What is Heated Bamboo Massage?
Heated bamboo massage is a technique for anyone wanting a relaxing and luxurious spa massage or for anyone who needs some serious deep-tissue bodywork for overworked and injured muscles. Throughout the massage, the therapist will use several different warmed pieces of compressed bamboo to work the tension out of each muscle. Long fluid strokes in different styles like Swedish, deep tissue, lymphatic drainage, or neuromuscular therapy are used to stretch and compress the muscle and tissue.
What does a session look like?
A client will be given time to privately undress to their comfort level and rest on a massage table covered by a giant bath towel or sheet. Heated bamboo massage incorporates the use of oil and/or lotion to allow for smooth, long strokes and varying levels of pressure. The therapist will uncover each part of the body as needed when massaging. Some strokes will start at the feet and continue all the way to the hands in one unending movement. The therapist usually starts with a lighter touch and progressively applies deeper techniques, varying the technique from Swedish strokes to deep tissue moves with the added benefit of deep penetrating heat. The client will feel a seamless transition from hands to bamboo and back to hands again. Most strokes are applied in the direction of the heart in order to encourage blood circulation. A full body session typically runs an hour to and hour and a half, depending on the client’s needs.
What are some of the benefits of Heated Bamboo Massage?
- Increases circulation
- Flushes body of metabolic wastes (i.e., lactic acid) for faster healing time and detoxification
- Decreases muscle spasms
- Breaks up tissue adhesions
- Releases endorphins to promote relaxation and pain reduction
Who should receive Heated Bamboo Massage?
Anyone who has tissue adhesions, long periods with little movement, spasms, muscle tightness, insomnia, strains, sprains, headaches, a cold (tail-end), and plain old daily stress
Heated Bamboo massage would not be advised for people with:
- Lymphatic Cancer
- Nausea
- Fever
- The beginnings of a cold or flu
- Any condition that taxes the circulatory system (i.e., uncontrolled high blood pressure)
- Most bacterial infections
Always consult your doctor and your therapist to see if massage or specific massage types are right for you.