It Helps You Get Great Sleep
Numerous studies from the past two decades show a clear link between a high quality massage and a high quality of sleep. A relaxing massage that stimulates the body will encourage the brain to produce stress fighting hormones. When the mind and body are both at ease, youll sleep like a baby. Some people even fall asleep during their massages.
The Heat Helps Promote Oxygen Flow
Its the heated part that is most important when getting a hot stone massage because the temperature works with your body from the outside, in. As Glathe explains it, you need the raised temperature of the stones to get your blood flowing to your muscles because its how oxygen is transported throughout our systems. More oxygen = faster recovery.
Heat dilates the capillaries, bringing fresh blood to the area, which means built-up elements like lactic acid are flushed away, while healing nutrients, oxygen and new tissue building blocks are brought in, she says. Heat is also shown to be comforting from a neurophysiological standpoint and allows for all of our stressors to decrease.
How Long Does The Massage Take
We offer both 70 and 85 minute hot stone massage treatments you can choose the one that works best for your needs and your schedule. When you consider the amount of time that you spend under stress each week, this appointment will provide you with so much stress-relief and may feel shorter than it an hour, but the deep relaxation you experience will have you counting down the days until your next treatment.
Will I Get Burned?
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The Client Wasn’t Empowered
Massage therapists need to make sure their hot stone clients actively participate in the session and know they not only canbut absolutely shouldlet them know if the stones are too hot or theyre uncomfortable. Also, massage therapists can check in with clients, asking the client specifically about the temperature of the stones and if adjustments need to be made.
Basics Of Hot Rocks For Massage
A popular form of massage therapy is Hot Stone Massage. Unlike traditional massages that utilize a massage therapists hands and tools such as tennis balls and foam rollers, hot stone massages utilize Basalt river rocks to apply heat to specific areas of tissue and act as an extension of the therapists hands. Basalt rocks are preferred for their smoothness and their ability to retain heat.
Hot stone massages originated from Native American practices where stones were warmed on an open fire and applied to aching muscles to ease the pain. The modern version of the hot stone massage, however, was created by Mary Nelson, who trademarked her massage technique as LaStone Therapy. According to Anitra Brown with TripSavvy.com, though several spas will offer their own version of hot stone massages, the technique is one that should only be practiced by individuals who are trained and certified in the practice. If it is your first time trying hot stone massage therapy, Brown advises that you seek out a LaStone massage therapist as you will know for certain that they are trained and certified in the LaStone technique.
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How Is Hot Stone Massage Done
The many different styles of treatment follow their own pattern of movements, but after the first few minutes, it probably wont concern you.Often, warm flat stones are placed under the client, with more stones positioned along the top of the body. The stones are usually separated from the body by a layer of fabric.Warmed and oiled stones are used to massage the body with long flowing strokes, and while it may sound strange to anyone who hasnt had a treatment, it is heavenly. All that gentle warmth and rhythmic movement goes to work very quickly it produces profound muscle relaxation not possible in normal massage.
The Technique Of A Hot Stone Massage
There is a technique for performing a hot stone massage. First, a massage therapist will massage your body with oil to loosen any tight muscles. Once your body is less tense, a therapist will take the stones from the heater and cool them down.
Stones will be placed on specific points on the body at tolerable temperatures. The therapist might also gently run the rocks up and down your back. This motion helps to loosen the muscles and spread your body’s tissue. Larger stones can be used to get deeper into the muscles.
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Improved Quality Of Sleep
Various factors, such as stress, anxiety, and even pain in the body often lead to other conditions linked to sleeping difficulties. In this regard, its important to stress the need for effective rest to work optimally during the day.
Hot stone massages are useful in promoting the general relaxation of the body, which makes deeper and better sleep quality possible.
Hot Stone Massage Therapy Course
Youve learned a lot about hot stone massage, and youre itching to put your new knowledge into practice. However, theres still a lot more to learn. If youd like to make hot stone techniques a part of your everyday practice, we highly recommend the Panda Hot Stone Massage Therapy Course.
In this course, youll learn to:
- Understand the history of hot stone massage in greater detail
- Identify the benefits of hot stone massage for clients
- Recognize both indications and contraindications
- Bend thermotherapy and cryotherapy with hot stones
- Perform a full sequence of hot stone massage techniques
At Panda, we pride ourselves on offering the best online massage CEU courses available anywhere. Our affordable prices, professional narration, quality content, and course variety are second to none. To learn more about what Panda has to offer, click here.
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A Brief History Of Hot Stone Massage
Think of the last time you were tense and stressed out – how your muscles felt, what was going through your mind and how you eventually got relaxed again. Now imagine the same scenario, but instead of letting time take its course and heal your stressed-out body, you go to a spa and get a hot stone massage. Which sounds better? Time may heal all wounds, but when it comes to relieving stress hot stones can get the job done faster and more effectively.
Hot stone massage is the practice of heating smooth stones and placing them on various areas of the body during a massage. They can either be left on tense spots or used by hand to aid in heating and relaxing sore muscles, and it feels nothing short of amazing.
The earliest use of hot stones to improve health and relaxation took place in India. The practice began among the Hindus in India approximately 5,000 years ago, and was called Ayurveda. This involved the placement of stones on the body to relax tense muscles and relieve related pain.
Around 3,000 years later, the Chinese used shaped stones called Bian while burning mugwort to treat disease. They also placed stones on the abdomen to improve digestion.
Later, natives of the Sandwich Islands – what we now know as Hawaii – discovered that wrapping heated lava rocks in leaves and applying them to the body brought pain relief. The leaves were administered by medicine shamans calls Kahunas.
Lets Go Over What Someone Can Expect During A Hot Stone Massage
Before the massage begins, the stones will be cleaned and warmed in 120-150 degree water. The localized heat and weight of the rocks allow for improved blood circulation and an easing of tense muscles that allow for deeper muscle layers to be reached. Your therapist will start out the treatment by warming up your muscles with a traditional Swedish massage. Once your muscles are loosened, the massage therapist will begin to add the hot stones. While some therapists will place the stones on your body based on anatomy, others believe that different placements allow for better energy flow and will place stones according to energy points. Either way, stones will usually be placed along your spine, stomach, arms, legs, and palms. Larger stones will normally be placed on larger muscles while the smaller stones are reserved for smaller tissues. After the stones are added, your massage therapist will use the stones as extensions of his or her hands and use them to apply pressure to your muscles. As the stones cool, the therapist will replace them.
Due to the heat of the stones, there should always be a sheet or towel between the stone and your skin. If the stone is too hot or the pressure too intense, do not hesitate to let your therapist know, they will happily adjust to your preferences. If you are not comfortable with hot stones, lava shells and steamed towels are excellent alternatives if you still wish to incorporate heat into your massage.
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Book Your Hot Stone Massage Today
When you visit MassageLuXe, our licensed massage therapists certified in hot stone massage will carefully go over a confidential questionnaire with you. This way, they will be aware of any concerns and special needs you may have. This will also help them learn about any current conditions that may affect treatment.
Find rest, relaxation, and relief by booking a hot stone massage at MassageLuXe today.
Hot Stones Are Your Massages Primer
Placing smooth, round stones on pressure points and knotted muscles all over the body before a massage helps loosen everything up and gets both your mind and body in the mood for whats to come. Think about it in the same way that youd apply a primer to your face before your foundationhot stones are an essential ingredient to get the most out of this treatment.
Hot stones allow you to get way more out of your massage, Riley explains, because heat promotes muscle relaxation. By placing hot stones at key points on your body before your massage begins, the massage therapist is alleviating muscle tension before they even place their hands on you, making it easier for him or her to give you a soothing deep-tissue massage.
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Why Have A Hot Stone Massage
There are endless reasons to have a treatment, the very first of which is you deserve it. But it does offer special benefits that you wont get from a normal massage, like the speed and depth of relaxation. And its not just your muscles your mind and every fibre of your being will be relaxed as well. So whenever you need something extra, when you have important occasions or difficult situations to manage, would all be good times to schedule in a treatment. In general, a treatment is good for:
- Pain relief
- Pamper pre-wedding, new mother, gift, reward
Helps You Get Better Sleep
Though the reasons are not clear yet, it has been found that hot stone massage promotes better sleep. Even a typical back massage works pretty well in giving in more sleep during the night. Apart from that, the people who get a massage are more active during the day time. No matter how long you lie in the bed, if you dont get enough restorative sleep, it may deteriorate your health. And massage like the hot stone massage helps to increase the duration of restorative sleep.
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It Eases Achy Muscles
Cold treatments are used for inflamed muscles. Cooler temperatures shrink swollen muscles back down to their original size. Hot stone massage is the exact opposite. Tense muscles, reduced flexibility, and muscular spasms are treated with hot stones. The heat opens the pathways within the muscles and helps to flush them full of rich, oxygenated blood.
At the end of a hot stone massage, your range of motion should improve. Flexibility will be better, and a general sense of calm will ease discomfort within the treated muscle group. These benefits will last long after the massage and will improve on a larger scale with regular hot stone massages.
What Is The Difference Between A Hot Stone Massage And A Regular Massage
A massage is one of the ultimate forms of self-care. An hour spent destressing, relaxing, and relieving muscular soreness will benefit you mentally, emotionally, and physically. At Stillwaters MedSpa located in Pensacola, FL, we offer hot stone massages as well as other types of massages that will help you relax, release toxins, ease muscle pain, and find balance amid the stresses of your life.
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Hot Stone Massage Explained
A hot stone massage is very similar to most standard massages, with one major exception. Well, obviously its even more amazing, but the reason for that is that in a hot stone massage your therapist will use smooth heated stones to perform the massage techniques, not just their hands and forearms. Its kind of like being massaged by someone with intensely warm hands.
The best part about the use of these hot stones is that they allow the heat to penetrate much deeper into the muscles being massaged. This not only feels amazing but also gives you the added benefit of a much deeper sense of relaxation and tension relief, both physically and emotionally.
Hot Stone Massage Facial Benefits
- Relieve and relax muscle tension to help re-educate the muscles from constantly tightening/constricting and settling into a pattern that creates fine lines & wrinkles
- Increase circulation to help detoxify, stimulate healing, reduce redness and puffiness
- Open pores and encourage debris to be easily extracted and simultaneously allowing the powerful ingredients to penetrate into the deepest layers.
- Encourage sinus drainage, decrease swelling in the sinus cavities, and reduce pain
Alternatively, cold stones may be added to reduce inflammation and firm and tone the skin.
Hot stone massage can be deeply relaxing, stress reducing and anxiety relieving. It can help us get a better nights sleep , and can also be deeply beneficial to our overall wellbeingphysically, mentally and emotionally. If youre looking to escape the winter and invite relaxation and healing into the body, call us at 573-7484 to schedule a hot stone massage today!
There are, of course, cautions and contraindications associated with hot stone massage. Please consult your doctor if you have concerns about any conditions you have and the potential risks.
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The History Of Hot Stone Massage Therapy
Hot stone massage therapy is an increasingly popular modern method of relieving stress, reducing muscle stiffness, and boosting blood circulation. However, the use of smooth, hot stones to warm, relax, and therapeutically massage key points of the body is nothing new. In fact, it is something very ancient in its origins.
The Ancient Roots of Hot Stone Massage Therapy
Many experts believe that hot stone massage therapy was first practiced thousands of years ago in India, as part of the Indian holistic health tradition known as Ayurveda. At that time, smooth stones were sought from local river beds, which were used either hot or cold as a therapeutic massaging instrument.
Similar practices are known to have existed in ancient Japan and China, where warmed, smooth stones were used to heat body parts so as to improve the functionality of various internal organs.
Hundreds of years ago, heated stones were in use in at least two other locations as a holistic health treatment: Hawaii and North America. In Hawaii, lava rocks were warmed and laid directly on the body to boost blood circulation. Among the various people groups of North America, hot stones were in common use in sweat lodges, where are much akin to saunas, and in fact, are still so used to this day. Additionally, Amerindians would rub hot stones against hurting parts of the body during ritual healings and rub them up against the abdomen as a way to combat cramps.
The Modern Rediscovery of Hot Stone Massage Therapy
What Are The Benefits Of Hot Stone Massage
As the opioid epidemic worsens, people are searching for natural pain relief options. Massage is a side effect-free alternative therapy gaining widespread acceptance in the medical community for its wellness effects and ability to treat a wide range of chronic disorders.:
Benefit #1: Relieves Muscle Tension and Aches
Doctors recommend heat for treating discomfort related to stiff muscles or spasms. Whether its from overexercising or a condition like arthritis, warmth is known to improve circulation and stimulate healing. Many fibromyalgia patients who get massages experience less discomfort and better exercise tolerance.
Hot stone massages are also ideal for relieving trigger points, knots of muscle that form when tiny tears in the soft tissue dont heal properly. Treating affected areas with penetrating heat before a conventional massage makes them more responsive to treatment.
Benefit #2: Tames Inflammation
Massage can help improve genetic responses to inflammation. Until now, the pain-relieving benefits of bodywork were obvious yet anecdotal. Massage relieves aches by reducing the bodys inflammatory response.
Benefit #3: Improves Flexibility
Joints are supported by muscles. Stiffness makes it more challenging to move knees, hips and shoulders. Massage helps relax muscles, relieving joint pain and improving flexibility. Regular hot stone massages may help people with arthritis retain their mobility.
Benefit #4: Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Benefit #5: Enhances Circulation
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- Restorbio
Hot stone massages can be a relaxing way to relax after a stressful time.
Massage therapists use different techniques to relax long, skeletal muscles. The therapist can use a variety of movements, including long strokes, circular motions, and tapping.
This article will look at What Is A Hot Stone Massage?resTORbio will also discuss the benefits of hot stone massage therapy and how it works.
The Benefits Of A Hot Stone Massage
- Pain relief
- Stress relief
- Sleep support
Almost anyone can benefit from heat helping to relax muscles, but those with high amounts of tension, muscle knots, or lactic acid buildup after exercise can benefit most as heat can increase blood flow and relax muscles. Increased blood flow can bring more oxygen to the skin to help optimize its function. For muscles that are tight or hold tension and even contribute to headaches or teeth grinding, such as the temples and jaw, hot stone massage can help reduce stress and pain by relaxing those muscles, says dermatologist Jennifer Herrmann.
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