SPA DOCTOR: I’ve cured my cankles – with a dose of salt
Natural salt has been used since ancient times to ‘treat’ a variety of conditions. Here, Epsom salt baths are a way to get a dose of magnesium, easing sore muscles.
At the end of the day, I often find my legs get puffy – medically, it’s known as oedema, caused by a build-up of fluid. After a long flight, my legs are at their worst. So, on a trip to Las Vegas, I tried a treatment that involves rubbing pink, mineral-rich Himalayan salt stones over the body to reduce inflammation.
WHERE’S THE SOLUTION?
Aria, on the Las Vegas Strip. It sits within an airport-sized, mostly glass complex that also houses the Vdara and Waldorf Astoria hotels.
Natural salt has been used since ancient times to ‘treat’ a variety of conditions (pictured: A gentle Himalayan Salt Stone Massage)
THE TREATMENT
During the Himalayan Salt Stone Massage (80 minutes, £230), the therapist uses large, very warm salt stones to knead and stroke the back and limbs. I was expecting something quite firm, but in fact there was a lightness of touch.
This isn’t a lymphatic drainage massage, which is a medical treatment for oedema. But the approach – to gently help move fluid out of the tissue and back into the circulation, and then excrete it – is similar in that not a lot of pressure is used.
I had my treatment the morning after a ten-hour flight from London. My cankles – where the ankles lack definition and seem to merge with the calves – were sausage-like before my appointment. Afterwards, as I unwound in a heated pool, I noticed they were back to normal. I was also given salt stones to take home, and I’ve enjoyed using them in the bath ever since.
MORE INFO
Double rooms at Aria (aria.com) start at £100 a night.