Hot stone massage, and what the heat is actually doing
The heat does part of the work, which means the pressure does not have to. That is the whole idea, and it suits some people far better than being leaned on.
There are a few things worth checking first
The stones are tools, not decoration
Some of them rest on the back while I work elsewhere. Most of them are in my hand, being used the way I would use a thumb or a forearm, with the warmth going in ahead of the pressure.
Because the heat softens tissue first, I can stay at a moderate pressure and still reach a layer that would otherwise need me to lean. If deep tissue has been too much for you in the past, this is worth trying before you decide massage is not for you.
Why I ask about feeling, not just about heat
The thing that goes wrong with hot stones is a burn, and it goes wrong when somebody cannot feel that a stone is too hot. That is not rare here — reduced sensation in the feet and hands is common, particularly with diabetes, and plenty of people have it without having put a name to it.
So the question I ask is not “do you like it hot”. It is whether you can feel heat normally everywhere I might work. If the answer is no, or you are not sure, we simply do not use stones there. I would rather give you a very good massage without them than find out afterwards.
I test every stone against my own forearm before it touches you, and I keep asking through the session. If one is too warm, say so — it comes straight off, and that is the system working rather than a complaint.
Half an hour, or twenty dollars onto an hour
Most people have it as part of a session rather than as the session: it adds twenty dollars to whatever you were already booking, and it does not take time away from the hands-on work.
The standalone half hour is there if you already know it suits you and that is what you want. If you have never had it, add it to a massage first.
Questions
Is it hot enough to burn?
The stones are hot enough that you notice them and not hot enough to hurt. I test each one on my own forearm before it goes near you, and I ask you as we go. If a stone is too warm it comes off immediately — please say so rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Can I have hot stone if I am diabetic?
Sometimes, and it depends on whether you can feel heat normally where I would be working. Where sensation is reduced I will not use stones, because you would not be able to tell me one was too hot. If you are not sure, ask your doctor — and tell me either way, because I would rather work around it than guess.
Do I book the half hour, or add it to a massage?
Add it, if you are new to it. Twenty dollars onto any session, and it does not shorten the hands-on part. Book the half hour on its own once you know you like it.
Will it help my arthritis?
I am not going to tell you what it will do — I do not know, and anyone who says otherwise is guessing at your body. What I can tell you is that a lot of people with stiff, achy joints find warmth more comfortable to receive than deep pressure. Whether that is what you want is your call, and you can change your mind mid-session.