Benefits of hot stone massage
Native Americans created hot stone massage to give relief to aching and sore muscles. But its popularity has spread around the world with the growth of the spa industry that soon recognized the multiple benefits of this type of massage practice.
Although the practice was first originated to ease aches and pains, studies have shown that it offers several other benefits that have made this massage technique a favorite offering in Spas worldwide.
Heat is Therapeutic
Doctors have long recognized the therapeutic value of heat in repairing and treating muscle strains, sprains, and tears. The heat stimulates blood flow to the damaged areas and helps speed up the healing process. It can also reduce muscle spasms and maximize flexibility in the affected areas.
The stones used in a hot stone massage are made of basalt. This mineral composition can retain heat for an extended period, which is helpful in a long massage session. The stones are heated to between 55 and 60 degrees Celsius and placed on aching and painful areas of the body or noticeably stiff and knotted places.
The stones can be placed anywhere on the body with muscles, including your legs and feet and your arms and face. The usual places that spa customers request a hot stone massage are on the torso, including along the spine, on the chest and pectoral muscles, and the upper and lower back.
Benefits of Hot Stone Massage
More and more studies reveal additional benefits to hot stone massage beyond the muscle rehabilitation abilities and easing of aches and pains.
The hot stones are said to reduce stress and anxiety in spa customers who undergo this type of massage on a regular basis. It has also been shown to be an effective alternative to sleeping aids in customers who suffer from insomnia. A study more than twenty years ago showed that having a 15-minute hot stone massage before going to bed was beneficial in increasing sleep quality. The people undergoing this massage, including children, woke up more refreshed and were alert and active once they awoke.
Another study a year later showed that hot stone massage may relieve fibromyalgia. This is a chronic condition that causes muscle pain in all areas of the body. Fibromyalgia patients who underwent a 30-minute hot stone massage also slept more soundly and had fewer amounts of the substance in the body responsible for pain transmission.
People who have arthritis may also benefit from this type of massage, as it is shown to decrease muscle stiffness and increase flexibility.
The massage is also said to increase system immunity and decrease cancer symptoms in cancer patients. With all the benefits of a hot stone massage, it is little wonder why this type of massage is becoming a regular habit for chronic pain sufferers and insomniacs. With athletes discovering the muscle pain-relieving attributes of hot stones as well, this ancient form of massage looks to grow even more popular than it already has. Find out how pain-free and relaxed a hot stone massage can make you feel.
