What Happens During a Hot Stone Massage?

Before you arrive, the massage therapist sanitizes the stones and heats them in bath of 120 to 150 degree water. The stones themselves are usually basalt, a black volcanic rock that absorbs and retains heat well, and have been smoothed by natural forces in the river or sea.

You usually start face down, with the therapist working on your back. First, the therapist warms up the body with traditional Swedish massage, then massages you while holding a heated stone. As the stone cools, the therapist replaces it with another. The therapist uses many stones of various shapes and sizes -- big ones on the big muscles, smaller ones on smaller muscles.

The therapist might also leave heated stones in specific points along your spine, in the palms of your hand, on your belly, or even between your toes to improve the flow of energy in your body. Many therapists believe that the stones themselves have an energetic charge and that needs to be maintained by placing them in a spiral pattern, placing them in a full moon periodically.

Be sure to speak up if the stones are too warm or the pressure too intense. And you can always ask them to stop using the stones if you don't like how it feels. If you like heat but not the stones, lava shells and steamed towels are another way to get heat into a massage.

How To Get A Great Hot Stone Massage?

The quality of the treatment depends on how well the therapist has been trained, how skilled he or she is, and whether he or she enjoys doing the treatment. Some therapists don't like to do it because the hot stones are difficult to handle.

Even a terrific massage therapist can be so-so at hot stone. My best suggestion for making sure you get a great hot stone massage is to get a LaStone Therapy, because you know the therapist has been well-trained and has made a serious investment in training. You can also ask where the therapist learned hot stone massage, and how long he or she has been doing it.

Another approach is to ask the front desk if there is someone who is a specialist in hot stone massage. Some massage therapists love doing this treatment, while others aren't so hot on it. A good front desk will know which therapist to direct you to.

This is also a treatment where you're counting on the spa and the therapist to be impeccable with sanitation, because those stones have been on someone else's body. I wouldn't get it at anything that looks like a discount spa.

What Is Hot Stone Massage? Don't Get Burned With This Warming Treatment

Hot stone massage is a specialty massage where the therapist uses smooth, heated stones, either as an extension of their own hands, or by placing them on the body while they massage other parts of the body. The heat can be both deeply relaxing and help warm up tight muscles so the therapist can work more deeply, more quickly.

Hot stones warmed by fire were used by Native Americans to treat aching muscles, but the modern revival of hot stones in massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona. She trademarked her style of hot stone massage, called LaStone Therapy, which has a Native American spiritual component and requires training and certification.

 

Most spas offer their own versions of hot stone massage (they might call it lava stone massage, river rock massage, warm stone massage and so on.) A hot stone massage, however, takes a lot of skill and sensitivity on the part of the therapist. One of my most memorable spa treatments was a hot stone massage. So was one of my worst. The therapist lacked finesse and I felt like an ironing board.

HOW TO USE GUA SHA TOOLS

Gua sha is applied primarily on the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks and limbs of the body. Advanced practitioners may also raise sha on the chest and abdomen. To apply gua sha, first lubricate the area with oil. If you do not have gua sha oil, you can use Ten Thousand Flowers Herbal Oil ( Wan Hua Oil), Tiger Balm, or other external-use oil. If there are any moles, cuts or unhealed wounds, cover them with your fingers. Do not apply the gua sha slide/ gua sha board or other gua sha tools to such areas. Hold the gua sha tool at a thirty-five degree angle to the skin, the smooth edge touching the skin.


Gua Sha Stroke Areas
Apply downward strokes to the skin using moderate pressure. The person should not feel pain although it might feel uncomfortable. Stroke one area at a time, until all the sha are up (the petechiae of that surface are completely raised) which is when stroking no longer increases the number of dots or changes the color. Then move to the next area.
 
The sha petechiae should fade in about 2-4 days. If they are very slow to fade, it indicates poor blood circulation and there may be a more serious deficiency that will require additional treatments combining acupuncture or acupressure in specific areas. 

Because gua sha moves "stuck" or stagnant qi and blood, the person receiving gua sha will probably feel immediate changes in his/her condition. It is a very useful treatment for external and internal conditions, and treats both acute and chronic disorders.
 
These Gua Sha tools are not medical products.
Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are uncertain whether you can use a product, please consult your physician before using it.

Some Knowledge of Gua Sha - An Ancient Traditional Chinese Healing Technique

We found some useful info from other website and would like to share the knowledge with you.


Here is a traditional Chinese healing technique dating back thousands of years. Simple, painless, so broadly used that basic Gua Sha tools like these are readily available throughout Asia. Easy for Westerners to learn, to try instead of over-the-counter medicines. In English it may be spelled as Gwa Sa, or Gwasha, and you may hear other terms, such as "coin rubbing" or "coining" (Vietnamese practitioners often use the edge of a coin for the tool). For adherents of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this ancient way of helping balance the "Chi" or vital life energy, is an extremely important, almost miraculous method of improving someone's health.

 
WHAT IS GUA SHA? 
Gua Sha is the Chinese term for a physical therapy technique which is equally a folk remedy and a serious practice throughout Asia. Loosely translated, Gua (刮) ("gwa"), means "scrape", "scratch", "rub" or "extract", while Sha ("shaw"), means sand or sediment, signifying the congestion, or toxins brought to the surface by the rubbing. The "sha" surfaces as tiny red petechiae on the skin, often described as the size of millet. In this Gua Sha is like cupping, but the rubbing covers wider areas than cupping treatments. The Vietnamese "Cao Gio" is the same technique. 


Using a traditional specialized tool such as a Gua Sha Board, Gua Sha Slide or other Gua Sha tools, the massage therapist or acupuncturist will gently scrape or rub the skin over a problem area as a deep massage, using a downward direction. The patient experiences immediate relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chills, coughs, nausea, and so on. Gua Sha is valuable in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and many other acute or chronic disorders.


The intention in Gua Sha is to raise the "rash" or red petechiae through the firm but not violent friction of the tool against the body. Chi or Qi (pronounced “chee”) is the constant and vigorous movement of energy or life force that keeps us healthy and alive. Balancing the Chi, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, promotes blood circulation and the removal of toxic heat, stagnant blood and lymph fluid from the body.


IN THE SYSTEM OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE, GUA SHA CAN BE USED TO ALLEVIATE THE FOLLOWING:
- Colds, Congestion 
- Achiness
- Chronic degenerative diseases
- Migraines 
 - Chronic neck pain 
 - Chronic shoulder pain 
 - Back pain 
 - Bone spurs 
 - Strains and sprains 
 - Menstrual disorders 
 - Insomnia, Fatigue
 - Asthma 
- Carpal tunnel syndrome Stress
 - Muscle aches 
 - Flu
- Shortness of Breath
- Heart disease 
- Hypertension 
 - Sinusitis 
 - Ear and eye disorders 
 - Chronic infections 
 - Sciatica 
 - Osteo arthritis 
 - Rheumatoid arthritis 
 - Bursitis
 - Neuralgia 
- Digestive disorders

The Benefits of Bian Stone Gua Sha Tools

Gua sha is unmatched with respect to pain that persists into the maturation stage of healing. Healingstoneshop.com provides anatomy-specific instruments for all  commonly injured muscles and soft tissues. Available to clinicians and the motivated individual.

The edge of the bian stone Gua Sha Tablet provides a balance between comfort, sensitivity, and the ability to mobilize soft tissue. Multiple edges provide the shapes necessary to comfortably treat a variety of body contours.  

The treatment edge of the bian stone Gua Sha Tablet is rounded, comfortable, and safe for

 

application of firm pressure into large muscle groups and deeper layers of soft tissue. And, when  tissues are tender and unable to tolerate an aggressive approach, the more rounded edge provides a more comfortable   introduction to gua sha.

The Bian Stone shapes match the anatomical contours of the hand, forearm, and elbow. In addition, the tablet treats small contours of the neck, jaw, face, and ankle, and foot. Ideal for common problems like tennis elbow, trigger finger, plantar fasciitis, and localized treatment of myofascial trigger points.

Its shapes match the anatomical contours of the shoulder, chest, upper arm, and petite lower extremities. Ideal for shoulder impingement, traditional gua sha applied to the back and spine, the IT Band, and more. A favorite of throwing athletes and the clinicians who treat them.

Benefits of Jade Massage

Jade Stone Massage incorporates heated and cooled Jade Stones that are placed on the body and/or used for massage. These stones have been cut to various shapes and sizes and then polished providing a very smooth and silky feeling on the skin. Traditionally, Jade has been used to attract love and bring money into your life. Jade is a protective stone believed to heal stressed organs and discharge toxins. It slows the aging process and strengthens the body's natural defences. The soothing green color of Jade also helps the body to self-heal.

 

Benefits include:
1, Releases toxins and increases overall health
2, Prevents chronic illness
3, Decreases high blood pressure
4, Regulates female functions
5, Strengthens blood vessels and smoothes wrinkles


Here the Author Says about Healing Stone Shop. For more information click here.