Hot Stone Massage Brings Pain Relief and Deep Relaxation When You Need it Most
Sure, the weather in the Salt Lake City area is getting cold as the holiday season arrives, but have you considered warming up with an ultra-relaxing hot stone massage? This ancient practice can speed the healing of numerous aliments and will leave every muscle in your body relaxed. Although people with some physical conditions should select an alternate massage therapy, at Massage Matrix, we can help you feel your best during the chilly months ahead.
History of Hot Stone Massage Therapy Dates Back Before Written Records
The use of hot rocks to aid in healing dates back before recorded history. Native Americans used large rocks heated in fire to retain heat during traditional sweat lodge ceremonies to cleanse and heal participants through profuse sweating. The Romans used a variation of this technique which ultimately led to the creation of modern day saunas. Some native groups used hot rocks wrapped in cloth or bark on the abdomen of women to relieve monthly cramping. But the traditional Hawaiians seemed to have used hot stones in a manner most similar to how we use them today, wrapping hot stones within medicinal leaves and placing them on sore spots to reduce pain and speed healing. Beds of these hot stones covered with leaves would also be prepared for a patient to lie down and receive a whole body deep healing treatment.
Hot Stone Massage Enhances the Benefits of Traditional Massage
Since we place hot stones on specific locations of your body to allow the heat to penetrate deeply, a large percentage of people suffering from ailments ranging from tired, achy muscles to chronic back pain often experience dramatic relief of symptoms after a hot stone massage. Some people liken one stroke with a hot stone to 10 massage strokes with the hands, as the heat relaxes muscles more quickly than traditional massage. Anyone seeking a profoundly relaxing experience is likely to find hot stone massage to be just what the doctor ordered.
Additionally, energetic blocks are often removed with the help of a hot stone massage, leaving you feeling light and clean as life enhancing energy flows more freely than before treatment.
Expect to Relax and Enjoy Your Hot Stone Massage Experience
In typical hot stone massage sessions, we place hot stones (protected by a towel) on acupressure points, your body’s chakra, or energy centers, or onto sore spots, depending on the specific needs of each client. Additional stones may be used to massage other locations of the body while the larger stones continue to deliver their wonderful warmth deep into your tissues. If, however, at any point you feel uncomfortable with the temperature of one or more stones, be sure to let your massage therapist know so he or she can correct the issue quickly.
For chronic and/or acute conditions involving inflammation or an injury, cold stones may also be used to draw excess heat from these specific areas. Although the cold stones are less relaxing than hot stones, they can be very effective on specific trigger points or to create cross-fiber muscle friction, speeding the healing of certain types of injuries.
Hot Stone Massage is NOT for Everyone
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.
Because heat only further raises blood pressure in people with hypertension, aggravates skin conditions in people with open sores or inflammation, can cause bruising on the skin of a diabetic, and can place your unborn child at risk during pregnancy, people with any of these conditions should select an alternative therapy more suitable to their unique needs.
Are You Ready to Enjoy a Hot Stone Massage in Salt Lake City, Utah?
When you are ready to treat yourself to a well-deserved hot stone massage, the professionals at Matrix Massage are ready to help you relax. If you are in the Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah area, make an appointment today and enjoy 90 minutes of pure bliss!
