The Basics of Hot Stone Massage

If you’ve never had a hot stone massage, you may be wondering what it’s all about. Maybe you’ve seen pictures of someone who looks wonderfully relaxed with stones down their back, but you’ve not yet tried it for yourself. Hot stones work to relax your muscles, which makes the massage more effective by allowing it to reach deeper muscles.

There are a couple of ways Hot Stones might be used by a Massage Therapist. One techniques involves your therapist warming stones made of flat, volcanic rock called basalt and lays them on key places, often on pressure points on your spine, legs, feet, or abdomen. Sometimes they are placed on knotted muscles to ease the tension before the massage begins. We, however, use the stones as a tool to get into the muscle, an extension of our hands and forearms. This allows the muscles to warm as it’s being massaged and allows for an incredibly soothing treatment.

In addition to being wonderfully relaxing and allowing for a deeper massage, heat increases blood flow by expanding blood vessels, which in turn increases circulation and promotes healing. As you might expect, there are specific benefits that go along with hot stone massage therapy.

Increased joint flexibility

The deeper massage and relaxed muscles translate into an improvement in joint flexibility. Because it will be easier to move after a hot stone massage, it is often a good choice for individuals with joint disorders.

Better sleep

Not only does massage feel relaxing in the moment, but it relaxes your body and lessons stress later in the day. This promotes getting a good night’s sleep.

Reduced muscle tension

As already mentioned, heat reaches deeper tissues faster, which reduces muscle tension and eases stiffness.

Chronic pain relief

Many people with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis use hot stone massage to promote deep relaxation and lessen their pain.

Although there are many positive effects of hot stone massage, it isn’t right for every situation. In particular, hot stone massage is not helpful for acute injuries as the heat and increased blood flow may increase swelling. At the beginning of your appointment, talk to your massage therapist about any health concerns you have that might affect the massage.

At Resonance Mind Body Wellness, we offer both 60- and 90-minute hot stone massages. Contact us today for a wonderfully relaxing experience, improved sleep, and reduced stress and tension.