A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A Stone's Throw From Paradise

The air is cold, the wind is howling. It is now getting dark so early, you feel like you never see the sun. You huddle up against the wind and the cold pierces right through your coat, making the pain in your back even worse. Then you step into a room that has light - dim, but it is light. The warm air has mixed scents that are all at once sweet, spicy, and welcoming. You lie down, comfortably, the first time you've stopped moving all day. Then comes the heat. The cold outdoors completely melts away as a warm sensation flows up your back, the heat penetrating your deepest muscles and relaxing away every ounce of tightness, pain, and stress in your body. It is no longer a cold, dark, and blustery day outside, and you no longer have worked a seemingly endless day with an aching back, sore shoulders, and enough stress to make you choke. You are relaxed, you are warm. For you, at this moment, are in paradise; and it's all because of a pair of stones.

Hot Stone Massage today is found in many spas and even individual therapists have begun integrating stones into their own practices. Despite its current popularity, Hot Stone Massage is not new. This form of massage is quite ancient and has been used by cultures such as the Scandinavians, Japanese, and Native Americans. Stones and heat are two easy to find and naturally occurring substances, which make them ideal for use as a healing system.

Stone are heavy - at least heavier than a normal human hand, so when used to do a massage, the stones deliver more effective pressure without necessarily using deeper pressure. Heat is one of the most effective treatments for tight and sore muscles because it helps relax the overly tight muscle fibers. In addition, the stones deliver moist heat to the muscles as opposed to dry heat. Dry heat is achieved with a heating pad, or some other form of heat pack - it heats up the surface of the skin and maybe the first layer of muscle. Moist heat is (as its name suggests) heat involving moisture or water. Moist heat is more effective than dry heat because since our skin is porous, the heated moisture is drawn into our skin and then pulled down deeper into the muscles, therefore delivering more effective heat treatments into deep muscles.

So what exactly is a Hot Stone Massage? Like many forms of massage, it has many stereotypes both good and bad. Hot Stone Massage is very simply a regular massage that involves the placement and use of hot basalt stones. The stones are heated in a specially designed stone warmer in which the stones are immersed in water that is heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The porous stones absorb the heated water and are thoroughly heated completely through. The stones are then either placed on various spots on the body such as along the spine or across the chest and shoulders, or the stones are used in the therapist's hands to actually execute the massage. The stones, when handles properly, can be used to perform almost every massage stroke that can be done with bare hands. The stones themselves are smooth and can aid the therapist in providing accurate and effective pressure, plus directed heat treatments straight to the muscles' most troubled areas.

Whenever heat is involved in anything from treatments to cooking, there is always a concern about burning. Stones heated in 130 degree water are capable of inflicting a slight burn to the surface of the skin. There are several schools of thought as to how to prevent this situation. Some therapists lay stones directly onto the bare skin and prevent burns by simply not heating the stones up to as high a temperature as 130 degrees, creating lukewarm stones instead of hot stones. An alternative (and the method that I learned and currently practice) is to go by the rule: No stone should touch the skin directly unless it is moving; if a stone is applied to the skin and isn't actively moved, a barrier should be put down between the stones and the skin. I personally have performed Hot Stone Massages both ways, and the barrier method is not only safer for all involved, my clients actually prefer it because they are not in any danger of getting burned by a hot stone, and since the stones can be heated up to 130 degrees, the warmer stones and moisture can still be effectively felt through a simple towel barrier. If the stones are moving along the skin instead of being placed, the stones are rapidly cooling off while moving, and the heat is being dispersed across a larger area, so there is less likelihood that a burn will occur.

because Hot Stone Massage has this minor added risk, like all massage, you should always check that the therapist performing the massage is fully certified in Hot Stone Massage Therapy. This is the absolute best way to ensure that you are getting a safe and fully effective massage. Many massage therapy insurance companies are now requiring that therapists who perform Hot Stone Massage are fully certified to prevent unnecessary burns. If you are unsure about your therapist's certifications, just ask. Never be afraid to ask if your therapist is certified in Hot Stone Massage and how they handle and apply the stones. If they don't use a barrier method, ask how they keep the stones from burning you. As in any kind of massage, you will get the best treatment if you trust and are comfortable with your therapist.

Now, one shouldn't allow my last two paragraphs to discourage receiving a Hot Stone Massage. Any massage in any form has minor risks that are virtually eliminated by a skilled and educated therapist and Hot Stone Massage is no exception. Hot Stone Massage is probably one of the most body-relaxing, stress-eliminating, muscle-unwinding, mind-clearing massages that you will ever receive. So consider how you would feel after a long, tiring day to suddenly be caressed in heat with a massage as smooth as satin that puts your mind at ease, your body at rest, and send your spirit far away from your everyday cares. --Sounds a lot like paradise to me.

Coming Next Time ...... The Wisest Gift