What is a medical spa? (and the three best)

Lefay Resort & Spa Lake Garda, Italy

First and foremost, this 5* resort has an incredible view of Lake Garda. Located within a 27-hectare park, Lefay is surrounded by olive groves and citrus trees. The medical spa here offers a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and western health care. Treatments cover standard spa staples such as wraps, massages and facials, with the opportunity to relax in any of five different saunas or the glorious saltwater pool with those stunning lake views. There’s also an extensive jogging route as well as a number of therapeutic gardens – perfect for meditation. Invigorating massages, hydrotherapy and rebalancing therapies are also on the menu. Individually tailored diets are complied with a view to weight loss, reducing stress, overcoming insomnia or combatting signs of ageing. The resort also boasts an on-call physiotherapist and osteopath. The Traditional Chinese Medicine therapists perform a specialist form of acupuncture called tuina. Instead of using needles, therapists work with pressure points and moxibustion. Moxibustion involves burning a herbal substance near certain areas, increasing the efficiency of the massage.

Lefay has two restaurants serving a range of healthy foods, plus other dishes including Italian pastas.

SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain

SHA is renowned for being Spain’s most chic spa. Programmes here specialise in anti-ageing and wellness, and the food here is purely macrobiotic. But by no means your regular macrobiotic diet; the food here is absolute haute cuisine prepared by top chefs. The resort is made up of sleek, ultramodern buildings that set a tranquil scene for treatments such as massage, colonic hydrotherapy, yoga and reflexology. Cosmetic and dental procedures are also performed. The professional team includes sleep therapists, acupuncturists and smoking cessation specialists, along with detox, burnout and fitness professionals on site.

Park Igls, Austria

Just a few kilometers from Innsbruck (Austria) and surrounded by the breath-taking Tyrolean Alps, you will find Park Igls. Here, they offer treatments according to the Modern Mayr concept, which is based around the theory that the majority of common illnesses originate in the digestive system. Park Igls was named Best Destination Spa in 2013! The hotel is located approximately 9 hours drive from Utrecht and 15 minutes from Innsbruck airport. The Modern Mayr Medicine at Park Igls is an evolution of the classic FX Mayr: early Mayr diagnostics are enhanced by the latest conventional medicine as well as alternative medical procedures. In the segment of diagnostics, the Park Igls works closely with internationally renowned specialists from the University Hospital Innsbruck. In addition the Health Retreat offers preventative medical services of the highest level with special comprehensive diagnostic module, the Super Medical Check. Under highly experienced medical supervision, accompanied by healthy nutrition and appropriate physical activity, the organism is cleansed and the natural self-healing process is activated. Park hotel offers daily inside and outside sport activities like yoga, fitwalk, pilates and meditation.