Yes, the rave and fad in bodywork modalities these days is definitely “HOT ROCKS,” or thermal stone therapy. Professional massage therapists who integrate modalities include heated stones as part of the therapeutic process. Indigenous cultures have used heated stones and cold therapies for cleansing, relieving muscloskeletal pain and arthritis, de-stressing emotions and spiritual rites of passage. Today, Chinese traditional medicine uses heat in a technique called moxibustion as part of acupuncture. Basalt stones from Peru are said to withdraw negative ions, and certainly ease deep muscular tension.

Basalt stones and river rocks are strategically placed on both sides of the spine and the chakras (energetic centers of the body). Cold techniques are applied with specifically crafted marble for massage therapists. Heated stones and craniosacral, shiatsu, Swedish massage, lomilomi, and reflexology techniques deliver a gentle relaxation massage which some describe as “heavenly”. The use of combining hot and cold stone / marble application to misaligned muscles with neuromuscular techniques (NMT) can bring remarkable relief with less pain than NMT alone. I have been using the above thermal techniques, as well as more recently developed methods such as La Stone™®, for over a decade.

Similar to Swedish massage, a person is draped for modesty and a variety of oils and lotions are applied for approximately 75 minutes.