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I now have been working as an MT professionally for eleven years!!  Can it it really be that long?

Licensure became a reality here in PA in Jan., 2011.  Interesting ride thus far.  The biggest day-to-day change has been the manner in which we do warm stone placement.  We now follow the ABMP guidelines, which require the stones be place over top a draping sheet and a thick bath towel.  We used to ask a client to sit up, lay down a towel, place the stones on either side of the spine, put down a second towel, and then ask the client to lay back down.  That is definitely gone, if you want to remain insured through ABMP.

Once in a blue moon, a client would say the stones were getting too hot, so we'd sit them back up, uncover and fan off the stones, replace the towel, and continue the massage session.  Never had a problem.

Now, we have to wait until we do the front of the body, roll the client, pull up the sheet/drape, add a towel  (dangling long on one side), place stones on both sides of the spine, and then fold the other half over to keep some of the heat.   

Here's my thought: this is a very brief time to have the stones on, and two layers of cotton to feel the heat through.  I wonder if this add-on will still be ordered as often in the coming months?  I'm not sure how much money I'd be willing to part with if the stones are barely on me long enough to even feel the warmth.  As of now, I've only done two such jobs, and the clients seem satisfied.

Any feedback?  Thank you!

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There are much better ways of applying heat to the body... Hydroculators are far superior to rocks, and offer safe, penetrating, and very  long lasting moist heat.  

Thats my opinion anyway.. lol  For whatever its worth..  But gosh, those hydroculator hot packs are good.. easy to use..   They are used in a lot of physical therapy clinics and chiropractic offices...at least they use to be..

Gordon J. Wallis said:

There are much better ways of applying heat to the body... Hydroculators are far superior to rocks, and offer safe, penetrating, and very  long lasting moist heat.  

My technique has never involved having clients laying right on top of heated stones.

I will do a back layout when they are proned but that was always on top of towels.

This is the technique taught by Nature's Stones to me almost 10 years ago.

They have both hands on and DVD training available.

I know that there are other teachers that have taught the method you mention...but most people that I have seen do this never took a class at all.

The ABMP guidelines are to protect the client from injury, AND to protect the MT from being sued because of an injury.

I really applaud them for doing this...I think it has helped some practitioners be much more aware and better educated.

I agree with Cindy. I've been doing massage in PA for 8 years now and have always placed a towel on the back with stones on top and then pull the sheet over to hold in the warmth. I do not charge extra for this, it is complimentary to all clients unless they do not want them on.

I've only performed one hot stone since the changes took place when I renewed and the client (she used to be a massage therapist) said it was pretty lousy so I discounted the service which made me not happy.  I don't know what the solution is.  I never had the client lay on the rocks before in my hot stone massage but I did have my stones 10-15 degrees hotter than ABMP recommends (I would never EVER use a hot stone on someone that was too hot for me to hold in my bare hand).  I used to get rave reviews for my stone massage but I'm afraid that will now be a thing of the past. 

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