Following an accident or surgery, patients need a safe place to heal. A massage therapist can create an atmosphere of trust and safe touch, to allow for deep healing. Massage therapy can help heal scar tissue on physical as well as emotional levels. From minor cuts to surgery scars, massage therapy can benefit all types of scar tissue.

Scar Tissue Issues
There’s a common misconception that scar tissue is inevitable—that it’s impossible to change or heal. In truth, scar tissue is part of the living matrix. All tissues are made up of the same elements, such as collagen and elastin. Cells deliver nutrients […]

Can you imagine a virtual environment that relays touch through tech-smart fabric? Or a personalized massage therapy session delivered remotely, through wearable technology? If so, you might be ready for haptics, the field pushing the envelope on touch technology. Let’s examine haptics, what it says about the physiological benefits of receiving touch, and whether haptics can compare to the benefits of hands-on massage therapy.

What is Haptics?
Haptics, the technology of touch, examines how we can enhance technological interactions through touch. Haptics researchers study the two main aspects of touch–first, tactile components, including contact location, pressure, shear, slip, vibration, and temperature. Second, researchers […]

Many people schedule a massage only when something is wrong—they’ve tweaked a muscle, a certain body part won’t relax, or they’re feeling especially stressed. However, science is discovering more and more benefits to regularly receiving massage—even when nothing’s really “wrong.”

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), 87% of people see massage as beneficial for overall health and wellness. Research supports this belief. Let’s examine health benefits of regularly receiving massages.

Top 5 Benefits of Regular Massage

1. Massage Boosts Immunity. By stimulating the lymphatic system, a good massage can increase the presence of white blood cells throughout the […]

Springtime: It brings beautiful flowers, sunny days, and, for many, allergies. If you experience itchiness, stuffiness, and general brain-fogginess this time of year, consider adding massage to your allergy-fighting game plan. Read on to learn how regular massage helps offset allergic inflammation. We’ll also touch on how four types of massage (facial massage, craniosacral massage, acupressure, and reflexology) can help reduce allergy symptoms. Finally, we’ll list massage resources for fighting allergic reactions.

How Allergies Work: Overactive Inflammation

Whatever your allergy symptoms, one thing’s certain: They are all related to inflammation. Think of the immune system as the body’s defensive army. Some of […]

Neuromuscular Therapy: A Basic Definition

NMT practitioners use deep tissue massage techniques such as digital pressure and friction to release muscular trigger points. Trigger points are pea-sized restrictions in muscular tissue. Repetitive motion, injury, stress, and poor posture are some causes of trigger points. In these areas, circulation is restricted, meaning that nutrient delivery and cellular waste are limited. Through Neuromuscular Therapy and other massage modalities, Portland massage therapists can often alleviate lingering pain, weakness, and fatigue.

Neuromuscular therapy doesn’t just consider issues in soft tissue, but rather examines multiple levels of the problem—not just where it manifests as a sensation, but also […]