Hot Stone Fusion
What is Hot Stone Fusion?
Hot Stone Fusion is a bodywork technique which uses heated stones to massage the body. A common misconception is that the stones are simply placed on various parts of the body and left. Although part of the treatment does includes 'tucking' and strategic placing of the stones, the main focus of the therapy is a creative and penetrating massage using a combination of the stones,hands, forearms and knuckles. The modality takes its name from the innovative and exhilarating “fusion” of techniques from Swedish massage, eastern massage therapies, holistic medical massage, trigger point work, stretching and energy work.
Why use Hot Stones?
Heat has been one of the most effective ways to help control pain for thousands of years.
Applying heat to the body:
- increases the blood flow - by dilating blood vessels, more oxygen and nutrients can be bought to the area, reducing healing time and increasing detoxification.
- reduces primary pain - the effect of stimulating the sensory nerves in your skin interferes with transmission of pain signals and partially relieve discomfort.
- reduces muscle spasm or tension - also faciliates stretching and softening of the muscle and connective tissue, allowing for increased mobility.
- relaxes - heating a painful area can induce whole body relaxation. During this levels of the 'stress hormone' cortisol and other related chemicals are reduced.
The stones themselves, in the hands of a qualified massage therapist, become an excellent tool for applying heat all over the body as well as deep into specific areas. When muscles are warmed up they are looser and less resistant - so using heat allows for much deeper and more effective massage, without the pain often experienced in deep tissue or sports massage. In fact, the sensation of hot stones on your body feels quite luxurious, like a delicious combination of a sauna and massage.
My shoulder has never felt better: the combination of heat and massage seemed to get right to the root of the problem.
Joe Woodward - Editor of Exeter Living Magazine
Using massage to get the toxins out of your tissues, followed by more heat to bring in fresh blood, increases the detoxification effect of massage quite dramatically, and physical issues such as lower back pain or tight shoulders can be tackled much more quickly.
Hot Stone Fusion overall can be seen as superior massage treatment which works more efficiently and feels amazing! Whether you are looking for a deeply relaxing experience or more effective pain management, this is definitely worth a try.
How does it work?
One of the most common misconceptions is that the stones are merely placed on the body and left. The reality is that special iron rich basalt stones are heated in water to a safe but effective temperature, and the therapist holding the stones actively massages the body.
The magic of the stones lies in their high iron content, which helps them absorb and transmit the heat of the water. Warm oil is applied directly to the body before the stones are used, so the stones can easily glide over the contours of the body.
Heated stones can be left in different places on the body, and you can feel as though you are being massaged by several hands at once.
Sometimes cold stones are used as well as hot, either to help with acute pain or as a form of hydrotherapy "contrast-bathing". Applying cold to an area flushes out the old blood and reduces swelling, and then hot stones are used to bring in fresh blood and oxygen to the area . This is particularly effective in conjunction with trigger point work, and also makes for a wonderfully refreshing a face massage.
The sensation of deep warmth and relaxation can stay long after the treatment is over. Drinking plenty of water is advised as the subsequent detox effects can be quite intense.