What is Hot Stone Therapy?
Hot stone therapy is a specialist massage that uses smooth, flat, heated basalt stones that are positioned along your spine, in the palms of your hands, along your legs and between the toes. Cold marble stones are often used in the treatment to help aid with detoxing and healing the body.
What conditions does hot stone massage help with?
Hot stone massage can help:
- Relieve muscle tension and pain. Heat has long been used to ease muscle tension and pain
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Promotes sleep
- May help relieve symptoms of autoimmune diseases
- May help decrease cancer symptoms
- May boost immunity
What happens during a hot stone massage treatment?
During the massage, the therapist places stones on specific points on the body. While the points may vary depending on the areas of muscle tension and the client’s health history, the stones are generally placed in the following areas:
- Along both sides of the spine
- In the palms of your hand
- On your legs, abdomen, feet
- Small stones may be placed between the toes or on the forehead.
After the stones are placed on your body, it may take a few minutes for the heat to penetrate the sheet or towel so you can discern whether the stones are too hot.
Holding stones in both hands, the therapist uses gliding movements to move the stones along the muscles whilst using Swedish massage techniques on the back, legs, neck, and shoulders while the stones are in place or after they have been removed.