Hot Stone Massage Treatment

Applying direct heat on the body relaxes the muscle and dilates the blood vessel that enhances good circulation. This is the purpose of hot stone massage treatment. It is also good for eliminating toxins from the body and thus reducing stress. Since stress is associated to many health problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, back pains and many others, hot stone massage is the best treatment for these conditions. Arthritis and osteoarthritis pains can be reduced or prevented. Individuals without any pain can also use this therapy to have a deeper relaxation.
Hot stone massage was practiced in the ancient times specifically the Native Americans for healing but it was only become famous when Mary Nelson, a massage therapist from Arizona introduced the hot stone massage techniques called the LaStone Therapy. She conducted trainings and workshops for other massage therapist using stones. It became very popular and now, even spas have introduced their own version of hot stone massage treatment.
How does it work? Hot stone massage does not use ordinary stones but stones made of basalt. This is a type of rock that contains a lot of iron which retain heat. They are smooth and flat. The sizes of the stones vary depending on which part of the body it will be put. Stones applied on the back are just as big as eggs.
The stones are immersed in water and then heated in an electric heating device that controls the temperature or simply with a thermostat. Stones are heated only up to the temperature that are tolerable for the patients and will not burn them. To ensure that the patient will not be burned, the therapist holds the stones first in their hand to check the temperature. Individuals of course, has different tolerance point for heat so the therapist always asks his/her client. It is then placed on specific parts of the body such as back, palms and between the toes. Some therapist put the hot stone in the place where they thought is the center of energy of the body.
Before placing the stones, the therapist usually begins with applying oil to the body. For this reason, hot stones glide smoothly along the muscles. More often, the therapist uses the hot stones to massage the patient’s back but there are times that after massaging the back, patients are ask to lie on their back so that the therapist can place the stones on palms of the hands and in between the toes.
Hot stone massage is typically part of Swedish or deep tissue massage. Because it relaxes the muscles and reduce muscle tension, the therapists are allowed to apply deeper pressure using his/ her hands. Hot stones have calming and soothing effects while applying pressure promotes circulation and relieves congestion between the tissues and the joints. Some may experience redness or swelling because of hot stones or of applying pressure, but it is not something to worry about. It will subside few hours after the treatment.
Therapeutic effects of hot stone massage have been experienced by many people from the past up to the present time. It is indeed beneficial to most individuals. The treatment only last for 90 minutes but its health effect can be experienced for weeks in just a single session. If regular session, you can enjoy the long-term health benefits.