What You Need to Know About a Hot Stone Massage

Even though the typical full body massage has long been the massage of choice for most people, there is a new technique that has recently gained a lot of ground in the massage world. Known as the hot stone massage, this is a massage technique that was developed in Sweden and uses, as the name suggests, a variety of hot stones at various points during the massage procedure.

In comparison to various other types of massages such as the full body massage or the therapeutic massage, a hot stone massage is surprisingly gentle and may never actually require that a massage therapist even lays a hand on you in some cases. So, if you are very sensitive to some of the more torturous massages but you still need a technique that will reach deep into your muscles, then a stone massage may be a technique that you should consider.

Although every hot stone massage differs depending on the person in need of the massage and the person giving the massage, there are a few characteristics that remain constant to all hot stone massage techniques. For one, the hot stones are always heated basalt stones which are used for their innate ability to retain heat and stay warm throughout the entire duration of the hot stone massage. When you first go in for your hot stone massage, the rocks will be heated up to around one hundred and twenty degrees (Fahrenheit).

The stones will then be placed throughout the body with lighter stones on the appendages and heavier stones (three to five pounds) on the torso area. Depending on the massage therapist and your personal preferences, the stone massage will then be conducted with the therapist rubbing your body with a stone in his or her hands. Generally, the stone will be smoothly glided over the body and then pressed into the muscles and other areas that are usually very tight or tense.