What is Hot Stone massage? What kind of stones are used for hot stone massage?
Hot Stone massage uses flat, smooth heated stones to massage the body. The stones can be used as the primary contact tool during treatment, or they can be used in conjunction with Swedish/Deep Tissue to warm the body’s tissues before hands-on massage.
Generally, volcanic basalt stones are used because they retain heat longer than other stones. Liam uses basalt stones.
What are the benefits of hot stone massage?
The warmth, pressure, and movement of the stones can have a wide variety of benefits including warming and limbering up connective and muscle tissues, reducing muscle tension, improving blood and lymphatic flow, reducing many types of chronic pain, improving mobility, reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting restful sleep.
What are the disadvantages / risks of hot stone massage?
For most healthy people, there are minimal risks when massage is properly applied by an RMT with specialized hot stone training. You may feel uncommonly relaxed / sedated after treatment, so it’s best to use a bit of extra caution when going back out into the world after your treatment.
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Risks such as dehydration or burns are mitigated by the availability of water and the proper placement and movement of stones.
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Generally, Liam works by constantly holding and moving the stones, so the heat is not in contact with a given area of the patient’s skin long enough to burn. On occasions when stones are placed and left on the body, either the temperature of the stones is first lowered or a towel or sheet is added between the stone and the patient’s skin.
Hot Stone massage is contraindicated (potentially dangerous and so not used) in patients who have the following conditions:
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Bleeding disorders or are on blood thinners;
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Uncontrolled high blood pressure;
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Heart disease;
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Diabetes;
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Currently pregnant;
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Recent surgery.
Can I get a deep tissue massage with hot stones? What are the benefits of hot stone massage vs deep tissue?
Hot Stones are a great tool for deep tissue massage. The heat from the stones efficiently warms and softens the body’s tissues so the deeper work can begin. With the tissues warmed up, your RMT can work into the deeper areas of tension using the stones and/or hands-on techniques.
Hot Stones can often have a similar effect as deep tissue without needing to dig very deep at all. Conduction of the stone’s heat into the body is soothing, and this promotes parasympathetic nervous system activation (rest-and-digest) which relaxes your muscles.
Do hot stone massages hurt?
Hot Stone massages should not hurt. An RMT who has training in hot stone massage knows the correct temperature, length of time, and risks involved in applying the stones. The stones should never burn you, and the pressure should generally feel as soothing as the warmth.
There are opportunities to work deeper into trigger points (“knots”) and/or very high-tension muscles, but these techniques should feel like a satisfying “good” pain, they should be done in communication with the patient, and should never breach your pain threshold.
Each person has their own unique tolerance to heat and pressure, so please don’t hesitate to let your therapist know if you feel uncomfortable during treatment. Liam welcomes and appreciates feedback very much.
Is hot stone massage good for legs?
Hot Stone massage can be great for thighs and legs. Used on big, powerful muscles like in the thighs and highly tense muscles in the calves, stones can help to efficiently relax and then massage out the tension.
Can you do hot stone massage while pregnant?
A full-body Hot Stone massage should not be done while you are pregnant, however stones can be used to spot-treat specific areas such as neck, shoulders, upper back, arms, and some parts of the thighs. When this is done, we use a lower heat than with traditional hot stone massage. Liam does not use hot stones on patients in their first trimester of pregnancy.
Is aromatherapy used with hot stone massage?
Many RMTs use aromatherapy with hot stone massage, however Liam does not use aromatherapy in his practice.
Do hot stone massages hurt?
Hot Stone massages should not hurt. An RMT who has training in hot stone massage knows the correct temperature, length of time, and risks involved in applying the stones. The stones should never burn you, and the pressure should generally feel as soothing as the warmth.
There are opportunities to work deeper into trigger points (“knots”) and/or very high-tension muscles, but these techniques should feel like a satisfying “good” pain, they should be done in communication with the patient, and should never breach your pain threshold.
Each person has their own unique tolerance to heat and pressure, so please don’t hesitate to let your therapist know if you feel uncomfortable during treatment. Liam welcomes and appreciates feedback very much.
Is hot stone massage good for legs?
Hot Stone massage can be great for thighs and legs. Used on big, powerful muscles like in the thighs and highly tense muscles in the calves, stones can help to efficiently relax and then massage out the tension.
What are the benefits of cupping vs hot stone massage?
Cupping and Hot Stone are two very different types of massage. They serve different goals, though they have a few overlapping benefits.
Cupping is a vacuum therapy that can have benefits including:
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Promotes circulation and improves lymphatic flow,
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Lifts and encourages some separation between layers of connective tissues and so helps improve free movement and range of motion,
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Helps reduce the appearance of scar tissue after the initial stages of healing,
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Soothes high tension muscles and trigger points.
Hot Stone involves pressure and heat and can have benefits including:
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Warms and softens the body’s tissues including muscle tissue;
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The warmth from the stones dilates blood vessels, which can help to ease/improve circulation;
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Promotes activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest) which then relaxes muscles, improves digestion, and slows heart rate (i.e. helps relax your body and mind);
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Can help relieve chronic pain symptoms;
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Soothes high tension muscles and trigger points.
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What are the effects of hot stone massage on the lymphatic system?
Using gentle pressure along with lymphatic drainage techniques, hot stone may have some benefit in assisting lymphatic return provided a person does not have certain conditions (see below). Hot stone massage techniques also help circulate blood in the direction of the heart, and the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems work closely together – in this way, a hot stone massage may have secondary benefits for the lymphatic system.
Hot Stone is not recommended for people currently in cancer treatment, who have had lymph nodes removed, or are otherwise immunocompromised. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Liam by email, text, or phone call before booking your appointment.
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