Spiriphysical Blog

Stone work has been used for centuries as a healing practice by most indigenous people. Over the past ten years, stone work has entered the spa industry on many different levels. The use of Reiki/Energy Work, Swedish Massage, and Deep Tissue Therapy are just a few techniques that have been represented in this modality. The least recognized in this group is the use of ‘hot and cold stones’ for deep tissue application.

I have been involved with the body work related industry for the past twenty-three years as a personal trainer and a massage therapist since 1993. My focus as a massage therapist has been working with various facets of the medical community and athletes. This back ground assisted me in the development of Deep Tissue Healing ‘The Art of Stone Massage its application.

Stone massage is in a transitional stage, with the general public and most massage therapists thinking of stone work as a gentle relaxing treatment designed for spas primarily using hot stones only. Over the past five years, my focus has been on the education and development of deep tissue stone work with both hot and cold stones. In the practice of this modality the stones are used as an extension of my hand with direct contact to the body with the use of Prossage Heat (oil/ointment). The strokes that are used will be very familiar to all deep tissue massage therapists from effleurage to myofascial release and trigger point work to mention a few. With a solid foundation and understanding of stone massage a therapist can use that knowledge and utilize it for almost any modality.

The benefits of hydrotherapy are well recognized and supported by the medical community for its therapeutic properties. Stone work should now be added to that list because of its effectiveness in applying contrasting temperatures to the body. When working on an ischemic area, our goal is to increase blood flow to initiate the healing process. The severity of the injury will determine the amount of time that you will spend applying hot or cold stones. When a hot stone is presented into the treatment, the hyperemia will happen faster than with the use of hands alone. Your client’s muscle will relax sooner, which in turn will enable you to work deeper staying within the comfort level of your client.

If chronic pain has to be addressed in the treatment, it is essential that cold stones be applied. The more sensitive the injury the shorter the duration of heat that will be used. Increased blood flow in chronic pain situations can become an irritation if sustained for too long. In this situation cold stones will be used for a longer period of time than hot to reduce that inflammation. It is important to use cold stones in every treatment. The duration will depend on how much heat was used and the condition of the muscle tissue you are working on.

In Deep Tissue Healing basalt/ lava stones are primarily used to transfer heat, where as the hand carved white marble stones are used for the cold application. It has been found that basalt/lava will hold heat longer than other stones, and white marble stones will maintain a cooler temperature more efficiently. Shapes and sizes of stones vary depending upon the treatment area and the size of your client. As your stone work becomes more medical in nature the shapes and sizes are more important. With proper selection, you will be able to engage the affected muscle, tendon or ligament with more accuracy. For example, when accessing subscapularis you will use a stone that is oblong yet flat with a length of approximately five to six inches, depending upon the size of your hand. When the proper stone is chosen, you will find accessing hard to reach areas to be much more effective. During this deeper application the smoothness of the stone and the warmth will relax the affected tissue with little to no discomfort experienced by your client.

The basalt/lava stones are heated in water not in microwaves, crock pots, hot caddies for towels, or electric skillets, because the temperature is harder to control. When stone massage first entered the spa treatment realm we were using ‘turkey roasters’, 18 quarts or larger, yes a kitchen appliance to heat the stones. But now there is NESCO, which manufacture a heater called “Spa Pro.” This heater is better suited for stone massage because of its professional appearance and better quality of components. The cold stones can be made cool in three different ways: (1) refrigerator, (2) cooler with ice, and (3) the freezer. The choice on how to cool the stones is entirely yours along with the client’s tolerance to accept this change in temperature. For those clients who adapt well to the change in temperature, then cooling the stones in the freezer would be ideal. Whenever working with temperature (be it hot or cold) we must keep in mind less is more. As stone massage therapists there are two rules that must not be broken first do not bring a hot or cold stone to the table that you do not feel confident to handle. Then you will have to consider the tolerance your client has for heat or cold being applied directly to their skin. If this is not respected, a contraction to resist your work could occur. We want to avoid this contraction so that the client will obtain the maximum benefit from the treatment.

The preparation and understanding of working to work with stones safely must incorporate proper body mechanics. When I am working with a stone as an extinction of my hand, I take away the ability to work with the back of my hand and the use of my forearm. In this position, the end result is that my wrist could be in a hyper-extended position for most of the session. I can tell you, from experience this is not a good thing. The stones might save your fingers but in exchange you have done damage to your wrist. Using both hands equally and changing the angle of your wrist will help increase your longevity as a stone massage therapist. If you are able to combine this with pinning the stone to the body instead of holding it in your fingers your ability to feel through the stone will be greatly increased.

Stone Massage is still in its infancy, and I am committed to bringing this modality to a higher level in pain management.

Bruce Baltz is an internationally recognized educator with over twenty years experience in the fitness and bodywork industry. Bruce is a licensed massage therapist in New York and Florida and is the founder of SpiriPhysical Inc.

Prior to my first LaStone Therapy workshop with Mary Nelson in 1997, I was a typical massage therapist with a background in sports and medical massage. My approach at the time was very one-dimensional and the notion of associating spirituality with my work never occurred to me. However, during that first workshop with Mary, I learned about working with intent. I learned the importance of being aware of the energy that we all have when we work, but the bigger question remains what to do with this energy and how do we channel it into our massage work? The answer for me was through the use of stones.

Both hot and cold stones are used in the treatment. The cold stones are hand-carved white marble, the hot stones are basalt, river, or lava stones. Unlike the cold stones, the basalt stones are generally not cut, though often they are tumbled to make them more acceptable for body work.

The cold is essential for balancing the treatment. It reduces the possibility of soreness and speeds the healing process. It balances the natural heat inside the body. The client actually will not feel the cold stone as cold because our sense of hot and cold are very similar. When either stone is first applied, the body brings blood to the area. Once the cold stone stays there, the blood flow recedes naturally, and then it returns once the cold is removed. So there is a great deal going on during the use of cold stones.

Working with stones is a very humbling experience, yet there comes a time when the stones become one with your hands and your work develops a rhythm all its own. And if you let the spirits be your guide, you and your client will be transported to a spiritual plane that words alone cannot define or describe. The stones will take you to this place only if you can accept that they are more than mere tools for massage.

The spirit comes to each of us in different ways. When you open your mind and soul, the spirit will not only influence your work, but it will change the energy in the room and allow you to achieve a new level in your bodywork. To me it is this connection, this spiritual catalyst that makes the difference between massage simply done with stones and the practice of Deep Tissue Healing “The Art Of Stone Massage.” I still do the same type of work, but now I no longer work alone. My massage work is no longer linear or based solely in the physical realm. A circle has formed by bringing the spiritual aspect into the work.

When I was asked to develop a deep tissue workshop, I decided to read some of the books suggested by Mary in her manual. One of the books I read was Stone People Medicine, which led me to The Road to the Sundance, two books written by Manny Twofeathers, a Sundancer and Native American spiritual healer who uses stones in his work. His books and teachings have greatly influenced my life as well as my approach to my work. The Deep Tissue Healing workshop is an outgrowth of these teachings. I truly believe that the word healing could not have been a part of this title if it were not for the guidance and inspiration of Manny Twofeathers.

Stone massage as we know it today has gone through many changes as its popularity has grown, from spa sessions to injury treatments. Today, massage therapists have many choices in stone work education. There are almost as many stone work classes as there are modalities in massage. They range from home study classes to several day workshops, from Reiki with stones to deep tissue.

With therapists and businesses trying to keep up with the public’s demands for stone massage, the industry has run into legal setbacks which are not acceptable.

In my opinion, the blame cannot be put on any one party. Therapists must be held responsible for their actions as well as a business that offers any type of service. This means the providing parties need to seek out the proper knowledge so all necessary steps are taken to provide the best treatment possible.

The two elements all these workshops have in common are the use of heat and that a stone is applied to the body whether it is through a drape or directly to the skin.

For this work to be done within a safe range for the therapist and the client, there are several steps that must be taken into consideration:

The ability of the therapist to handle a hot stone
When you take a stone out of the hot water, make sure the temperature of that stone is within your tolerance. If it is too HOT, your ability to apply that stone with confidence, whether through a drape or on the skin, will be greatly hindered. Your client will feel your lack of confidence.

Your client’s tolerance to accept heat
Now that you have a stone you are confident you can handle, we must consider your client’s tolerance for heat. We must take all precautions to assure your client will have the best treatment you can provide. If a hot stone is being placed on the body through a drape, it should be done through a towel, not a sheet. The sheet will often be too thin. It is essential that you check with your client to see how the temperature feels to him. There are some techniques done by laying on stones. The chances of your client being burned by laying stones is greater but can be done with proper training. I tell all my clients that they are in control of the session, which also includes temperature, hot or cold, and pressure. If you do not give your client this permission, he could say to himself, “You are the professional and I guess this is the way it should feel.” We cannot afford to have this thought cross his mind. If your intention is to apply a stone directly to the skin, you need to make sure the heat stays within the client’s tolerance. If the maximum level is 10, and we do not want to be there, we are looking for the 7 to 8 range for deep tissue work. You will also have to acknowledge that the 7 to 8 range could be different on each of your clients, with hot, cold and pressure, and this must be respected. If these steps are taken by the properly trained therapist, it will greatly reduce the chance of injury to the client.

Day Spas, Resorts, and Medical Offices
To add stone massage as a modality for you to assist in the healing process you need to be aware of the learning curve to apply this technique safely. I refer to Deep Tissue Healing, the deep tissue work I teach. When therapists come to me for training with the use of hot and cold stones, I ask the therapist to take a stone in his hand and work with it as though it is part of his hand. It does not matter how long one has been a therapist, the stone will be an equalizer in class because the student therapist has to massage with that stone as though it is an extension of his hand. This process will take time before the stone can be one with the therapist’s hand. The therapist will need time to adapt the stone into the flow of his work. When this time is not taken, the therapist will not develop the technique properly. Thus, the therapist will not feel comfortable and the client will pick up on this feeling and not want the treatment again. This will reflect on all stone massage therapists, which will perpetuate a negative feeling for stone massage.

I do not recommend one therapist be sent to ANY workshop and come back to their place of business and train the rest of the staff in what they have learned. This could be a formula for disaster for the client, therapist, and owner. This could result in a client’s being injured and legal actions could be taken. I do want to thank the businesses that support continuing education for their massage therapists, but I will ask you to allow your therapists the time to perfect their modality whatever it may be. The end result will benefit all involved.