to relax and enjoy the healing qualities of warm water. The town of Spa, from which the word is derived, was once a part of the Roman Empire (now east of Belgium) and is still a well known resort for baths and mineral springs.

The Greeks
As early as 500 B.C., the Greeks built mineral and thermal baths near natural hot springs or volcanoes. These were places where the elite Grecians would meet to discuss philosophical ideas and treat physical ailments such as jaundice or rheumatism.

The Romans
The ancient Roman baths weren’t about personal hygiene or hydrotherapy. These baths were used more as recreational arenas where hundreds of citizens at a time would gather to lounge, soak and socialize. A complex system of ducts carried mineral waters throughout a facility into stone bathtubs in private rooms, steam rooms and public baths. The largest Roman bath, completed around 305 A.D., covered an area of 130,000 square yards.

The British
Back as far as 800 B.C., the healing waters of Bath, England have been enjoyed. The thermal waters of Bath maintain a constant temperature of 116 degree Fahrenheit and rise from a depth of 10,000 feet at a rate of about 250,000 gallons per day. British royalty continued to use the waters well into the 20th century.

The Japanese
A centuries old family custom in Japan is the “ofuro” or hot water bathing in freestanding wooden tubs. To the Japanese, ofuro is not about getting clean – you do that before entering the bath. Instead, it is a time for relaxation and contemplation as well as promotion of good health as the hot water stimulates circulation. Occupation forces brought the information and wonder of this custom home with them after World War II.

America
Native Americans enjoyed the health benefits of natural hot springs before European settlers arrived. During the early 1900’s hundreds of thousands of people flocked to spa resorts town set upon natural mountain hot springs in areas such as Hot Springs in Arkansas, Saratoga in New York and Calistoga in California. These resorts, fashioned like the famous European resort spas, initially attracted wealthy Americans with the allure of their therapeutic hot water springs. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt sought out the healing waters of therapeutic baths in Warm Spring, Colorado, to treat the debilitating pain of polio during his administration from 1933 to 1945.

In America, the evolution the modern hot tub was started in 1960’s California where hippies soaked in simple wooden tubs made from used oak barrels and vats from nearby wineries. The 1970’s brought fiberglass in ground spas. Since then, the spa industry has continued to evolve to offer a dizzying array of spa and hot tub options for the consumer to use indoors and out. Today, more than ever, the industry continues to grow with over one million hot tubs in use across America; spas are expected to become a permanent fixture in most every home within ten years.

Whatever the method, through the ages, millions of bathers have benefited from the healing powers that water brings.

Introduction		Hydrotherapy