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Massage Therapy on the Rocks

Just to write this article, I had to use every bit of energy I had left in my body. You see, I just experienced massage therapy on the rocks, under the rocks and pressed with rocks.

Now before you jump to any conclusions or envision hot coals glowing over fire, let me explain. Hot Rock Massage is relatively new. It incorporates 53 rocks of various sizes that are hand washed, oiled and buffed. The rocks are heated in water to a desired temperature. During my session, the licensed massage therapist placed the rocks on strategic body points. She also used them to work deeper into the muscle tissue. The heat and smooth surface of the rocks delivered warm, soothing strokes that completely relieved my muscle aches and pains and relaxed my body beyond words.

If you've had a massage yourself, you know it reduces muscle tension and soreness, relieves stress, stimulates circulation, and relaxes the mind. If you've never had a massage, you're missing out on one of the fastest growing therapeutic treatments for health and total wellness.

Massage Therapy comes in many forms: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports Massage, Pressure Point, Thai and Cranial. Each one has a different focus for achieving specific results like increased range of motion, reduction in pain, relief from a chronic condition, improved flexibility and the list goes on and on.

Just about anyone can benefit from Massage Therapy. In fact, 80% of diseases in this country are stress related and massage reduces stress. More and more medical practitioners are prescribing massage therapy as a complimentary treatment and some are even including it in their services.

Now, I didn't think there was any way to make massage more relaxing or therapeutic. But someone did. Hot Rock Massage is deeply relaxing and the heat from the stones allows the muscles to be more receptive to the massage therapist's work.

The rocks slightly raise the core temperature and help the body detoxify. They also add an earthly element to the massage experience. In fact, Native Americans have used rocks for thousands of years for medicinal purposes and to heat their sweat lodges. From the way I felt, they've obviously known something the rest of us haven't.

So if your shoulders are up around your ears, you're stressed out, overworked and ready to run outside screaming, then you could benefit from a Hot Rock massage. Believe me, it is the coolest.

For more information about Massage Therapy in general, log onto the American Massage Therapy Association's website at http://www.amtamassage.org

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