|
Hot Stone 101…
Some of the most progressive healers throughout the world are rediscovering what was once an everyday part of ancient healing. Massage therapists on the cutting edge are using heated or cooled stones of all different shapes and sizes as extensions of their own hands and fingers to add a whole new dimension to the traditional stand-bys of Swedish and Deep Tissue massage. We offer a unique concept, using them in nearly EVERY pain-management or relaxation massage to facilitate faster and more complete muscle release.
How can it help?
Since the stones instantly melt away the tension in the top tissue layers, we’re able to get into your deeper muscles much faster, and with little to no pain. So our deep tissue massage may not feel like those you’ve experienced before. Deep tissue from us is going to feel different, but it will get the job done. The stones do a lot of the work for us, warming and softening your muscles, so that we don’t have to aggressively force our way into a tight muscle. This means you won’t have to grin and bear it.
During the massage, your blood circulation will be boosted. You may notice your pain become dull fairly quickly, because the sensation of heat competes with the sensation of pain for the same neurological pathways to your brain. Your brain registers the heat instead of the pain, so heat wins, and the pain subsides. By the time the slower-moving pain sensations would have reached your brain, your tissues are already so loose that the source of the pain has been extinguished.
What’s it like?
Hot Stone massage feels a little like getting into a hot bath, where you’re a little on the edge of the temperature tolerance at first, but then you settle right in and realize it’s the best thing you’ve done in a long time. The key to the Hot Stones is that the heat keeps moving—faster at first for even dispersion, and then slower to apply more pressure to the jelly-like muscles.
Typically, during our basic Integrated Massage, we begin the massage on your back, without using stones at first, in order to assess your muscle tissues. This gives us a starting point from which we can gauge the progress we make. After a few minutes, we begin using stones. We hold the stones in our palms and rub them onto your skin, using them to warm your muscles, and then we set them aside and follow through with a combination of familiar massage techniques. For stubborn areas with more chronic tightness, we use additional freshly-heated stones, alternating between stone work and basic massage by hand, until your tissues are relaxed to the best of our ability.
During longer sessions (90 minutes or more), for additional reinforcement, we’ll wrap large stones in a towel on your back, where they’ll remain while we work on the back of your legs. The spinal wrap on your back is then removed and you are turned onto your back and we repeat the above strategy, always following the stone work with manual kneading massage and gliding strokes. We often finish with some neck work and/or stretching (stretching upon request).
At some facilities, unfortunately, Hot Stone Massage can be sort of a racket. Some practitioners put hot stones along your spine or on both sides of your spine, and then leave the room for a while! We spend the entire time in the room, providing massage.
Of course, please understand that any session can be adapted to fit your needs; if you have a specific problem area that needs a lot of work, we can spend the whole session on that area. Or, if you prefer to skip over a particular area, we will respect and honor that preference. Sessions aren’t limited to just massage, either. We can incorporate biofeedback, reflexology, total body stretching, and more into any session, depending on session length. You can Build-Your-Own massage.
Does it hurt? Does it burn?
Hot Stone Massage should do neither.
Pressure: The pressure can be adjusted to any level from gentle to deep, and the stones do not catch on areas where the bones are close to the surface. Whether you just want to relax with a gentle, warm massage, or you need us to work more deeply, we will work with you to make this massage your best ever.
Heat: We operate within the temperature range that delivers the most therapeutic benefit, which is between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit (43 to 49 degrees Celsius). We can adjust the heat of the stones to match your comfort level. Some people are more sensitive to heat than others, and this is perfectly workable. If the stones are too warm—or not warm enough—simply let us know, and we’ll make the needed adjustments.
The stones should never burn you. They may feel like they’re on the verge of doing so when they are first applied, but we’ve never yet burned anyone. The increased blood circulation may promote a little redness in areas where the spinal-wrapped stones had been, but this usually disappears in less than a day. If at any time the stones are too warm for your comfort, please tell us! We welcome and strongly encourage feedback.
Note: Even our larger clients who are more heat-sensitive absolutely love our Hot Stone Massages, even during the Texas summer!
Precautions
Hot Stone massage may not be for everyone. Those with uncontrolled high blood pressure; a history of heart attack or stroke; swelling, burning, or itching; neurological disorder with the decreased ability to feel heat; broken skin; sunburn; or those who are pregnant should not receive hot stone treatment until their condition has subsided. We will exercise caution with diabetic clients because of the common insensitivity to heat. We’ll avoid areas that have suffered a recent sprain, strain, or other acute injury until after the injury is no longer acute; after that, heat may be beneficial for faster continued healing. Check out our list of Indictations & Contraindications to massage.
If you have a condition under which Hot Stone treatments aren’t advisable, or you prefer that the stones not be used, we can skip over an affected area (if applicable) or we can leave out the stone use altogether and simply provide traditional techniques.
*Note: While we refer to ourselves as “we” and “us”, your session will only be with one of us. If you have a preference for one of us, we will honor that preference. You are free to work with one of us exclusively or to switch off between us whenever you wish. Every stone is thoroughly and properly sanitized between each appointment.
|
