Discovering Hot Stone Massage Therapy
There are different kinds of massage therapy. This specialized form of massage makes use of smooth and heated stones. The therapist uses this by placing the stones on the affected part while massaging other areas. The heat produces a relaxing situation and warms up the stretched muscles so the therapist can work fast and effectively.
Hot stone massage is seen as an effective method of stress management. It can do wonders in letting go of muscular strain and provides relaxation for your mind. This therapy is also a good way of loosening muscles and facilitates extensive manipulation of tissues. The hot stones can also boost your health conditions. In fact, more medical practitioners recommend the therapy to deal with disorders such as hypertension, arthritis, chronic pains, and musculoskeletal disorders that affect the muscles and nerves.
The hot stone massage can give you the opportunity to sleep well. It is difficult to get proper sleep if you are over-fatigued. The therapy is a way of relaxing and allows you to sleep so that you can recover from too much exhaustion. It will relieve you of pain because muscle manipulation minimizes muscle spasm and soothes aching soft tissues of your body. The massage enhances circulation of the blood and energy. With this kind of massage, the stones are applied on vital areas of your body which can be clogged at certain times. It facilitates painless rehabilitation and recuperation from injuries. It has the ability to discharge pollutants from the body and help release clogged toxins.
As a background, hot stones were used by ancient civilizations to heal sore muscles. Many spa clinics have created their own versions of hot stone massage. However, the most important thing is that therapists must be very skillful in handling hot stones. Thus, these massage specialists must undergo proper training. It is a relatively complicated process. The therapist washes and disinfects the stones. These are heated at an extreme temperature from 120 to 150 degrees.
Stones are made of basalt which is a black volcanic rock. It soaks up and retains heat perfectly. These rocks have been rendered flattened by natural elements like oceans, seas and rivers. In getting a hot stone massage, the therapist will ask you to lie face down and work on your back first. The therapist will warm up the body through the customary Swedish massage. Your body is massaged while you hold one of the heated stones. The therapist replaces it with another heated stone when the first one starts to cool down.
Therapists use rocks of different sizes and shapes. The big stones are made for large muscles and small pebbles on minor muscles. The therapist also leaves heated stones on your spinal column, hand palms, abdomen, and between the toes. Most therapists believe that these rocks use in hot stone massage possess an energetic charge which must be maintained by aligning these in a twisting pattern. Make sure that the stone is not too hot or very heavy during the therapy.