New to Stone Massage

[Other Girl]

I just got my stones and used them for the first time thursday.  I'm having trouble with heating them.  I bought a roaster from walmart.  I first tried with a dry towel...burnt the towel.  Then I tried with a damp towel  the stones would not heat and it still started to scortch the towel.  I i tried just the stones in the body of the roaster....the stones heated quickly, but the smell was awful.  So finally I used a couple of damp paper towels...which seems to do ok.  Did anyone else have this problem?  What kind of oil can I use with the stones.  I incorporate them into my regular massage...so I just used Biotone advanced all purpose gel.  The stones i've used now look burnt...like they are covered in dry soap.  Are they suppose to look like that after they are used or is it do to the experimenting I did?

 

[kylelovesrootbeer]

Place towel and stones in roaster, then fill with water until the stones are covered. That should take care of the scorching problem!  

 

[Gmoney1000]

New to Stone Massage

Put a towel in the bottom of the roaster, and add water, covering the stones. The water will heat them. You can add some EOs if you like (I do, and the whole room is so wonderful for it!). I use the very same lotion or oils that I normally massage with.Have fun practicing.I really can't help it, but do you do much cooking? Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Peyton :]]

New to Stone Massage

Vchild where did you get your stones? I am still ooking around to buy some. I have collected a few on my own but I need to get a set.

 

[I heart you]

Hello, my first post, I feel so nervous.  :-*The best place to buy stone is home depot, in the garden dept. Look for the smooth ones. A large bag is about $15. When needed I put my stones in the oven to sterilize, also tea tree oil in the water. All the time I have to bake anymore. :Janice

 

[Brother Jonathan]

New to Stone Massage

Janice how big are those stones? On average?

 

[erika:)]

New to Stone Massage

Vchild, nothing personal, but this is why I firmly believe that MTs should not practice modalities without being properly trained.  I have to ask if you are aware of the precautions that must be taken to avoid burning your clients?

The advice everyone is giving you is great, please do warm the stones in water, you'll get them heated evenly.  The biggest rule of thumb to help avoid burning your clients and YOURSELF is "if the stone feels too hot, it IS too hot"  

This is a really good point. I was just talking with another HHP who told me about a MT that wasn't insured or trained and was offering Hot Stone Massage and burned someone...he was sued for $25,000.00 and the client won.  :-[

 

[thunderdragoonx]

I'm with AMTA, and I always test the stones against my skin first.  Then wrap them in a towel to place underneigth the client, and take a few out to cool down while i do regular head, neck, shoulders.  Before I touch the stones directly to the client, i test them again on the anterior aspect of my elbow...just like they told us in school.I got the rocks and the vid for $100 at http://www.gotyourback.comthe vid was pretty much useless.  Nothing I couldnt have figured out myself, or picked up in school.  The vid had nothing about preparing the stones in the roaster, which I thought was a great disservice for the $50 the vid cost.  My advise would be to pay $50 for the stones, and get another vid some place else.

 

[Tian]

vchild,Since there are so many hotstone videos out there and you didn't like the one you got, could you please give us the name and author of the video, as well as the points that made it a useless video (obviously including the non-info about heating your stones), so that others are aware of the pros and cons of the video.Also, I am curious, your school told you what to do with the stones, but not how to heat them... as you mentioned. آ Was that their hot stone course? آ If so, could you please elaborate on the school so we know not to take a course from them in hot stone work, since it obviuosly did not prepare you. آ Pete makes a good point about training... we need good courses, obviously the school didn't آ give you all the info. آ That is a real bummer.Anyway, thanks for any reply in advance.Also, if you do a search for "hot stone" and put in 400 days in the search function, you can pull up almost any and everything people have written on hot stones. آ Make sure and ask for more than 25 replies though, as we probably have over 200!   آ 

 

[Sumsie]

Hi vchild,With your roaster-burning problem, it's probably just the new roaster "breaking in", that smell will go away. آ Mine still stinks a bit and it has been been a couple months, I use it once or twice a week. آ I got mine at Wal-Mart too.I put a towel folded up to the size of the bottom of the roaster and place the rocks in (so they make less noise), and fill it up to cover the tops of the rocks. آ I turn it on about an hour before my client arrives so they're nice warm. آ They should be at about 250 degrees.If they're too hot when you take them out, you can spray it with witch hazel or alcohol to cool it down fast.The dry soap look is your product that's dried on. آ I use a rubbing alcohol, salt and hot water mixture to wash them, with a scrub brush (in the rinse tub or bath tub). آ Like some baking stones, your stones will get darker the more you use them, from the product you use with them - it soaks in.Practice on family and close friends first! They won't mind at all.  Hope this helps!  آ 

 

[snwflkdue1209]

New to Stone Massage

Hi vchild,

I turn it on about an hour before my client arrives so they're nice warm.  They should be at about 250 degrees.

If they're too hot when you take them out, you can spray it with witch hazel or alcohol to cool it down fast.

I am really hoping that you are reccommending that the brand of roaster you are using needs to be set to 250 degrees. If the rocks or the water are that hot, you are in for BIG trouble and third degree burns.

Vchild, all joking aside from before... I never took a hot stone course. I booked a couple of hot stone massages for myself, bought 2 different videos & after lots of practice & feedback from close friends & family, I offered it in my menu. My hot stone work is unique to me, based on the same principles as the videos I watched, but all my own. I use the heated stones as a continuum of my own work.

I am not required (by my insurance nor my licensure) to have certification for each modality I use, but that is really something that everyone should check out for themselves. There are some things that are not covered by my insurance policy though (ear candling, etc).

Just keep asking away. Even though I ribbed you about "cooking", this is the place you should feel most comfortable in going to for advice.

Clean your stones really well with a scrub brush & very hot soapy water. Rinse them very well & let them dry. What those stones went through by way of nature's forces is far worse than a little baked on product scum. No worries. You may or may not have burned your roaster beyond healthful & pleasant circumstances. Only you will be able to tell.

Here's what I do as I am introducing the hot stone to each body part:  I apply lotion/oil with my hands (the client perceives luke-warm or body temp to warm). Then I oil the stones & move them in my hands like a bar of soap, drawing some heat off them for an intermediately warm stroke or two. Lastly I apply the hot stone in massage strokes, making sure it moves constantly at first. I am always checking with the client if they feel the temp is right for them. Heat tolerance is very individual.

Just keep practicing & you'll have a great new service to offer your new and established clients!

All the best!

Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Cody]

250 degrees??!!!!!!!!  oh my gosh, that is INSANELY hot.  it's melt-your-skin-right-off hot.  i heat my stones to about 125.  i utilize the same method as sagetherapist when introducing the stones to the body.  a bit of regular massage first. grab a few stones and oil them up.  hold stone in hand for a few seconds and move stone to the other hand. use the empty hand and do a few effleurage strokes. move stone back to that hand and massage with the other hand which should be a lot warmer than the first hand.  then massage WITH the stone.   i usually use 2 stones when massaging.  one in each hand.hmmm... its probably harder to understand what im trying to say without seeing it.

 

[white rabbit]

New to Stone Massage

No DollZ I understand. I am just getting my supplies together to add hot stone to my menu. When we did hot stone in school we reached right into the water witn our hands to get the stones. That way if they were too hot to touch they would be too hot for client. I would think if the roaster is set to 250 that would be too hot to put your ands in the water. ???? right?

 

[IamGAD]

The vid i was referring to is "TH Stone Education & Products:  Stone Massage Level I"  As far as the school i went to...stone massage wasnt on their agenda.  It was something the new instructor did at her spa, and was more of an introduction to show us what it looked like than a ceu course.  Not too many students were interested in it, so we only spend about 15 mins on the entire thing.  Thanks for the cleaning tips...guess I need to pick up some more spray bottles...is it possible to have too many of them?  I dont think so...lol

 

[wellwisher]

New to Stone Massage

I would think if the roaster is set to 250 that would be too hot to put your ands in the water. ???? right?

Temperatures for Hydrotherapy Treatments

Description of Sensation Sensation on forearm when immersed in this water temperature

DEGREES FARENHEIT

32      Ice                              Pain
32-54 Very cold                     Pain and numbness
55-70 Cold                            Sensation of coldness
71-80 Cool                            Cool
81-92 Tepid                           slightly cooling body temp
Neutral..................................No sensation
93-100 Warm                       Comfortably warm
101-104 Hot                          Skin redness with prolonged immersion
105-110 Very Hot..................Tolerable for a short time
111-120 PainfullyHot             Pain and possible tissue damage  
125+ Damaging                     Pain and tissue damage

 

[aumnamashivaaum]

New to Stone Massage

For our body wraps we used hydrocollator units set at 140' F We used gloves to remove the wraps and after wringing and opening up they were cool enough to use on the client (student) But we needed tongs or insulated gloves at that temp that is why I was saying 250 on the water in the roaster would be WAY TOO hot to get the rocks out with your hands.

 

[BARRY B]

New to Stone Massage

I am a brand new massage therapist, Swedish and Stone. I just came across this site and got excited!! About the stones, I am Certified in LaPolar Naturally Stones/The Missing Link to Hot Stone Massage. It uses both bassalt(hot) and marble(cold) stones. This is the way to go.First of all I believe it is unsafe to therapist and to clients to just learn something through video. BIG NO NO in my book. There is a wonderful web site that ya'll can check out about LaPolar Stones and learn all about them, and locations of where it is taught. I suggest to email the owner, he's a great guy and will help with anything at all. The web site is LaPolar Stones.com  ALSO there is a price list of all his hand crafted stones. (THEY ARE THE BEST). a bit pricy bit fabulous!The temp for hot stones should start at 115 then gradually raised to only about140 depending on the clients body size, and they should only be heated in water, ( i use a roaster from walmart and its great).THANKS TO ALL YOU FELLOW HEALERS!!!!

 

[Dustin M]

OK folks, next time you're making spaghetti, when you want to test that noodle to see if it ready, forget fishing it out with with a spoon or fork, just reach in and grab it.  What?  Crazy you say?  Well, that temp is "only" 212 degrees, although the steam would be a bit hotter.  Yes, 250 would be much to hot.A word on roasters.  In the direction manuel, it clearly says to turn it on as hot as it will go for a while before using it to cook or whatever the intended use is.  The insulation has to burn in.  Imagine what that insulation has in that is burning/gassing off in our rooms.  What size roaster does everyone use?  6 is too small, 18 is huge.......My wife got me a 10 for Christmas.  The round rice cooker works, but is like the 6.....too small to be convienient.  mick

 

[dog-lover]

New to Stone Massage

Rebecca,Thanks for the info on http://www.lapolarstones.com/ , however, it appears that the only way you are allowed to learn this technique is if you are enrolled in their massage therapy school program.  I searched the site and either missed a training program for "already therapists", or you must be enrolled as a prerequisite for their coursework.Have you got any additional information that would help those of us who already are licensed and practicing?Thanks in advance.Also, thanks for the info on the video v-child.Happy learning.  

 

[banned_glory]

New to Stone Massage

For LaPolar Stones, I suggest getting in contact with the owner Rick. He has contact with one instructor that I know of who taught the last class in December. There are a few but not many LaPolar instructors around, its very new. Just contact Rick if you are interested! Sorry I don't have better info