Portland Massage, what images come to mind when you hear the words? Does it make you think about a day out at the spa with the girls? Well those days are in the past, massages aren’t just for the girls to escape for a few hours, they are becoming more and more popular among athletes and many car accident/injury victims. People are starting to see the benefits of regular massage. Massage uses a variety of sometimes ancient techniques that manipulate the soft tissues of the body. It can definitely help to relax you, but there are also some benefits of massage that go far beyond relaxation.

Standing on cement floors, lifting heavy boxes, or sitting at a desk for hours, does any of this sound like your typical day at work?. At the end of the day you get home and find that your back is killing you, and your feeling some pain in your neck and shoulders. Maybe you were rear-ended in a traffic accident, or crashed hard skiing or riding your ATV. Whatever the reason for your pain and discomfort, your body is trying to tell you something, listen! Therapeutic massage has becoming increasingly popular among people of all ages. This growth can be attributed partly to the growing population of baby-boomers and partly to the increased awareness of the harmful effects of stress on the body and the physiological benefits of therapeutic touch.

The idea behind massage therapy is to reduce the stress and damage that the muscles endure throughout the day. When muscles become stressed, fatigued or injured, they can block oxygen and nutrients from reaching the rest of the body and the brain. This blockage can lead to inflammation, usually in the form knots. This can cause a build up of toxins in the muscle tissue. This is when a massage can really help the muscles release the toxins and getting the blood and oxygen circulating properly again and help bring some relief. It is always important to drink plenty of water after a massage treatment, this will help the body to purge out any of the toxins released during the massage treatment.

Today massage therapy is well accepted as a method of reducing stress, relieving pain and promoting relaxation. A large number of corporations, small businesses and municipalities have found the on-site massage service to be a low cost benefit with a high pay off. Studies have found that making massage available to employees reduces the incidents of headaches, back stain and fatigue. Productivity increased and sick leave decreased when employees received monthly scheduled massages.