table shower

Quora

While water has long been used for therapeutic purposes, the exact origin of table showers is unclear.

One important antecedent is the Vichy shower, named for the historic thermal springs and spa culture of Vichy, France. Ancient Romans, medieval French royalty, and modern-day tourists have all enjoyed the rejuvenating waters of the French resort city, which produced its namesake, the Vichy shower, by the 19th century.

Vichy showers feature a bar with shower nozzles arranged over a special, self-draining table (wet table). The massager sprays the client, usually with a strategic mix of hot and cold water while giving the person a hand massage. The practice helps exfoliate and detoxify the skin while soothing sore muscles and reducing stress.

In 20th-century massage and hydrotherapy, Vichy showers became known as table showers, especially in the US. Especially at spas and resorts, clients often get a table shower treatment after a body scrub or wrap, with shower heads placed over different parts of the body (with a focus on the back) at varying degrees of warmth, pressure, and pulsation. Clients frequently wear a towel or disposable garment during the table shower.

By the 2000s, East Asian massage parlors in the US were increasingly adopting table showers in their practice, with some advertising a more sensual experience—and some customers fearing or expecting a more sexual one, in line with stereotypes about the services offered at Asian massages.