subject: Ease Soreness More Effectively [print this page] We all know the healing powers of heat and the sun. When we go to the beach, the hot sand feels great on our muscles and bones. There is a therapeutic way to get the benefit of this feeling, without all the sand. It feels even better. It isn't anything new! Its hot stone massage. I was a little cynical when I first heard about and was reluctant to try it. However, when I first had one, I was hooked.
This will be done by a professional and is very sanitary. Your masseuse will keep the stones in boiling water. This is done in order to avoid bacteria growing on them. They will be removed using a glove or another sanitary tool when they are required in order to give the massage.
What type of stones are used? Well, they are basalt, smooth rocks which have been used throughout the ages, as they are believed to have energizing properties. They also retain heat very well. Other types of massage use other types of tools, as well as the hands of the therapist.
Another great thing about this type of massage is that it is easier on the hands of the massage therapist as the tools are used to apply pressure. The stones are laid out on both sides of the spine, delivering heat to the body. The masseuse also massages the client with heated oiled stones. You can request a customized massage based on pressure level on tissue and muscle. The harder the stones are pressed, the more pressure is applied. It can be hard, medium or light. This helps with blood flow. This type of massage to me sounded great, as when it comes to pressure, Im such a wimp. I cant take too much, but this customized massage suited me and my problem areas very well.
In the early 1800s, massage therapy became very popular and this increased until the 1930s and 40s. As modern medicine developed, the benefits of massage therapy were discounted. It was used less and less. In the 1960s and 1970s nurses began to use it to alleviate pain in patients. Again, its popularity grew until finally in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta massage was deemed a core medical service, which gave it great credibility.
I love my massage therapist. Of all the 90,000 people in the United States who claim massage therapy as their part-time or full-time job, mine is the greatest. Like most, she is self-employed. A large percentage of these workers are of part-time and self-employed workers. Not all states in the United States require some sort of a license to practice massage therapy. See if your local massage therapist can perform a hot stone massage. If a state does not have any massage laws, then nothing is required and a practitioner need not apply for any sort of license with the state. Each state has its own regulations, but in generally, to train in the US where a license is required it involves 500-1000 hours in length, resulting in a certificate, diploma, or degree depending on the particular school.
