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A relatively new type of massage therapy that is gaining fast popularity is Hot Stone Massage.

Although it looks like a relatively modern massage technique that is designed to cash in on the popularity of fancy massage methods, hot stone massage practitioners will tell you that this form of massage has been in practice for many hundreds of years and it’s roots can be variously traced to Egypt, India and Indonesia.

In hot stone massage, warm stones are placed at various points of the patient’s body. More often than not, massage therapists choose to use basalt stones, as they are conducive to retaining heat well. Also, the stones that are used are often ones that were found in riverbeds as these stones tend to be quite smooth and rounded. A common size for a stone used in a hot stone massage is roughly the width of a chicken egg. The stones are placed in an electronic heating element so that they can be warmed to the proper temperature before being placed on the patient’s body.

The hot stones are placed at several different points on the patient’s body. Some of the more common places for stones to be placed include across the back, in the palms of the hands, or in the area between toes. The heat that the rocks emit helps the body’s blood circulatory system to become more open and can also help to clear out the lymphatic system. Also, the warm temperature can be helpful when it comes to making the patient more relaxed during the procedure.

The stones may be moved around and reheated or placed on different parts of the body during the massage and the therapist will likely to perform many different massage motions on the back with their hands as well in order to help the soft tissues of the body to become more relaxed and to allow the lymphatic nodes to drain more successfully. Some therapists choose to do part of the massage with the stones as well as the stones’ firmness can be helpful when it comes to reaching deeper parts of the tissue that fingers may not be able to reach.

Hot stone massage therapists claim that their type of massage is quite helpful when it comes to helping to eliminate the agony of back pain, assisting poor blood circulation and relieving stress and anxiety.

A typical hot stone massage session will last somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half and you can expect to spend anywhere between US$50 to US$150 per session. Be sure to find a massage therapist that is licensed so that you can ensure that you are getting your money’s worth!

Credit to: http://www.beauty-fitness-secrets.com