What is Hot Stone Massage?
A Hot Stone Massage is a treatment in which a trained therapist uses heated stones to massage the body, including placing stones on key points of the spine and muscles for optimal results.
This technique, which involves using heated rocks, dates back hundreds of years. It can be an excellent way to loosen up the muscles, allowing the massage technique to be more effective in penetrating sore or inflamed areas.
Traditionally, the stones used in this massage technique are black volcanic rocks (basalt) that range in size from small to large and tend to be naturally smoothed by the movement of rivers or seawater.
You can typically find hot stone massages as another option at a spa. Still, given this massage’s delicate and specialized nature, it is essential to find a professional massage therapist trained in this style.
Hot Stone Massage Technique
The hot Stone Massage Technique involves the following:
- Step 1: During a hot stone massage, your massage therapist will typically submerge and heat the stones in water from 110-150 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 2: To begin the massage, you will be on your stomach, and a traditional Swedish massage will be given for a brief period, perhaps 5-10 minutes.
- Step 3: The therapist will remove the heated stones from the water and begin massaging them into your skin, using larger stones for larger muscle groups and smaller stones for more intricate areas of the back and body.
- Step 4: As the stones cool, the therapist may either set the rocks aside or place them precisely on your spine, back, belly, hands, or toes to encourage circulation and greater relaxation within the body.
- Step 5: This may be the end of some hot stone massages, while others will involve the slow removal of the stones, accompanied by a more traditional massage on the loosened and relaxed muscles.
How to Make the Most Out of Hot Stone Massage
- Use stones to massage rather than your hands. You can do this by moving the rocks gently over tension areas. The pressure exerted by the stones may be pretty intense. Still, since the heating procedure sufficiently relaxes the participant’s muscles, this process should be practically painless.
- Combine the hot stones with another massage technique. You can try a Swedish massage or a deep tissue massage. This helps you reap the most significant benefits from the experience.
- Switch between hot stones and cold marble stones. Most people find that they can’t feel the difference in the temperature change to the cooler stones after some time. This process is usually recommended for soothing injuries resulting from painful swelling or inflammation.
Hot Stone Massage Benefits
There are quite a few benefits of hot stone massage, including the following:
- Relief from muscle tension
- Relief from stress and anxiety
- Helps during cancer therapy
- Boosted immunity
- Better sleep
- Boosted circulation
- Better mental health
Let us discuss them in detail below.
Muscle Tension
By increasing the circulation and oxygenation of muscles, this massage technique will allow your muscles to relax, relieve the tension that has built up, and lessen the risk of injury.
Stress and Anxiety
Suppose you suffer from chronically high levels of stress hormones. In that case, the soothing nature of these specialty massages can balance the metabolism and calm the mind, helping to shed stress and worry.
Many people struggle to find restful sleep because of tension and discomfort; a massage can leave your muscles relaxed and your mind clear, leading to undisturbed and rejuvenating sleep at night.
Autoimmune Diseases
Some chronic diseases can be remedied with regular hot stone massages, especially those linked to the nervous and muscular system, such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Aids During Cancer Therapy
The pain associated with cancer can often be unbearable and difficult to reduce, even with medication. Healing techniques like reiki, hot stone massage, and aromatherapy can help relieve pain and anxiety, making the recovery process simpler for cancer patients.
Immunity
By decreasing the arginine-vasopressin levels, which are blood pressure and water retention regulating hormones in the body, this massage also helps improve the immune system’s health.
Circulation
The heat from the stones causes your heart rate to increase and your blood vessels to dilate, thereby promoting blood flow. This also means better oxygenation to your various organ systems and more resources being delivered to those parts of the body that need them most.
Mental Health
Massage can be very soothing for a person’s mental health as it helps reduce stress. It also helps in treating anxiety and depression. It induces a feeling of relaxation, both in the mind and the body.
Hot Stone Massage Side Effects
Hot stone massage can have a few side effects, these include:
- Skin discomfort: Pressure and temperature sensitivities are different for every person, so there may be an adjustment period to the massage, which can be uncomfortable. Hot stones can also burn the skin, so communicate with your massage therapist.
- Other: Due to the effects of this massage, some people are warned not to undergo it, such as those with cancerous tumors, diabetes, blood clots, internal bleeding, pregnancy, and certain heart conditions.