What Is Hot Stone Massage?
Learn about hot stone massage with this massage techniques video. Expert: Renee French
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Learn basic massage techniques from massage therapist Renee French with the demonstrations in these Howcast videos.
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Transcript
Hi, my name is Renee French and I'm here at Practical Massage Therapy in Nashville, Tennessee, and I'm going to be talking about massage therapy. Hot stone massage is typically the use of smooth, flat river stones that are heated and then applied to the body. The best way to heat the stones is to cover them with hot water in a heating device specifically designed for hot stone massage; or you can even use a crock pot or a turkey roaster. You cover the stones with the water, heat them to a specific or desired temperature and then use the stones on the body. First, the massage therapist applies a thin layer of massage oil or cream, and then pulling the hot stones out of the water, dries them slightly, then places them on the body, being careful not to burn the skin. At that point, once the massage stones have started to heat the muscles, the therapist may even use the stones to massage into the deep layers of the warmed muscles. If you have an injury that has a lot of swelling, stay away from hot tone massage. You know, some of the things that hot stone massage are really great for is in the wintertime when the body is really cold, it's nice to warm up the body and it can really help to release the muscles on a deeper level.
