What is a Hot Stone Massage?
Hot stone massage is a variation on classic massage therapy. Heated smooth, flat stones are placed on key points on the body. The massage therapist may also hold the stones and use them to massage certain areas of the body. The use of hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times, but it wasn't until Arizona massage therapist Mary Nelson introduced her hot stone massage technique, called LaStone Therapy, that the use of hot stones for massage caught on. The stones are immersed in water and heated in an electric heating device until they are within a certain temperature range. The stones may be placed at specific points on the back, in the palms of the hand, or between the toes. The heat warms and relaxes the muscles, which allows the therapist to apply deeper pressure, if desired. The warmth of the hot stones improves circulation and calms the nervous system. Some massage therapists place stones on points that are thought to be energy centers of the body to rebalance the body and mind.
Why Do People Get Hot Stone Massage?
Many people find the warmth of the hot stones to be comforting and get it for relaxation.Hot stone massage is suited to people who tend to feel chilly or who have cold feet. It's also suited for people who have muscle tension but prefer a lighter massage. The heat relaxes muscles, allowing the therapist to work the muscles without using deep pressure. People also get hot stone massage for a variety of health conditions:
· Back pain and aches
· Poor circulation
· Osteoarthritis and arthritis pain
· Stress, anxiety and tension
· Insomnia
· Depression
How Do the Hot Stones Feel?
The hot stones are never rough. They are always flat and smooth. The hot stones used on the back are about the size of a large egg, only flat
The stones are heated in an electrical heating unit that either provides a temperature reading or has an adjustable thermostat control. The massage therapist always holds the stones first before touching them to your body, which ensures that the temperature will not be too hot. Everyone, however, has their own comfort range. Be sure to speak up if the stones are too hot for you. Cool marble stones are occasionally used during a treatment, particularly if there is inflammation.
What Can I Expect During my Hot Stone Massage?
The massage therapist often begins by applying oil to the body, which allows the hot stones to glide smoothly along the muscles. You are lying face down, and the massage therapist often then uses the hot stones to massage the back. After the hot stones have relaxed the muscles, the massage therapist may put down the stones and use his or her hands to directly massage the skin. The hot stones may then be placed back on to the body and left for a short period of time. You are then asked to turn over onto your back. The massage therapist may place small hot stones between your toes or in the palm of your hand and repeats the sequence. A typical hot stone massage is between 60 and 90 minutes long and ranges between R300 and R900
Precautions
Massage is not recommended for certain people:
· People with infectious skin disease, rash, or open wounds
· Immediately after surgery
· Immediately after chemotherapy or radiation, unless recommended by your doctor
· People prone to blood clots. There is a risk of blood clots being dislodged. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor before having a massage
· Pregnant women should check with their doctor first if they are considering getting a massage. Massage in pregnant women should be done by massage therapists who are certified in pregnancy massage.
Massage should not be done directly over bruises, inflamed skin, unhealed wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, or areas of recent fractures.
Additional Hot Stone Massage Tip
· Don't eat a heavy meal before the massage
· If it's your first time at the clinic or spa, arrive at least 10 minutes early to complete the necessary forms. Otherwise, arrive 5 minutes early so you can have a few minutes to rest and relax before starting the massage.
Aromatherapy massage
Full body relaxation treatment with aroma oils uses soothing strokes, with relatively light to medium pressure to leave you feeling deeply relaxed and nurtured.
Treatments:
3/4 hour neck back (and feet optional)
Rhythmic deep tissue massage
Using aromatherapy oils, this massage uses fairly deep, rhythmic pressure, it works on aching and stiff muscles to increase blood flow and remove tension. A wonderful relaxing massage for stressed individuals.
Sports massage
Intensive massage loosens up tense muscle parts to support circulation in both the skin and the underlying muscle tissue. Alleviates muscle pain and supports recovery from sports injuries. The therapist uses cross friction, pressure points, and deep tissue techniques to generate heat, loosen spasms and tension knots. This massage either focuses on specific areas of pain, or is included in a general full body massage.
Hot Stone Massage
The hot silky smoothness of the lava rocks melts away your tension in this sensational massage. The hot stones are used by your therapist as a massage tool. Heated to around 45 degrees, the stones feel fantastic sliding up and down your skin, heating and soothing away tension as they go.
What is the cause of the pain in tense muscles?
Many clients ask me this question.
The pain of tension and post sports training that appears in the muscle is usually a build of up lactic acid and other metabolites.
For instance, when an athlete pushes themselves, oxygen becomes limited. When glycogen, the muscles' fuel is metabolized without oxygen, lactic acid and other metabolites accumulate in the blood and muscles, causing fatigue, soreness and pain. The pain stimulates nerve activity, which often results in muscle spasm. The spasm hinders the flow of fluids in the tissue. Uninterrupted spasm significantly limits blood flow and oxygen to the tissue binging more pain and more spasm!
Pain (even delayed pain after exercise) can also be caused by microscopic tears in the muscle tissue. These lead to inflammation and increased discomfort.
Connective tissue damage due to the way the muscle works during sport, can create pain after exercise.
Pain from tension is usually the result of a muscle that is overused (often unconsciously). Bad posture when sitting or standing, or constantly using certain muscles to do a repetitive task - such as using your mouse, or hooking your phone against your ear with your shoulder. Over time, toxins build up in the muscle and before you know it, pain and sometimes spasm results.
How does a massage work to reduce pain and help remove spasms
On a physiological level, massage does 3 major things
- breaks down the crystalline buildup in the muscles that we call tension
- increases blood flow to the muscle thereby increasing the supplying of oxygen, and fuel
-increases lymph flow, which helps to remove waste
- massage also stimulates the brain to produce painkillers and anti-inflammatory to help the area to rejuvenate and heal
The net result is a reductions of pain, and tension in the area, an increased level of comfort.
Side effects of massage
Of course, the whole point of a massage is to leave you feeling relaxed and pampered. Most people feel wonderful after a massage, both physically and mentally relaxed, grounded and connected to their own bodies, and pleasantly pampered.
Sometimes however, the side effects of a massage can be quite intense, and even quite unpleasant, depending on how regularly you get a massage, and what condition your body is in at the time of the massage.
Because the massage works to remove a build up of toxins and increase blood supply and thereby oxygen, these toxins are released into the blood stream, and sometimes result in the classic detox symptoms: headaches, sinus, in rare cases even nausea.
If you are very tense, and rarely get a massage, it is not unusual to feel bruised the next day. The massage does not in fact bruise you, the sensation is as a result of the massage working to remove the sharp crystalline build up toxins in the muscle. For this reason it is sometimes advisable to request a softer massage at first, and build up over subsequent sessions.
How can you ensure that you get the best treatment for you?
Each of our bodies are quite different, what may feel wonderful for me, you may hate, so be clear with your therapist as to what you like in your massage in terms of:
- Where you are carrying tension or pain that you would like them to focus on,
- How hard or soft you prefer your massage to be,
- What you really love or hate eg: feet, head etc.
Don't be too shy to let the therapist know, as she goes, if the massage is too hard, or if you would like her to work harder, or work more in a particular place. Your therapist is not a mind reader, so let her know what you like. Oooos and Aaahs are are a great sign posts for the therapist to follow, so feel free to let it out!
What we don't / won't do
We do not offer any additions "services" with our massage. NO pelvic relief, happy endings or any such services of any kind what so ever, so please don't even call us to ask!