While The Road to Wellville is an amusing satire, some of the incidents described at the Battle Creek Michigan sanitarium accurately depict the holistic atmosphere expected at a spa. Modeled after the ancient spas of Europe, the sanitarium’s treatments, although not always safe or effective, had the intention of improving health.
Today, spa therapies are investigated for safety and efficacy, and the emphasis is on natural, organic ingredients. Many of today’s therapies are subjected to rigorous clinical trials by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to evaluate their effects on various markers of inflammation. Massage, one of the most popular spa therapies, has been shown to reduce joint and musculoskeletal pain, improve mobility, offer stress reduction benefits and boost the circulation.
Food
In 1906, the sanitarium’s food was simple with an abundance of grains. The sanitarium’s doctor, John Harvey Kellogg, had an interest in healthy foods, but not necessarily variety or balanced nutrition. Hotel guests expected to lose weight and they typically did, especially if they had little fondness for the meager meals. At today’s destination spas, guests usually have several restaurants at their disposal, and they can expect healthy gourmet fare. Destination spas often have cooking and nutrition classes. Guests are also expected to learn ways to sustain a healthy lifestyle once their spa vacation ends. Spa recipes are no longer considered top secret. Most spas are happy to provide recipes to their guests.
Therapies
At the fictional sanitarium, one of the guests, Eleanor Lightbody, looks forward to her erotic massages while her husband is rightfully horrified by the unconventional radium treatments. At today’s destination spas, couple’s massages are popular as are private cabanas and hot tube. Guests can expect to find a wide choice of massage therapies as well as body wraps, facials, hydrotherapy sessions and fitness classes, including martial arts classes, yoga, Pilates, and aerobics.
Families are welcome at many destination spas, and activities for children are part of the destination spa plan. Destination resorts often have mineral springs that the entire family can relax in or they offer family activities such as horseback riding, beach volleyball, and hiking trails. Most destination spas also have a full gymnasium with state of the art equipment.
Where to Go
In The Road to Wellville, wealthy clients from cities sprinkled across the United States board trains as they embark on a journey, which can last several days, to reach the sanitarium in Michigan. When they arrive, they tend to stay for several weeks or months. Today, destination spas and wellness hotels can be found in natural settings in every state. Many destination spas take advantage of natural mineral and hot springs or pristine natural settings. Families can hop in a car for a long weekend getaway or they can fly to nearly every country in the world and find a destination resort.
Spas are no longer just for the wealthy. Destination spas are affordable and frequently offer special discounts and seasonal packages. And unlike the experiences of the characters in The Road to Wellville, today’s destination spa guest returns relaxed and invigorated with numerous tips intended to steer them on a true road to wellness.
Source
T. C. Boyle, The Road to Wellville, Penguin, 1994.
Elaine Moore - I'm a retired medical technologist and medical writer with more than 30 years experience working in hospital laboratories. Currently, I ...
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