Hot Stone Massage by: Nicole Rais MT

Nicole Rais, one of our Massage Therapists here at The Spa at the Mount Auburn Club, has written the following article this month in response to our November Hot Stone Promo. Please enjoy!


Hot Stone Massage by: Nicole Rais MT

In my massage sessions, I like incorporating just a few hot stones
into a normal deep or Swedish massage. I might place two warmed
stones over an especially stuck area, wrap one on the sole of each
foot to relax your whole body, and perhaps use a stone or two to
release that pesky knot that lurks under your shoulder blade. I will
always enjoy giving the standard, all-hands massage… but the benefits
of hot stones are numerous, and make an especially nice addition to
your massages as we enter the colder seasons.

Heated stones used in massage therapy don't just feel good—they
actually enhance the effectiveness of your massage. Heat has been
used in healing since time began. Stones warmed by a massage
therapist* become smooth, mobile heat sources that add the healing
benefits of heat to your body and overall health. They can be used in
many different ways in a massage. Each stone technique has its own
purpose with specific healing benefits. Here, I will describe just
three common uses of the stones, and their benefits.

First, hot stones add to the circulatory effect of massage therapy.
Most types of massage will improve the circulation; applying pressure
and movement to the muscle tissue mechanically moves blood below the
skin, resulting in better blood flow. This is vital for tense,
circulation-deprived muscles. When hot stones are introduced to your
body, their heat transfers directly to your body. The expansive
nature of heat causes the blood vessels to dilate, and increased blood
flow follows. Stones used with gentle massage techniques give the
body heat plus the soothing pressure and rhythm of massage. The body
experiences better circulation and enhanced relaxation through not
one, but two mechanisms—massage and heat.

A second hot stone technique involves allowing the heat of unmoving
stones to soften body tissue in areas of tightness. The warmth sinks
into the tissue while the therapist may attend to another area; when
she removes those placed stones, the tissues are warmed and ready for
massage to release that deeply held tension. Here the stones act like
the hot packs commonly used for chronic muscle tightness,** with the
added benefit of massage therapy following their application.

Finally, stones can enhance deep massage therapy. A therapists
trained in deep massage might use the stones to their full mechanical
potential, using the point of a stone to gently ease a knot from a
chronically tight neck muscle, or to glide beneath the shoulder blades
to loosen your tight upper back.

In a full session of hot stone massage, you might have stones placed
along the spine and in your hands to allow the heat to sink into the
surrounding muscles. The legs and feet, meanwhile, might be massaged
with additional stones before your therapist returns to the back to
apply massage to those warmed areas. Nature has created a truly
versatile little heating pack in the simple stone: smaller-sized
pieces might be placed between the toes, providing relaxing heat along
with a gentle mechanical stretch to these often-neglected tissues.
Stones applied to all the major muscle groups with relaxing Swedish
massage strokes will leave your whole body loose and give you a deep
feeling of relaxation.

A full deep hot stone massage consists of ninety minutes of deeper,
specific stone massage interspersed with relaxing strokes to let the
body relax into the changes in the muscles. Clients often report
long-lasting relaxation in their muscles and tissues after a good
session of deep hot stone massage. This author has experienced
lasting resolution of a chronic low-back issue following a phenomenal
hot stone massage, maintained with regular deep massage and Swedish
massage.

Foot reflexology, an energetic treatment involving specific massage on
points in the foot corresponding to the whole body, can be greatly
enhanced by the use of warm stones. A pedicure with hot stone
reflexology added can enhance your beauty routine a touch of
whole-body healing.

To conclude, hot stones feel good, but more importantly, add healing
benefits to any bodywork session they are incorporated into.


By Nicole Rais

Notes:
* A trained therapist performing hot stone massage knows the proper
temperature and placement of stones. Always tell your therapist if
the stones are too hot or too cool for your comfort.
** Heat has been shown to be effective on chronic issues where muscle
and tissue tightness is an present; acute injuries, over-use injuries
and inflamed or swollen areas can be agitated by heat. Be sure to
inform your therapist if such issues are present, and these areas can
be addressed without the use of heat.