Do you like sunburns? They are definitely one of the most unpleasant skin conditions we can experience. Having your friends and family members mistake you for a cooked lobster can certainly be troubling. Also, overexposure to the sun makes your skin as dry as a desert and as shriveled as a raisin. Then there is the pain. Oh, the pain! If you are fortunate, you will only experience mild discomfort. If not, then even putting on your clothing make you wish you lived in a cave or burrow. But within time we emerge like a shedding snake, with a new layer of skin.



98.6 or 37

The human body has an amazing ability to recover. This is particularly true in terms of body heat. The body always battles to maintain the temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (or 37 degrees Celsius). Whether we are outdoors in sizzling heat, or indoors in a walk-in freezer, our bodies try to compensate for the temperatures in our environment.

Heat therapy serves as one way to alter our typical body temperature. In this process, such as through the use of massage hot stones, heat is applied to relieve patients of pain or to improve general health. For example, heat therapy is perfect for those with muscle and joint problems. Besides hot massage stones, heat therapy can also involve hot water, a heating pad, a hot cloth, etc.

The original sun worshipers

How did heat therapy begin? Several ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, worshiped the sun. This included adoration of Ra, the sun god. The Egyptians believed that Ra had created himself in the form of a pyramid-shaped heap. Not only did they consider him to be a god, but also the universe itself.

Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians were already using heat therapy and hot stones to treat a variety of illnesses. In one procedure to improve breathing, seven stones were heated on a fire. A special collection of natural ingredients including date seeds, honey, and milk, were placed over the stones. Next, after positioning a new jar with a hole in the bottom over the stone, a tube was used to inhale the fumes from the treated hot stone. The procedure then continued for each of the remaining six stones.

Thermo-what?

While massage stones use stones in a different way than the ancient Egyptian method for improving breathing, the benefits of heat therapy have not changed. Why is heat therapy effective? It excites things called thermoreceptors. These thermoreceptors allow our body to respond to heat and cold. So after the heated rocks are placed on your body, the thermoreceptors will turn on your body's natural air-conditioning system: perspiration. But thermoreceptors do much more. They also reduce pain by blocking your body's pain transmitters, which send a message to your brain: "I'm in pain!" In addition, heat therapy increases your blood flow rate, resulting in several benefits, including comfort, easing of tender muscles, and less stiffness.

From lifting to sitting

Heat therapy, including a massage with heated stones, can help to treat a variety of specific health problems, which include:

• Arthritis

• Backaches

• Joint strains

• Muscle aches

• Sprains

• Tender muscles

But even if you are not experiencing any chronic muscle or joint pain, heat therapy can help you to perform basic day-to-day activities much easier. That includes actions ranging from heavy lifting, to sitting down.

As it has for thousands of years, heat therapy can definitely help to improve what you do and how you feel. Through methods such as massages with hot stones, you will feel energized, more relaxed, and ready to live your life to the fullest. The heat is on!