No one should ever experience a burn in a stone session by Mary Nelson

Following is part of an article Mary Nelson wrote about burns and stone massages. The original article is written for therapists and includes information about the body's reaction to temperature, burns, how to treat them, treatment plans, stone heating etc. Below are parts of the article which I find relevant for the client to read.

NO ONE SHOULD EVER EXPERIENCE A BURN IN A STONE SESSION

By Mary Nelson, founder of LaStone®

Geo-Thermal Therapy

The Science of the Stones

My vision over the last sixteen years has been to develop LaStone into a post graduate training program that includes the ancient practice of stone healing and encompasses all areas of spiritual and scientific reasoning as it applies to alternating temperatures to the body. In the last seven years I have been involved as an expert witness in cases where burns have been inflicted on clients due to a therapist not understanding the full potential of offering heated stones to the human body. With each case it has been my observation that none of the burns should have occurred had the therapist understood a few simple and yet practical rules as they apply to temperature and the various systems of their client’s body. This article will focus on heated stones and briefly mention the use of chilled stones—chilled stones will not harm, but heated stones have the potential of harming if the therapist is not skilled and educated in the field of Geo-Thermal Therapy.

First and foremost the client is in control. A client should be informed at the beginning of the stone session that they are always in full control of the temperature of the stones and how that temperature is affecting/supporting their body. A client must feel confident that they can request the therapist to adjust the temperature of the stones to fit their comfort level at all times.

Second a complete and in-depth Client Information Form must always accompany any stone session. Without understanding the health and constitution of the client receiving a stone session a therapist cannot choose the correct temperatures and duration of time that temperature is offered to the body, nor can the therapist determine what modality to use during the stone session.

Third a therapist should check in with the client several times throughout the stone session to be sure that the client’s comfort level is being met and at no time should a therapist allow a client to sleep through any stone placement layouts without first checking in to make absolutely sure the stones are not too hot for the client in that particular area of their body.

The reaction of the body as it applies to hyperemia, an increase in blood flow when tissue is active, is determined by a several factors.

Hyperemia Vasodilatation is the widening of the blood vessels and occurs when the muscles in the walls of the vessels become relaxed leading to a decrease in blood pressure. Vasodilatation occurs when heated stones are applied to isolated areas of the body—this vasodilatation brings oxygenated blood to the periphery from the local blood flow in the area resulting in hyperemia. This reaction is evident within seconds of increasing tissue metabolism, which also increases blood flow to the isolated area of the body being treated with heated stones. This increased blood flow returns to normal when the metabolism is restored to normal (meaning the heated application of the stones has been stopped).

The level of hyperemia is determined by how much the metabolic activity was increased due to the following: the length of time the heated stones were applied to the local area, the condition of the client’s body, the client’s regular intake of water, the condition of their skin, their digestive system, circulatory system and lymphatic system, and any medication the client may be taking must also be considered in order to determine how much heat you can apply to isolated areas of the body in order to support the body without damaging tissue in the process.

Massaging with the heated stones in isolated areas bring about a chemical response from the local tissue and increases the client’s metabolism, which results in oxygenated blood to the epidermis and local muscles in the area.

Modality for Stone Sessions vary—not all stone sessions are applied with the use of Swedish techniques. Depending on the client’s health concerns and goals, the modality that accompanies a stone session will vary greatly from week to week and client to client.

Stone placement with either sheets or a towel or clothing between the client’s bare skin and the heated stones will offer warmth and support for their body. When placing/tucking hot stones under and on top of the client’s body it takes an average of three to four minutes for the heat to fully penetrate the layers of resistance/material before a client can discern if the hot/warm stones are adequate for their needs or can possibly cause harm to their epidermis. This time factor varies according to the thickness of the resistance/material being used, the health of the client, the temperature of the stones being used and the location of the stone placement, i.e., on/over bone, organ or muscle.

Length of time governs the exposure of temperature to the body either by stone placement or moving a stone such as in massage or point work. The duration of time a therapist offers temperature to an isolated area is important because the length of time the temperature is being offered to the body will determine the body’s response to the temperature. The only way to determine how long to offer stones to the body is to fully understand the client’s health concerns. (See charts in LaStone manual: Examples of Heated Stones on Isolated Areas and Examples of Chilled Stones on Isolated Areas.)

Hydration is vital for the success of any stone session. This applies to the internal constitution of the client’s body as well as to their epidermis. Without proper hydration burns can and will occur. The client’s skin must be moist when applying stones in the various massage modalities as well as in stone placement. If the client’s skin appears to be dry then some form of moisturizer must be applied, be that massage oil or lotions, even if the modality of choice is Shiatsu, Reflexology, or Energy Work where 'massage strokes' are not being applied.

Keeping the client’s internal system hydrated is just as important as hydrating the epidermis; therefore, we recommend that clients drink additional water prior to, during and after their stone session. If the client is not hydrated properly the detox process is slow to start. Also, in order to support the kidneys in releasing toxins that were released during the stone session, a client must be hydrated or tissue damage, weakness and sluggish feelings can occur.

Swedish massage alone begins the process of removal of toxins in the body; so, when massage is coupled with heated stones, the reactions are tenfold. If the kidneys and liver are in short supply of water, then the body’s filtration system will not be able to move out unwanted toxins. Adding temperature to a Swedish massage, such as we offer in a LaStone session, demands the body to respond not only to the modality (i.e., Swedish and Lomi Lomi massage), but also to the increase of blood flow encouraged by the temperatures. If the body is working overtime to process the information of the massage and the temperatures being applied, then the kidneys, liver and all systems of the body are in desperate need of hydration. The only real way to hydrate the body is with pure water. It is important that the water is of high quality; therefore, it may be necessary for you to offer filtered bottled water to your clients.

Some Reasons Why Clients Have Been Burned

• The therapist neglected to empower the client—encouraging the client to have full control over the temperature of the stones and to let the therapist know if the stones are too hot.
• The client did not inform the therapist of a contraindication that involves temperature sensitivities.
• The stones were heated with something other than water.
• The heating unit’s water is too hot.
• The therapist did not monitor the temperature of the stones.
• The therapist did not use enough resistance/material between the client’s bare skin and the hot stones in stone placements.
• The therapist tucked hot stones on the bare skin not warm stones.
• The client fell asleep on the Spinal Layout Stones, hot belly stone or tucked stones.

Connecting and beginning the massage

I aim to connect properly with every client before I start the massage. I will make sure we're on the same page, that we're both ready for the work to be done and that I'm aware of your needs in this present moment.

As I want to tune into your breath, and sense where some of your tensions might be stored, I start the session by pressing my hands against parts of your body while you lie under the sheet. This gives me an overall impression of how you're feeling and where your tensions are today.

It is a nice way for you to begin your relaxation. This is your chance to slow down, switch your mind to massage mode and most importantly, to become familiar with my hands and my touch. Your body understands that my hands won't harm you and that my touch is gentle. This way your mind and muscles are allowed to let go and for you to trust me.

Next step is to apply massage oil to your skin. I prefer to oil the entire back-side at once, using long flowing strokes. By doing so I help you sense and reconnect your body as a whole. During this light initial massage, I can more precisely assess how you are feeling on a deeper level.

Your muscles communicate to me where the tensions are stored. Based on what I feel in your tissue and our previous communication, I decide upon which stone-techniques to use and what areas of your body needs particular attention today.

I find that taking time to gently connect with you and applying oil allows me to give you a much better experience and provides for a higher quality massage.

Your relaxation and wellness treatment starts the moment you lie down on the table.

Next time you receive a massage, try to notice how the initial contact and oiling take place. How does it make you feel? How does it affect your relaxation? Your body? Your mind? Could something be done differently to make you feel better and achieve even deeper relaxation?

Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. I would love to hear your point of view.

The benefits of stone massage by Mary Nelson

Image by Taunaki via Flickr

I am honoured to feature an article written by Mary Nelson, the founder of LaStone® Therapy. It is always interesting to read the thoughts of someone who've worked in a field for so long.

The benefits of stone massage and how it differs from other massage therapies

By Mary Nelson, founder of LaStone® Therapy

Many people do not understand the benefits of stone massage and have never experienced the deep healing provided by a session. They have experienced Swedish massage or a similar therapy, but may not know how wonderful and therapeutic a stone massage actually is. The type of stone massage technique that I will be discussing is LaStone® which uses both hot and cold stones to bring relief and healing to the body.

Traditional Swedish massage and Shiatsu have a lot to offer. They will accelerate oxygen and nutrients, activate the circulatory system, improve the digestive system, relax the body, assist the mind to let go and the spirit can soar to new levels of meditation. So if all this is happening in a traditional massage why choose to experience a stone session, what makes a stone massage different than one of these that I have listed?

Hydrotherapy or Thermotherapeutics or thermotherapy as some refer to it has been floating around the world of healing for thousands of years. Basically it involves the use of water and various temperatures to relieve pain in the treating of illness. In the methodologies of LaStone® therapy we refer to it as Geo-thermal therapy which is the application of heated and chilled stones to the body for therapeutic purposes.

The main component of hydrotherapy is water in its numerous forms of temperature and it plays an important role in almost all fields of science, including physics, chemistry, and biology. The application of temperature to the body to aid it in the healing process has been recorded as early as ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. Hydrotherapy was revived during the 19th century in Germany, Father Sebastian Kneipp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sebastian_Kneipp.jpg taught the practical use of hydrotherapy in everyday life. His methods are still in use today throughout Germany and around the world.

In modern times hydrotherapy is a common practice in the physical therapy offices and many hospitals where they are treating arthritis, strains, sprains, burns, musculoskeletal disorders as well as for stroke patients with paralysis and the list goes on for it has a wide range of benefits to support the body in the healing process.

LaStone® is clinically the application of Geo-Thermal therapy, to the body using heated stones and alternating with chilled stones to bring about a chemical release within the body’s systems. Spiritually the use of heated and chilled stones to our body will aid in balancing our chakras and recharging our souls with Mother Earth energies as we perceive the wonder of the temperature and the stone’s individual vibrations entering our bodies.

Many hot stone massages do not alternate between the various degrees of temperature and only offer hot or warm stones to the body; resulting in a relaxing experience and one that is capable of moving some blood around in the local regions where the heated stone were applied. This type of stone massage is suitable for the client who has no health issues, no pain to relieve, and no inflammation to move out of the body and only wants to relax and feel comfortable.

For those who are looking for a deeper sense of themselves through ceremony, who seek ways to make a chemical change within their constitution and begin the healing process then LaStone® is the methodology that can administer such an experience, for the body will journey through multiple levels of healing as the blood, the lymphatic fluids and digestive juices all interact with the stones being applied to the body at various degrees in temperature throughout the session.

Adjusting temperatures in bodywork to aid clients in healing has always been beneficial. LaStone® Therapy is a contemporary approach to alternating temperatures in massage, it is a multifaceted technique designed to benefit client and therapist at once. The therapeutic potential of this treatment goes beyond measure. The physiological benefits of alternating hot and cold temperatures to the body have long been scientifically and medically proven. As mentioned early about the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations and Father Sebastian Kneipp you can also find evidence of other ancient cultures using various forms of water, liquid, steam and ice to heal the body. These three forms of water are the mediums used in hydrotherapy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrotherapy LaStone® Therapy capitalizes on these traditional practices with a current approach.

The many different types of stones used are the medium and the various temperatures are the message. This “vascular gymnastics” that is achieved by the use of alternating hot and cold stones in a massage aids the circulatory system, endocrine system and digestive systems in assisting the body in self-healing and goes beyond what bare hands can achieve in the traditional body therapies.

In a full session heated and chilled stones will line your back as you lie face up, both temperatures will rest on your front chakras and you will be massaged by the skilled hands of your LaStone® therapist with heated stones along your arms, legs, hands, feet, face and back. The placement of the heated and chilled stones will be determined by your therapist clinical understanding of what each temperature can be offered to your body at that particular moment, taking into consideration your health concerns and personal goals for the outcome of the stone session.

At times chilled stones will be applied to your body via the appropriate massage technique if inflammation is present, or arthritis, strains, sprains, and fibromyalgia are challenging your well-being. All along heated stones will rest in supportive areas of your body to help keep you warm and allow the body to relax into the therapeutic aspects that cold stones are able to achieve by way of Geo-thermal therapy supporting the body to begin the healing process.

A LaStone® session goes beyond the physical experience of typical massage, and enters deeper dimensions of relaxation, health and well-being, creating a positive approach to Body-Mind-Spirit philosophy. To remember what it was like as a child to lie upon the earth and feel as though nothing was wrong in life. People are searching far and wide for that sense of well-being, that connection with the power and peace of life. We have forgotten where to find it. In this fast paced society that we live in, we rarely take time to go outdoors and rest and feel the vibration of our mother, the Earth. It is too convenient to go to the gym; some of us even have workout equipment at home. Missing the true meaning as to why one goes outside, not realizing that we need the connection to Mother Earth. Receiving a session supports us in reconnecting to Mother Earth. Feeling cradled and protected by our Earth Mother as we experience her seasons through the various temperatures being offered to the body as the sessions unfolds.

Not only is LaStone® an absolute solution to aiding the client’s bodies to begin the healing process the therapists themselves are supporting their own hands in healing when holding the stones. By using alternating temperatures with the stones the strain and injuries to the wrists and thumbs that body therapists experience daily begin to heal and the therapist’s hands become stronger as the inflammation leaves their hands and wrists all the while they are treating their clients with heated and chilled stones. Thus LaStone® goes beyond any traditional therapies for both the therapist and the client benefit from the science and spirit of the stones.

I recommend that you find a certified LaStone® therapist or a stone therapist that understands the science behind how alternating temperatures to the body will aid in the healing process and incorporates some form of ceremony or energy work in the sessions they are licensed in doing. For this type of stone massage will offer you a safe environment to experience the vibrations of the stones from Mother Earth, her seasons through the temperature and be balanced as your energy centers accept the ceremony being offered to your body.

Contact LaStone® Therapy
Mary Nelson, founder
1-520-400-9364
info@lastonetherapy.com
http://www.lastonetherapy.com
http://www.lastonetherapy.com/aroundtheworld.asp LaStone® offices around the world

Client, speak up and be empowered

There is a very common misconception among people that the massage therapist always knows how deep to massage and what is best. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only the client can fully know if a massage is too painful, a stone too hot or a stretch too intense.

This is why it is very important that you as a client speak up. You have a responsibility to inform your therapist of anything which bothers you. If you feel a massage goes too deep and the pain becomes too much, inform the therapist and ask her to ease off. If during a stone massage a stone burns you or feels too hot, inform the therapist immediately so they can adjust the temperature and avoid burning you. If the work is too superficial and not deep enough, do tell.

There have unfortunately been incidents where poorly educated or inattentive stone therapists have burnt their clients. Laying them on too hot stones without any protective layer in between, massaging with stones which burn, or using stones chilled in the deep freezer.

It is my responsibility as a therapist to remind you about your control over the session. Before the massage begins, it is my duty to discover what type of massage you want. While you fill the intake form, we discuss the session ahead and what your intention with the massage is. If you enjoy deep work or would rather have a gentle massage and if we should focus on the physical or energetic work, or a combination thereof.

During the massage I ask you if the temperature of the stones is all right, how you liked the cold stone, and how specific techniques feel for you. This is in particular important during your first massage where I do not yet know you. As I get to know you better, I also know your responses and how you like your massages.

I can read a lot from how your body reacts to various techniques. Generally if I go too deep some muscles will tighten, either where I'm working or elsewhere. If a stone is too hot, you might shift or react. If a stone isn't cold enough, you very likely will show discomfort.

But I am not in your skin. I can only estimate how a given technique or temperature affects you, and that is why it is very important that you speak up the moment something doesn't feel good.

You are in charge of the session. You decide if something is too much or too little. The therapist might explain why a technique is done in that way, and you can then evaluate if that is acceptable. But in the end, you decide. You are in power.

So please speak up, you are empowered.

What makes a good stone massage?

How do you as a client know that you are receiving a good stone massage? For someone who has never tried geothermal therapy before, it can be hard to distinguish between a qualified therapist with an extensive education, and one who've just had a half day course or watched a DVD.

This is just a quick overview so you easily can pinpoint if your stone-practitioner is properly qualified to work with stones.

Some good signs:

• Uses both hot and cold stones during the treatment
• Utilizes proper sanitation;
  - disinfectants in the hot water
  - cleans cold stones with high proof alcohol before putting them back into the icebox
• Checks with you if the temperature is good
• Only places warm and cool stones directly on your skin - not hot and cold
• Makes you feel relaxed and energized at the same time
• Is a member of the Geothermal Therapy Association, or is educated at a school which is approved by GTA

Some warning signs:

• Very hot or cold stones are placed directly on the skin, essentially burning you
• You feel too warm and begin to yawn a lot
• You have a starting headache or begin to feel uncomfortable
• The stones look dirty and greasy even before the massage starts
• Doesn't check if you use medication or suffer from medical conditions
• Doesn't adjust the temperature when you say the stones are too hot

I would love to hear from you and hear what good or bad experiences you have had with stone practitioners. Did you go to a spa or therapist receiving a treatment that made your red warning light shine? Would this list have hindered a bad experience?

Please share your thoughts and experiences with good and badly qualified stone practitioners.