Ask For Hot Stone Massage Therapy in 4th Street Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607

Hot stone massage therapy is not only relaxing but is very beneficial to your health, as well. Ask for it from your professional massage therapist at a massage clinic in 4th Street Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607.

According to the Spring 2009 issue of Massage Envy magazine, hot stone massage therapy is a 90 minute full body therapeutic massage treatment wherein smooth flat stones are heated in water until warm and then placed on the muscles of key points in the body. Warm stones are also used by the massage therapist in certain massage techniques customized according to the needs of the client.

The direct heat given by warm stones in hot stone massage therapy soothes, calms, sedates and produces deeper relaxation in the muscles and tissues, enabling the massage therapist to reach deeper layers and relieving stiffness and tension. The heat expands the blood vessels, resulting in improved the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids which delivers more nutrients to muscles and tissues. The heat and the massage techniques also improve metabolism which flushes out wastes and toxins, resulting in a system-wide cleansing.

Hot stone massage therapy combined with full body massage has been shown to have healing effects useful in decreasing chronic tension, chronic stress and anxiety; reducing muscular strain, contractions and spasms; increasing joint flexibility for improved range of motion and mobility; relieving chronic pain, including pain from arthritis, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain and other chronically painful conditions; and treating insomnia and depression.

The most commonly used stones for hot stone massage therapy are basalt stones. This is because they have a natural capacity to readily absorb heat and keep it longer. Basalt stones are volcanic in origin. They are considered igneous rocks, created out of magma which is the thick liquid matter that is spewed out of erupting volcanoes in the form of lava.  The hot lava spreads out over the soil around the volcano. As it cools it hardens into basalt. Because volcanoes dot the earth and these volcanoes erupt regularly through the ages, basalt can be found in three fourths of the surface of the earth, including the earth’s many layers and the sea bed.

The characteristics of basalt stones differ depending on how slowly or how fast the lava cooled down in their creation. Basalt rocks formed from slow cooling lava become coarse grained. On the other hand, basalt stones formed from quick cooling lava become fine grained and naturally smooth.

The smoothest and flattest basalt stones with rounded contours and no sharp edges are chosen for use on the body in hot stone massage therapy. Basalt stones with wide surfaces to cover generous areas of skin and muscles are best. They should be flat so that they stay put and do not roll off the body. They should be smooth and rounded for the client’s comfort, especially when used in massage techniques. Smaller basalt stones that are round rather then flat are also used to be grasped in the client’s hands during the treatment. Basalt stones that are very small and rounded are sometimes inserted between the client’s toes.

At times, other types of stone are also used in hot stone massage therapy. These include basinite and marble stones. All types of stone are kept and handled under sanitary conditions and kept bacteria free. In heating, they are placed in water with a temperature of 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit or approximately 50 degrees Celsius.

A professional full service massage clinic in St. Pete will surely be offering hot stone massage therapy. You should ask for it just as you ask for Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy or pregnancy massage therapy in 4th Street Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607.