Monday, January 26, 2015

Fighting the Extremely Cold weather with Hot Stone Massage

A hot stone massage combines thermotherapy with massage techniques to provide an effective healing therapy.  The use of natural stones in conjunction with massage uses powerful earth energies to help the patient heal. The stones are heated and kept warm in a crock pot or heating dish before being applied to the recipient.  In some cases cold stones are used to stroke the body after the application and massage with the hot stones in order to reduce swelling and pain or to stimulate lymphatic drainage.


 Hot Stone Massage alleviates a few common pains and discomforts. Here is a list of its benefits:

·         Muscle relaxation. Hot stone massage helps your muscles relax, allowing the massage therapist to manipulate your deep tissues more effectively. Overly tense muscles can hinder the massage procedure, so if your muscles are extremely tight or stiff, the heated stones may provide the extra relaxation you need for the massage to be beneficial in releasing tension and easing sore muscles.

·         Boosts immune system and improves circulation. In hot stone massage, your blood vessels expand, which improves circulation and "energy flow" throughout the body, aiding in detoxification, stimulating our immune system and improving digestion. This is effective in relieving anxiety, lowering cortisol levels by up to 50-percent while increasing levels of neurotransmitters that help reduce depression. It has even been known to aid in insomnia.

·         Pain Relief. Tensed muscles cause pain on joints or injuries especially for elderly patients. However, hot stone massage is capable of providing relief by deeper heat penetration which is concentrate in the trigger points.

·         Mental Benefits. Stress and tension may result to anxiety disorders and depression. However, hot stone massage helps in the secretion of dopamine as the patient achieves ultimate relaxation and allows better sleeping patterns.

With all these benefits, there are also limitations and considerations to the process. Due to the additional heat that is infused into a person’s body during a hot stone massage, physical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, open sores, inflamed skin, or pregnancy make hot stone massage contraindicated. Patients with serious muscle injuries should ask their doctors before getting a hot stone massage, as it might aggravate the existing injury.

Massage Envy Lakeland
3615 South Florida Ave. Unit 56 Lakeland, FL 33803
(863) 646-3689

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