Hot & Cold Stone Massage

Hot and cold stone massage is a powerful technique used to warm, ease, and relax muscle and soft tissue, providing effective relief from tension, aches, and pains. Stones have been used for their healing and protective powers throughout ancient India, China, and North American Indians. The practice of using heated stones to relieve menstruation pain and cold stones to stem the blood flow after giving birth continues to this day.

Hot & Cold Stone Massage Explained 

Using stones of various sizes the therapist will place some under or on top of the body in different positions to warm up and relax muscles and soft tissue. (Always with fabric between the larger stones and the body). Holding a large Hot Basalt Stone in each hand the therapist uses long strokes to glide over the body. Smaller stones and a variety of strokes with Cold Marble Stones have a soothing effect on the body. Cold stones are particularly good for toning facial muscles. The therapist will rotate the stones in their hands and change them for fresh stones throughout the treatment ensuring that heat exchanges evenly from stone to body and vice versa.

Due to the effectiveness of Hot and Cold Stone Massage, treatment does not exceed 60 minutes.  

 When requesting Hot & Cold Massage please notify Sublime of your massage choice before arriving for your appointment, so it can be prepared for you.

The water cushion is not suitable for Hot & Cold Stone Massage.

Hot & Cold Stone Massage Effects 

Hot Stone Massage is a treatment that uses warmed stones to apply pressure and heat to the muscles. This helps to increase the absorption of massage oil, enabling the therapist to provide a deeper massage. It is believed that one stroke of a Hot Stone is equivalent to 5-10 strokes by the hand.

Hot Stone Massage has many benefits. It improves circulation to the local area, which can help to reduce blood pressure, fatigue, and tension, and improve heart rate and metabolic circulation. It also enhances the transfer of toxins away from the local area into the blood and lymphatic system for removal from the body.

Hot Stone Massage is a powerful vascular dilator, which means that it reduces inflammation. It also has a sedative effect and is excellent at reducing pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms. Hot and Cold stones can be used together to treat muscle spasms and soreness by alternating the heat from the stones.

It's important to note that injuries cannot be treated with Hot Stone Massage within the first 48 hours.

Contraindications

As well as those for conventional massage these are particular to Hot and Cold Stone Massage:

Nerve damage.

Nerve Inflammation.

Nephropathy.

Multiple Sclerosis. 

Diabetes and the elderly, due to thinner skin but cooler stones can be used. 

High blood pressure due to increased risk of blood clots.

Pregnancy is all stages.

Heart disease and other heart conditions. Sudden temperature changes can cause cardiac arrhythmia. 

Immune-suppressed conditions including immune dysfunction and chronic fatigue syndrome.