What is Hot Stone Massage?

The use of hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times. Hot stone massage is a form of hydrotherapy using heated, smooth, flat stones that are placed on key points on the body. The stones used by the therapists at the Centre for Soft Tissue Pain Ltd. are made of basalt, a type of rock that is rich in iron so it retains the heat. The stones are of various sizes, shapes and weights. Typically, the heated stones are placed along both sides of the spine or along the chakra centres. Stones may also be placed in each of the patient’s hands. The heat warms and relaxed the muscles, which allows the therapist to work deeply using less pressure. The warmth of stones improves circulation and calms the nervous system, accelerating the healing process. Stones placed on the chakra centres help to rebalance the body and mind. While the layout stones are delivering concentrated centers of heat, the therapist is simultaneously massaging the patient with heated stones held in the palm of the hand with firm strokes along the muscles of the legs, arms and torso.

A hot stone massage is not simply the ‘gliding’ of heated stones lightly upon the surface of the skin, but rather the stones are used as tools to deliver effective tissue and muscle massage at a pressure level comfortable for the patient. One of the benefits of hot stone massage is that the patient can request light, medium or deep pressure, which can be customized in a instant to the request of the patient. The hardness of the stones makes for a fantastic deep tissue massage.

Hot stone massage can aid in the treatment of a variety of health conditions like:

Back pain and aches
Poor circulation
Osteoarthritis and other arthritis pain
Stress, anxiety and tension
Insomnia
Depression

The stones are heated in clean, sanitized water between 120° and 130°. The stones are sanitized after every massage.