Stone therapy massage involves the application of warm basalt stones and cool sedimentary stones of different shapes and sizes, and temperatures, to key points on the body, in order to balance ‘chakra’.

Creating a sense of warmth and comfort, the heat from a stone therapy massage relaxes the muscles allowing greater manipulation and a massage of deeper intensity.

How does Stone Therapy Massage Work?

Different stones serve different purposes.
Seven chakra stones are used for bringing balance to chakra centers. Some are used for massage and layouts, and others are used as palm rests.

To elicit mental and physical healing, stones are heated to varying temperatures between 125 – 135 degrees Fahrenheit and placed in various positions on the body.

Warm basalt stones are used for deep penetration to loosen and sooth tightened, congested muscles. Cool marble stones are used to reduce inflammation creating a rejuvenating and balanced treatment.

Many therapists will use stone massage therapy in conjunction with other massage treatments such as trigger point therapy or aromatherapy.

The use of different massage techniques, together with the stones, produces energy and releases areas of blockage.

The alternate use of hot and cold stones encourages healing. Hot stones ease stiffness and encourage circulation and help to move waste materials through the body.

Cold stones reduce inflammation and swelling. They cause blood vessels to constrict, stimulate the nervous system and draw waste along the body.

The corresponding increase in lymph flow ensures the effective removal of waste material from the body.

The Benefits of Stone Massage Therapy

Stone therapy massage relieves stress, anxiety and tension. It is deeply relaxing and improves poor circulation, is effective for reducing muscular aches, pains, strains and sprains. Other benefits include:

o detoxifies physically and energetically

o tones and enhances tissue repair

o soothes and decongests the body

o relaxes and rejuvenates

o leaves you feeling grounded, balanced, and revitalized

What Happens During a Stone Therapy Massage Session?

You will be asked to lie on a towel covering a variety of flat hot and cold stones that trace the spine. Specific oils are applied gently to the skin before the therapist begins to glide the hot stones across the meridian lines.

Therapists start at the feet and glide the stones in a ritualistic manner over the body. Stones are cradled in the palms and nestled in the toes balancing and aligning energy, sending out healing properties and reducing stress.

Booking a Stone Therapy Massage Treatment

Stone Therapy Massage is very popular and widely available with many practitioners of other massage therapies, using stones in their practice.

Just one treatment allows you to feel completely at peace with yourself and your surroundings.

Described as the ultimate journey for mind, body and soul, stone therapy massage is pure decadence and a real indulgence that you definitely deserve!

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Massage recliners started out as simple chairs with vibration motors. Vibration has been used for a long time to relieve tension and stiffness in the muscles. Vibration is particularly effective in penetrating all the way through the muscle tissue to the bone.

Massage recliners have now integrated various technologies in order to perform full body treatments. Massage chair therapy is the use of massaging chairs to provide full body treatments.

Many health professionals such as medical doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists are now using massage chair therapy. Massaging recliners have the advantage of providing consistent therapy treatment. They can be precisely controlled and directed to massage specific areas or the whole body.

Many chiropractors and other medical professionals are used massaging chairs as part of a total regimen for their patients. For instance, chiropractors may use these recliners to warm up their patients prior to a chiropractic manipulation.

Massage recliners are also used to provide traction of the spine. Massaging recliners that use a roller system in the chair back. The patient is put in a recline position and with the force of gravity the rollers will pass over each vertebrae in the spine. As the rollers passed over them, the discs are flexed which helps to stretch out the soft tissue between them.

Massage chairs provide a number of different movements and techniques. It is common to now find massage techniques such as shiatsu, acupressure, reflexology, Swedish and deep tissue. Massaging lounger manufacturers have replicated many of the most popular and effective movements and techniques.

Massage recliners provide an automated means to deliver consistent full body therapy. They can also be programmed to target specific areas or to avoid specific areas depending on the needs of the patient.

Massage loungers also have other treatments in addition to massage therapy. Many massaging chairs now also have stretching systems. Stretching systems are available for the lower body and also for the upper body. The lounger will actually stretch out the legs or may stretch out the arms and shoulders.

It is also common to find MP3 players with headphones. This enables a medical professional to load soft music to the computer of the lounger. The soft music is then played for the patient to help with relaxation. This is used to calm the mind which helps the body to relax.

Many massage chairs also incorporate heaters. Heat is commonly used to help reduce swelling and to improve circulation. Massage recliners enable the health practitioner to apply heat specifically where it is needed.

Massage chair therapy is the automation of these various treatments. The advantages of a massaging lounger are that they can provide consistent pressure for a specific duration. They are programmable and are very repeatable. Human massage is tremendously variable and is not consistent from person to person.

Massage chair therapy is also available for in-home use. The same massage chairs which are used by health professionals are also available for use in your home or office. This enables you to have consisted access to massage therapy when you need it most.

Massage is one of the most ancient of healing arts. With the advent of technology, you can enjoy consistent and reliable massage treatments. Massage Chair Therapy provides you with unprecedented access and convenience. Select from many different feature sets with our massage chairs. We carry the top brands: Omega Massage, Panasonic and Sanyo.

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The most commonly recognized type of massage is Swedish Massage, developed by Per Henrik Ling in the late 1700 and early 1800’s. Swedish massage techniques consists of long, smooth strokes (effleurage), tissue kneading (petrissage), or tapping (tapotement), and can be used to either relax muscle or increase its tone depending on the application and technique. Pressure can be very light or deep, depending on the therapist, your needs and your tolerance to pressure. During a massage therapy treatment that primarily consists of Swedish techniques, other modalities, which may require further or specialized training, can be used.

Relaxation, sports, pregnancy, infant and geriatric massage all contain elements of Swedish techniques.

Relaxation massage tends to be slower and more rhythmic than a treatment oriented therapeutic massage and its primary goal is to increase relaxation of the client. In infant massage, therapists teach parents how to work on their own infants, which is a great bonding experience and may help parents relieve colic and help their babies sleep better. For special populations or conditions, such as pregnancy or geriatric massage, the application of techniques needs to be modified to suit the needs of the client.

Sports massage therapy consists not only of Swedish techniques, but also of stretching, including “active inhibition” techniques, and can be performed either pre or post-event. Sports massage therapy that is performed pre-event uses quick, rhythmic movements to warm up and stretch the muscles, preparing them for the demand to be placed on them. Post-event sports massage is slower and is done to relieve pain, swelling, assist in the removal of metabolic waste and to decrease recovery time. Massage therapy for athletes and fitness enthusiasts is also a great maintenance tool which can address muscular imbalances and injuries and help them achieve optimal performance.

Deep Tissue Massage Therapy basically consists of Swedish techniques which are used at a deeper level of the tissue. To perform any type of massage effectively, but especially deep tissue, the muscles must be warmed up at a superficial level to allow the therapist to go into the deeper layers and address restrictions found there. It is advisable for therapists who want to practice “deep tissue” to have a hi-lo table and get specialized training to help hem maintain their own body, back and joint health. It is advisable for new massage therapy clients to work up to a deep tissue type of therapy as it is not suitable for everyone and may be painful for someone who is not accustomed to manual therapy.

Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy is also know as trigger point release. A myofascial trigger point is a hyperirritable area within a tight band of muscle. The goal of this therapy is to reduce or remove the trigger point, thus alleviating pain. Referral pain often has a very specific pattern depending on the muscle in which it is found, and can often present in a seemingly unrelated area. Trigger point therapy is integrated into Swedish massage treatments which assists in warming up and stretching the tissue pre and post release respectively.

Frictions or Friction therapy is a very localized, specific technique used to break down adhesions and scar tissue which may cause pain and inhibit movement. Friction therapy is not used alone, but is integrated into a routine where Swedish techniques are used to warm up the tissue and to aid circulation to remove metabolic waste post friction.

Myofascial release therapy, also called fascial release, consists of manipulation and stretching of the fascia – connective tissue which encases muscles, nerves, organs and bones in the body. To properly anchor and engage the tissue, no oil or other mediums are used, as “glide” over tissue is ineffective in most myofascial techniques.

Manual lymph drainage, also called lymphatic, lymph or lymphedema massage, is a series of gentle movements used to stimulate the flow of lymphatic fluid in the body, thereby relieving pain and congestion. This type of therapy is perfect to assist in the reduction of swelling post injury, and is also used to reduce swelling post surgery. MLD, as it is commonly known, is also used with great success for women who have a mastectomy, however, special training is required for therapists to treat when lymph nodes have been removed.

In most massage therapy training, the focus is primarily on Swedish techniques, but the above modalities may be learned as an adjunct to Swedish massage, or as continuing education.

Active release is a patented therapy which encompasses various movements while tissue is being manipulated. The term “active” refers to the fact that the patient voluntarily contracts his or her muscles as techniques are applied. This therapy requires specialized training and certification.

Craniosacral Therapy – is a gentle manual therapy developed by William Garner Sutherland, a student of Osteopathy, in the early 1900’s. Craniosacral therapy, or CST, is believed to work by addressing soft tissue restrictions around the central nervous system, which in turn affect the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Craniosacral therapy often relieves pain, induces deep relaxation and may encourage a more restful sleep.

Shiatsu is a manual therapy originating in Japan, and consists of finger pressure along various meridian or energy points throughout the body. Shiatsu is believed to work by removing any blockages along the meridians so energy travels more freely and the body can function normally.

Jodi Forsythe has been a Massage Therapist since 2000, and created WhyMassageTherapy.com as an online resource for all things concerning massage therapy.

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Back massage therapy offers numerous benefits. While general massage is well known to stimulate blood flow to the muscles and provide relaxation and a pleasurable experience, it does not necessarily provide the therapeutic value required to provide chronic back pain relief sought by sufferers of the condition. Back massage therapy by a specialist however can bring about significant relief within weeks, when therapeutic back massage techniques are applied to combat both lower and upper back pain.

The positive results from back massage therapy can be multiplied when combined with complimentary treatments such as Chiropractic, Physical Therapy or even Acupuncture. A multi discipline approach will work best when the therapists communicate with each other and ‘design’ a program of complimentary treatments to achieve chronic back pain relief through a synergistic approach.

Results can again be significantly improved with the patient taking personal responsibility and being proactive in achieving chronic back pain relief. This can be done with simple measures such as an improved diet, gentle exercise and stretching.

Benefits of Back Massage Therapy

• Massaging causes the muscles to become more relaxed which in turn increases their range of motion. This is an enormous benefit when tension of the muscles causes a restriction in movement. Relaxed muscles also help to reduce insomnia.

• Improved blood supply to the muscles assists with the recovery of muscular soreness from physical activity.

• Massage increases endorphin levels in the body. This is highly beneficial as endorphins are the ‘feel good’ chemicals produced naturally by our bodies. Heightened endorphin levels assist in dealing with chronic back pain.

Precautions

Take note that when receiving massage therapy for the back, the pressure applied during the massage should evoke a response of relaxation in the muscles. If this does not occur the muscles may be inflamed possibly due to an acute injury of the muscle. In this case massage therapy should be put off until the inflammation subsides and it may be advised to consult a doctor.

For best results, muscle spasms generally require four massage treatments, commonly spread over six weeks. Should the muscle spasms not respond to therapy after two massages, it may be advisable to seek an alternative therapy.

Back massage techniques are highly effective in the treatment of chronic back pain, however if the pain is severe it is recommended to first undergo a complete medical check-up prior to beginning a program of back massage therapy.

Conclusion

For those seeking chronic back pain relief there is a wide variety of treatment options available both in conventional medicine and alternative therapies. Whatever your preference of treatment, back massage therapy can be a highly beneficial partner in your quest for relief.

Arthur Bakeright is a qualified but non practicing massage therapist and avid traveler. He now writes extensively on both massage and travel.

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