Team Franciscan Center: Spa Update

Kristin Pitstick

With summer just beginning, now is a great time to give your skin a little more TLC. So before you grab a friend and set up for a BBQ, let’s talk a little bit about the skin and what massage can do to help.


Skin is the body’s largest organ. Yep, you read that right: skin is an organ. According to reference.com, an organ is defined as a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function in an organism. This most certainly qualifies the skin. Some of the skin’s jobs include protection, sensory response, maintenance of body temperature, and waste management. Kind of makes you look at your skin a little differently doesn’t it?

According to skincancer.org, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer over the course of a lifetime. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than breast, prostate, lung, and colon combined. Yikes!

Massage does offer great benefits to help improve the function and vibrancy of skin. A few things massage can do is help re-moisturize and soften dry skin, increase the production of natural oils thus improving skin suppleness, encourage cell regeneration, help to improve skin color, and reduce superficial scar tissue. Isn’t your skin worth it? Give your skin a little “thank you” and stop by the Day Spa for a massage today.

The Franciscan Center Day Spa offers several different types of massage. Please feel free to stop by the spa and take a look at our menu of services! We are happy to answer any questions that you might have. Or, call us at 432-6540.

Team Franciscan Center Spa: Relaxation Massage for Restful Sleep

Kristin Pitstick

Sleep. We all need it; most of us get too little of it. Does that matter? Absolutely! Sleep is necessary for our basic physiological operations. It plays a unique role in neurological performance, endocrine balance, immune system functioning, and musculoskeletal growth and repair. Catching all of your Z’s will help to enhance memory performance and creative problem solving skills, boost athletic performance, decrease risk for basic illness, and help the body become more resilient to daily stress.

Now the nasty side: sleep deprivation. Even a single hour of missed sleep takes a toll on our systems. Cognitively speaking, sacrificing sleep decreases memory abilities, short-term and working.

It has been linked to depression and is known to exacerbate preexisting psychological illnesses. Still not worried? A single night of sleep loss increases systemic inflammation. Not to mention several studies link partial sleep deprivation/disruption and increased mortality risk. YUCK!

Our need for sleep varies by individual. Most of us fall under the 7-8 hour range. Some of us need 9-10. There are those crazy individuals that can get by on 6. FYI: although sleep patterns become more fragmented as we age, older adults still need the same average as everyone else.

There you have it! Sleep is vital for health. Having trouble sleeping? Stop by the Day Spa for a relaxation massage!

The Franciscan Center Day Spa offers several different types of massage. Please feel free to stop by the spa and take a look at our menu of services! We are happy to answer any questions that you might have. Or, call us at 432-6540

Team Franciscan Center: Setting Goals!

Kristin Pitstick
Spa Manager 

While the holidays offer us time to spend with family and friends, they tend to leave us a bit lethargic (not to mention a few pounds heavier!). Now is the perfect time to take an honest look at yourself, decide where you want to go, and set some goals to get there! For this month’s issue, I’m going to talk a little bit about massage and how it could benefit your exercise regime.

Muscles that get moderate to heavy exercise tend to become chronically tight compared to those that don’t. This tightness in turn causes a loss of flexibility which predisposes you to injuries. Poor blood flow due to muscle tightness also means pain and discomfort. Enter massage therapy. Some of the benefits for injury prevention and exercise include:

Increased range of motion and flexibility

Improved performance

Shortened recovery time

Increased supply of nutrients/oxygen to muscles.

Elimination of lactic acid (a by-product of muscle tissue during strenuous exercise)

Relief from muscle soreness and pain

Overall, I encourage you to make massage part of your wellness program. Not only will it help you perform better, it will make you feel better. Make 2013 the best year of your life!

The Franciscan Center Day Spa offers several different types of massage.  Please feel free to stop by the spa and take a look at our menu of services!  We are happy to answer any questions that you might have.  Or, call 

Team Franciscan Center Spa Update!

Kristin Pitstick
Spa Manager

Winter is just about here and that means SNOW! I know, I shouldn’t utter the “S” word, but it’s important for us to prepare for the upcoming months. Here at the Franciscan Center, we are preparing with Paraffin Hand Treatments. They are excellent for helping with those aches and pains that inevitably come with Old Man Winter. Not sure what that is? PERFECT! I’m going to highlight it in this month’s issue.


The following information is taken from www.livestrong.com. A paraffin treatment uses warm oil-based wax to provide pain relief to hands, feet and sore joints and muscles. At the Franciscan Center, we primarily perform this on hands, but it can be done on the feet as well. Paraffin treatment is a form of deep heat therapy. The liquified wax is quite efficient at absorbing and retaining heat. In addition to its skin softening properties, a paraffin treatment will improve blood flow, increase range of motion for people with arthritis/bursitis or other chronic joint disorder, relax stiff muscles, and sooth pain.

Don’t let the cold weather ruin your winter! Bring a friend and stop by the Franciscan Center Day Spa to set up your appointment for a paraffin hand treatment, manicure, pedicure, or massage! While you’re here enjoy a dip in the pool, dinner and the Station House, and some socialization with great friends.

Team Fraciscan Center: Deep Tissue Massage!

Kristin Pitstick Spa Manager

Happy New Year to you and your family from the Franciscan Center Day Spa! A new year means a fresh start – a time for personal reflection and growth; a time to move forward and reach our goals. In this month’s issue, I am going to talk about deep tissue massage – the lies, the truths, and if it is appropriate for you.

First and foremost, deep tissue massage is a technique that aims to relieve the deeper structures of muscle and fascia. It uses many of the same movements as Swedish massage; however the sessions are often more intense as a result of deliberate, focused work. Many people associate deep tissue massage with “deep pressure” massage, these are not the same. Deep pressure massage is a technique that is performed with sustained strong, occasionally intense pressure throughout and entire full-body session. Not only is this technique physically intense on the therapist, it may also lead to injury of localized muscle or nerve trauma.

Deep tissue is great for people with chronically tense areas, specifically when adhesions are involved. It is also beneficial for people with limited mobility, postural problems, fibromyalgia, repetitive strain, and osteoarthritis pain. It is NOT recommended for people with infectious skin diseases, open wounds, acute injury, varicose veins, immediately after surgery, those prone to blood clots, those who bruise easily, areas with sensation loss, deep vein thrombosis, and contagious conditions. Those with osteoporosis should obtain written permission from their doctor before receiving a deep tissue massage. If you think you could benefit from a deep tissue massage, call the Day Spa now to consult with one of our therapists. Make 2012 the year you reach your wellness goals!

The Franciscan Center: Spa Designs!

~submitted by project photographer Denise~