What is Hot Stone Massage?

Hot stone massage is a specialty massage where the therapist uses smooth, heated stones as an extension of their own hands, or by placing them on the body. The heat can be both deeply relaxing and help warm up tight muscles so the therapist can work more deeply, more quickly. 

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Hot stones warmed by fire were used by Native Americans to treat aching muscles, but the modern revival of hot stones in massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona.

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She trademarked her style of hot stone massage, called LaStone Therapy, which has a Native American spiritual component and requires training and certification.

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Most spas offer their own versions of hot stone massage (they might call it lava stone massage, river rock massage, warm stone massage, and so on). A hot stone massage, however, takes a lot of skill and sensitivity on the part of the therapist.