Aromatherapy & Wellness Spa
A Thesis submitted to the
Lucena Manpower Skills Training Center
Lucena City, Quezon Province
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the course of
Massage Therapy NC II
Erlita L. Embradura
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ABSTRACT
Our business’s name is Aromatherapy & Wellness Spa. We got this name as a
representation of the services that our business is willing to provide. Aromatherapy & Wellness
Spa is a business categorized in the hospitality industry. This spa provides services of body
massage particularly massage therapy and reflexology massage. It is located at the heart of Lucena
City, Quezon Province, Philippines.
Our business partnership is formed through a course of the Massage Therapy by TESDA
instructed at the Lucena Manpower Skills Training Center. There are
They are
and
as General Manager,
as Administration,
partners in our company.
as Operation Manager,
as Marketing Manager. An agreement has been signed up by all the partners. The date
of the commencement of the business has been fixed on
.
This business has its own potential to expand in business industry, because there are only
a handful of spa and wellness centers in Lucena City and our business has a strong base to stand
in the hospitality industry. There are several factors of choosing service of spa as the element of
business:
•
The high demand from women nowadays are of importance of health and beauty
•
No competitive at high demand area.
•
Demand from public users at this area like students that provide service of spa that
are affordable to them.
•
Has sufficient expert in the related field.
In the future, we plan to expand our business into several branches. Our target period would
be 7 to 10 years. We also try to achieve the world-class quality of giving satisfaction spa services.
For long-term period, we would like to become Quezon Province’s number one spa service.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRELIMINARY PARTS
Title page
i.
Abstract
ii.
INRODUCTION
Background of the Study
4
Statement of the Problem
6
Significance of the Study
7
Definition of Terms
10
REFERENCES
12
3
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Massage therapy history dates back thousands of years to ancient cultures that believed in
its medical benefits. The first written records of massage therapy are found in China and Egypt.
2700 BCE: The first known Chinese text is called “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book
of Internal Medicine.” This book was first published in English in 1949, but has become a staple
in massage therapy training and is also often used as a textbook for teaching many other forms of
alternative medicine such as acupuncture, acupressure and herbology.
2500 BCE: Egyptian tomb paintings show that massage therapy was also a part of their
medical tradition. Egyptians get the credit for pioneering reflexology. Their studies and traditions
greatly influenced other cultures such as the Greeks and Romans.
1500 and 500 BCE: The first known written massage therapy traditions come from India,
but practice may have actually originated around 3000 BCE or earlier. Hindus used the art of
healing touch in the practice of Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda, a Sanskrit word, translates to
“life health” or “life science.” It is regarded as the basis of holistic medicine, combining
meditation, relaxation and aromatherapy.
Early 1800s: It was from this early massage therapy history that the Swedish doctor,
gymnast and educator Per Henril Ling developed a method of movement known as the “Swedish
Movement System.” This is regarded as the foundation for Swedish massage most commonly
used in the West today.
Although the “Swedish Movement System” was developed by Ling, it was Dutchman
Johan Georg Mezger who defined the basic hand strokes of Swedish massage.
Today the most common types of massage practiced in the western hemisphere are
Swedish massage and the Japanese massage practice of Shiatsu.
Considering the long history of massage, its incorporation into Western medicine is only
in its infancy. The potential for growth and research of the healing properties of therapeutic
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massage and body work has gained great momentum over the last fifty years, and the public
demand for massage therapy is at an all-time high.
As a preventative practice, therapeutic massage is used in spas, gyms and work places all
over the country. Using massage therapy to promote balance and maintain internal and external
health is something that is now a standard part of the North American lifestyle.
In the health care industry, massage is commonly used in hospitals, nursing homes and
birthing centers. It is also used in physical therapy and in chiropractic clinics to treat pain,
increase circulation and expedite the healing of injured muscles.
During the 1930s Eunice D. Ingham (1889-1972) who met Riley as early as 1919 worked
for Dr. Riley in St. Petersburg, Florida and continued to refine and improve his work. From her
first book, Stories the Feet Can Tell (1938) she was encouraged by Riley and others to take her
work to the public and non-medical community. Eunice’s major contribution to working with
reflexes was that alternating pressure, rather than having a numbing effect, stimulated healing.
For forty years she lectured and traveled back and forth across the United States. She wrote three
books in the process, often using the term ‘compression reflex massage’ though she never
envisioned reflexology as part of massage.
She saw reflexology as a separate discipline but felt if she used the medical term
‘reflexology’ she could get in trouble with the medical community. Eunice Ingham (Stopfel)
limited her book reviews as she called her seminars to cities and towns in the USA and southern
Canada. In the 1970s Eunice retired and the lecturing was taken over by her nephew, Dwight
Byers who had been touring with her since 1948. Beginning in 1961 Byers took the seminars
overseas. Over the years he has presented seminars on six continents.
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Statement of the Problem
 Vision
The vision of Aromatherapy & Wellness Spa is to establish a business that is competitive
in the Philippines that aims to provide massage therapy and reflexology massage that can
improve the quality of life.
 Mission
For Aromatherapy & Wellness Spa, its mission statement is to bring in more variety of
massage services, which are inventive, reasonably priced, and satisfactory to customers
that will enhance productivity in the local community.
 Objectives
The following are the objectives of the prospective business:
1. To fulfill the customers demand.
2. To produce the high quality of services.
3. To achieve maximum profit.
4. To achieve the business’ vision and mission.
5. To maintain the optimum level of spa operation services
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Significance of the Study
Despite the popularity of spa therapy, reported scientific evidence for its efficacy is
sparse. A decade ago, Heywood reviewed well documented records on spa treatment for lead
poisoning in the 18th and 19th century in Bath.
Paralysis occurring as a result of chronic lead intoxication (colica pictonum) was a
common problem in those days owing to the widespread use of lead in household ware,
cosmetics, food colorants, wine, and salts for medicinal use. Already at the beginning of the 16th
century, Bath was famous for curing paralysis, even in those patients who were regarded as
incurable. The treatment consisted of bathing, drinking cures, diet, and purges.
Patients admitted to the Bath Hospital came from all over England, and often had already
been treated for their paralysis elsewhere, without success. However, many of these presumed
incurable patients were cured after their (months) stay in Bath. An example can be found in the
comparison of medical records of Bath and Exeter Hospitals between 1762 and 1767. During
these five years, 285 patients with colica pictonum were admitted in Exeter and 281 patients in
Bath. Seventy three per cent of the patients from Exeter were cured or improved, whereas the
figure was 93% from Bath.
Moreover, the group in Bath included some 80 patients referred from Exeter who had not
been cured by treatment in Exeter. From 1760 to 1879, 3377 patients were admitted in Bath for
paralysis due to lead intoxication. Forty five per cent were cured and 93% had at least improved.
The high cure rates for paralysis by spa therapy in Bath may be attributed to several factors.
Sitting in warm water produces diuresis, with increased excretion of sodium, potassium, calcium,
and also lead. Also the good food, exercises, removal from the source of lead, and the large
quantities of water rich in calcium and iron contributed to the success of spa therapy in Bath.
Throughout the ages the interest in the use of water in medicine has fluctuated from
century to century and from nation to nation. The (medical) world has viewed it with different
opinions, from very enthusiastic to extremely critical, and from beneficial to harmful. Today, spa
therapy is receiving renewed attention from many medical specialties and health tourists, and
having a revival. However, the exact therapeutic potential of spa therapy still remains largely
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unknown. Better and more profound scientific evidence for its efficacy is therefore warranted, in
particular for its effects on the musculoskeletal system.
There are tremendous benefits to be achieved through regular massage therapy treatments
from a Massage Therapist. Whether your need is to have a moment of relaxation, reduce muscle
tension or attain relief from chronic pain, a therapeutic massage can enhance your overall sense
of emotional and physical well-being.
Massage therapy can be an important part of your health maintenance plan by:

Reducing or eliminating pain.

Improving joint mobility.

Improving circulation.

Improving lymphatic drainage.

Reducing muscular tension.
Massage therapy can be used for the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions.
RMTs can work with a wide variety of patients, of all ages, in the treatment of illness, injury
rehabilitation and disability.
Massage Therapists today use their knowledge of physiology and anatomy to combine
traditional Swedish and modern massage therapy techniques with other therapies to treat their
clients. There has been a wide variety of research, published in peer reviewed journals, proving
the benefits of massage therapy for various conditions.
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The following is a list of conditions for which massage therapy, when provided by a
Massage Therapist, can prove beneficial:
Anxiety and depression
Asthma and Emphysema
Back, leg, and neck pain
Cancer symptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome (repetitive
Chronic Fatigue syndrome
strain)
Dislocations
Fibromyalgia
Fractures and edema
Gastrointestinal disorders
Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis
Headaches
and bursitis
Insomnia
Kyphosis and Scoliosis
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Muscle tension and spasm
Palliative care
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Pregnancy and labor support
Sports injuries
Strains and sprains
Stress and stress related conditions
Stroke
Tendinitis
Whiplash
Massage Therapy can also be used as part of a preventative care program. This includes
sports training, injury prevention, ongoing stress management, and more.
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Definition of Terms
Massage Therapy is manual manipulation of soft body tissues (muscle, connective tissue,
tendons and ligaments) to enhance a person’s health and well-being. There are dozens of types of
massage therapy methods (also called modalities).
People seek massage therapy for a variety of reasons – to reduce stress and anxiety, relax
muscles, rehabilitate injuries, reduce pain, and promote overall health and wellness. At
Northwestern, you are not simply going to a massage school - you are studying to be a healthcare
professional who provides massage therapy.
The term “massage therapy” includes many techniques, and the type of massage given
usually depends on your needs and physical condition.

Massage therapy dates back thousands of years. References to massage appear in ancient
writings from China, Japan, India, and Egypt.

In general, massage therapists work on muscle and other soft tissue to help you
feel better.

In Swedish massage, the therapist uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements,
vibration, and tapping.

Sports massage combines techniques of Swedish massage and deep tissue massage to
release chronic muscle tension. It’s adapted to the needs of athletes.

Myofascial trigger point therapy focuses on trigger points—areas that are painful when
pressed and are associated with pain elsewhere in the body.

Massage therapy is sometimes done using essential oils as a form of aromatherapy.
Reflexology Massage also known as zone therapy is a non-intrusive and very relaxing
therapy based on the theory that different points on the feet correspond to every part, gland and
organ of the body. This treatment is a complementary therapy that involves the application of
pressure to specific points; known as reflexes, on the feet, which correspond to other parts of the
body, encouraging body to heal from within.
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The therapist will use their hands to apply pressure to the feet and lower legs with
specific thumb, finger and hand techniques. Massage oil or cream can be used during the
treatment and a massage on the feet and lower legs is also incorporated in the treatment.
Reflexology is a holistic therapy and it does treat the person as a whole rather than just
focusing on a set of symptoms, so it does take both the physical and emotional being into
account.
Reflexology is suitable for people of all ages as it can bring relief from a wide range of
acute and chronic conditions some of which are listed below:

Back pain

Shoulder pain

Digestive disorders

Stress related conditions

Headaches & Migraines

Fertility

Hormonal imbalances
With ever increasing levels of stress in everyday life, it is important for people to take
more responsibility for their own healthcare needs and its aim is to restores the body’s balance
naturally and reflexology maybe one of the ways to mitigate stresses of modern life. Reflexology
can relieve tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related
areas of the body.
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REFERENCES
All Allied Health Schools. (2016). “The History of Massage Therapy”. Retrieved July 19, 2018
from https://www.allalliedhealthschools.com/massage-therapist/massage-therapy-history/
American Reflexology Certification Board (2014). “Foot Reflexology: A Brief History”.
Retrieved July 19, 2018 from http://reflexologyhistory.com/History.html
Complete
Health
Clinic
(2018).
“Reflexology”.
Retrieved
July
19,
2018
from
http://www.completehealthclinic.co.uk/other-services/reflexology/
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (2016). “Massage Therapy for Health
Purposes”.
Retrieved
July
19,
2018
from
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/massage/massageintroduction.htm#hed2
Northwestern Health Sciences University (2017). “What is Massage Therapy?”. Retrieved July
19, 2018 from https://www.nwhealth.edu/school-of-massage-therapy/massage-therapydefinition/
Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (2018). “The Benefits of Massage
Therapy”.
Retrieved
July
19,
2018
from
https://secure.rmtao.com/massage_therapy/the_benefits_of_mt
Shata, S., et al. (2009). “SPA ‘S’ Diploma Study”. Retrieved July 19, 2018 from
https://www.scribd.com/document_downloads/direct/26866511?extension=doc&ft=1531
980346&lt=1531983956&user_id=376586000&uahk=T_7ekABm54vaWTmUwuTA3B6
lxxQ
Tubergen, Astrid & Linden, Sjef. (2002). “A brief history of spa therapy”. Retrieved July 19, 2018
from the Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 61. 273-5. 10.1136/ard.61.3.273.
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