I had little experience with hot stone massage, but the more I use them, the more I love them! There is nothing like the feel of warmth, the smooth hard stone and the pressure of the therapist's intuitive hands. The basalt stone, which is high in iron, maintains the heat for a few minutes after being submerged in water in a warmer/heater for about an hour. The heat warms and relaxes the muscles and/or allows the therapist to apply deep pressure. They also improve circulation and calm the nervous system. I like to use the stones as just an addition to my massage. I don't tend to place the stones all over body like the picture above because they tend to cool fairly quickly. The contraindications for hot stone massage are pregnancy, people with infectious disease, rashes or open wounds, immediately after surgery and immediately after chemo or radiation. Hot stone massage should not be done over anyplace where inflammation is present. The most challenging part is the temperature of the stones. ALWAYS let your therapist know if the stones are too hot or even too cold! Most stones massages are 60 to 90 minutes long and run between $80 and $190 dollars (which is unfortunate in my opinion because it makes it less available to everyone secondary to cost). The reason for the cost is the pain and hassle of hand cleaning each stone and the extra training involved with learning the correct procedures for hot stone massage. Everyone should experience a hot stone massage at least once in their lifetimes~ it's something you will never forget! A heaven of warmth with relaxation and pain relief....
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