Hot stone therapy is a form of specialty massage that involves the use of smooth heated stones. These special stones are used as either extension of the hands or placing them in key areas of the body for a period of time and/or while the therapist massage other parts of the body. The heat from the stone can help relax and warm up tight muscles so therapists can work on them quickly and deeply.
How It Works
The idea behind hot stone massage / therapy is the use of heat from the stones to relax the muscles, allowing therapists to massage through the deeper layers of the muscle. The hot stone promotes ease of muscles, better blood circulation by expanding blood vessels, and melts away tension from body. The stones also have natural sedative effect that instantly relieves chronic pain, promoting better relaxation and reducing stress.
Hot stone massage therapy melts away tension, eases muscle stiffness and increases circulation and metabolism. Each session promotes deeper muscle relaxation through the placement of smooth, water-heated stones at key points on the body.
How Its Done
Heated stones are usually placed on chakra point, along the spine. These points are your body’s energy center. Treatments on these parts of the body are believed to vitalize the whole body, as it promotes better flow of energy through the body.
With this, hot stone therapy is considered as a gentle type of therapy compared with deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. But it doesn’t mean it’s less effective, as therapists use hot stone instead of bare hands to massage, which allows them to reach up to ten times deeper than the usual fingers and palms.
Stones are heated through a hot water ranging from 120-130° Fahrenheit. Some treatments utilize either heated basalt stones (or basinit stones) and cold marble stones, as the combination of hot and cold are believed to promote relaxation and healing of the whole body and detoxification.
Benefits of Hot Stone Therapy
Opens Up The Body’s Energy Pathways
As said earlier, hot stones are placed along the chakra points, which hare energy pathways of the body, and medical science backs this claim up.
Eases Muscle Tension
Therapist heats up the stones and applies it to the tensed muscles and then use traditional massage. The heated stone relaxes the muscle, making it easier for the therapist to apply massage to the painful area. However, in some cases, people may still experience pain in the massaged area. If this is the case, always tell your therapist about it, and if the stone feels like burning your skin.
Alleviates Pain
Driving long distance or sitting in front of the compute all day can cause stress and stiffen muscles in the lower back. For this, massage therapist can use the other alternative called “cold stone therapy.” This therapy reduces inflammation and pain in the affected area and promotes healing of the injured part of the body.
I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful town of Metung and had a hot stone massage from Gail at McMillans of Metung in there relaxation centre.
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