“The size is perfect for a masseuse,” she said. “It’s one and a quarter inches, which we discovered is the exact same diameter of a hammer handle and most handheld tools.”
The warm, soft soapstone can be used to apply pressure. It provides relief for sinus inflammation or temporomandibular joint syndrome. Rolling the stones relieves hip and back pain.
Using CoreStones also benefit the therapist, as they are is “much easier on our wrists and hands,” said Grust. “River rock and other stones are small, cover little surface, and there’s not much you can do with them when turned on their side. CoreStones have an endless variety of ways to reach deep tissue and trigger points without causing trauma to the tissue, or pain.”
Intrigued by these core samples of soapstone, Grust and Jones went to work, using a drill, wet saw and sandpaper grinder to create various massage tools of different lengths, some with a sculpted edge. “We had our goggles on and jerry-rigged this drill and wet saw so that we could sand and sculpt the soapstone,” recalled Grust. Now they employ a professional, a craftsperson who makes soapstone sinks and countertops, to make the tools for them.
“What we’re proud of is that we’re using all discarded material,” Grust said. “It was a scrap pile, and we never had any drilling done for us. We just reused what was left. And the core samples the quarry does, has no blasting or chemicals involved, which was critical to us.”
Grust has been giving trainings and workshops on CoreStones, training other massage therapists in how best to utilize them, including a workshop in Ohio, another in New York City, and one this past weekend in Syracuse.
How have her clients responded? Grust has pages of testimonials. Many practitioners and clients noted the flexibility that the tools provide. Because of the unique angles of the stones, they are able to reach the places where pain is concentrated. Because of the quality of their thermal conduction, Grust said, they’re better than hands or thumbs, “which can’t hold heat or cold the same way for any great duration.”
Enthusiastic about the commercial possibilities, Grust and Jones are selling starter kits of five stones of different sizes and shapes. “People can massage themselves and heat and cool the stones,” said Grust.
To learn more, go to www.corestonemassage.com, e-mail Grust at dale@corestonemassage, or call her at 255-2188.
