**Benefits of a Hot Stone Massage**
A hot stone massage is a unique form of stone massage treatment that involves stones being heated by water and then placed on specific areas of the client’s body. There are many reasons why someone might choose to have a stone massage, but most people seek it out for the deep relaxation associated with this type of massage. Heated stone massage is also believed to help clients reopen their blocked and closed energy pathways. When muscles are first "pretreated" with these heated stones, therapists can more easily apply deeper forms of massage, such as Swedish massage or deep tissue massage. Cool stones are often used during a hot stone massage session to balance the body.
The benefits of a hot stone massage are numerous. Across the board, most people receiving a heated stone therapy report a feeling of intensely deep relaxation. Deep muscle pain is reduced, and there is increased flexibility in the joints. Along with this deep relaxation comes a release of stress. The blocked energy paths in the body that are opened up with warm stone therapy allow energy to flow more evenly, thus reducing tension. Hot stone massage is also associated with the release of harmful toxins from the body. Therapists can use the stones to manipulate these toxins out of the body, and clients often feel much more balanced after a heated stone therapy session as a result. Improved circulation accompanies this release of toxins. Blood can flow more evenly throughout the body due to this enhanced circulation.
Clients with specific health issues have sought out hot stone massage therapy as a more natural way to treat their persistent concerns. Often, individuals with fibromyalgia seek heated stone therapy as a last-resort option after several rounds of more conservative treatments and pain injections. Therapists can direct the stones to areas of pain and distress, working on these points by massaging the stones into them and leaving hot stones on pressure points to deeply penetrate the muscles with heat. These same benefits have also been experienced by clients with Multiple Sclerosis and back pain. Both of these conditions involve varying degrees of pain and muscular distress, and hot stone therapy can soothe these muscles.
Hot stone therapy has been embraced by both therapists and clients alike due to its wide range of benefits. For those seeking a simple therapeutic experience, a hot stone massage will satisfy that need. In fact, a hot stone massage is known to be one of the deepest and most soothing types of massage available. However, the benefits of this type of massage do not end there. Heated stones also serve as tools for therapists to more specifically target areas of pain and distress. Individuals with conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia have found natural pain relief through the strategic placement of heated stones on painful areas of the body, as well as through deep massage of sore muscles.