How do hot stones work?

Hot Stone Massage warms the muscles and allows practitioners to access deeper tissues more quickly than with conventional massage while saving their fingers from repetition and pressure oriented injuries. Hot stone massage combines the benefits of hydrotherapy and thermotherapy, the use of heat applications, with the strokes of massage using stones to create a deep, relaxing and healing treatment. The heat of the stones warms the skin, which allows for the absorption of moisturizing and therapeutic oils, while simultaneously preparing the musculature of the body so the therapist can work into the deeper muscle layers. Benefits of thermotherapy include: increased local circulation, improved blood flow to surrounding tissues, and greater ability to transport toxins and waste products from the area. An ancillary benefit is that the stones provide a wonderful tool that creates a sense of depth in the massage without the extra wear and tear on the therapist's hands.