Imagine a therapeutic massage that does more than relieving acute and chronic painful condition. Hilot is a holistic form of healing modality originally practiced in the remote villages of the Philippine Island. The therapy during the early periods was only known by herbalist and the elders in a village. It is used as their primary source of healing and medical care in maintaining quality life despite the hardships and difficulties living in secluded places.

The therapy uses fairly firm pressure done in a gentle to moderately aggressive approach conducted by a masseuse or known in Filipino as the “manghihilot”. The therapy can be used to treat conditions such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines, menstrual pain, and other ailments. It is also used to promote healthy circulation of blood, oxygen, and the enhancement of lymphatic discharge. The therapy is also popular in setting the bones in proper places that are caused by accidents or injuries. The treatment can be quite painful yet proven to be effective. Herbal medicines are also given to the patient as assistance to the recovery. Herbal extracts and leaves are also applied on the affected area in order to quicken the effect of the treatment with the benefits contained on the herbs. In addition to bone realignment, Hilot is also used on expectant mothers as an alternative way to delivering babies.

The natural treatment base its healing roots from the principle of four elements present in a human body. Practitioners of this alternative medical care regard fire as the electric impulses in our body, water as the free flowing blood, earth which makes up our flesh and bones, and the air as the breath that comes in and out of our human vessel. The key of the treatment is to balance all of these elements in order to achieve a healthy constitution. In case of elemental imbalance in a patient, the therapist or masseuse makes sure that the healing is focused on the realigning of the balance within the body. Massage therapy is used to create harmony and balance by manually manipulating the electric charges present inside the body in order to trigger its self-healing abilities. The therapy also follows similar principles with other Asian countries in adapting the belief that the body has energy which also needs to be balanced like the four elements of the body.

During the massage therapy session, the therapist looks on the patient and examines his or her energy in order to know the problem or condition of the physical body. Specific treatments are done depending on the medical needs of each patient as there is no standard procedure in this type of bodywork. The therapist uses massage oils on the client during the therapy session in order to attain proper and convenient manipulation on certain parts of the body. The therapy may last base on the preference of the therapist which depends on the progress or result of the massage therapy. There is also no specific number of visits in a Hilot therapy as each individual’s medical case varies from the other.

Author Bio: I write for TIR Massage Stone about hot stone massage techniques and hot stone massage products.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: hot stone massage, hot stone massage kit