It’s that time of year again, when our moments of joy come with a physical cost. Whether it’s preparing for family visitors, attempting a last minute shopping run to Washington Square, dealing with holiday traffic on I-5 and inclement weather, or trying to finish work deadlines before the break, there are many added stress inducers during the holiday rush.
One way you can help alleviate this stress is with massage therapy. Portland, not surprisingly, is home to a vibrant massage therapy industry. A high quality massage from a first rate Portland massage therapist will free up much of the stress you carry in your back.
Massage therapy helps with stress management in a number of ways:
Muscle Relaxation
The stress reducing benefits of massage therapy can be felt right away. Muscle relaxation can begin to take effect immediately. Tension relief is the key here. If you work at a desk all day or lift and move heavy objects, you will likely have more tension-heavy areas than usual. A Portland massage therapist is skilled in breaking up these high tense areas through muscle relaxing massage techniques. Falling asleep is common during massages because of the change in muscle tension.
Blood Circulation
Stress has always been known to increase one’s heart rate and, thus, one’s blood pressure. Not only does a good massage lower one’s heart rate because it feels good, but it also helps get the blood flowing. Less stress correlates with a regular heart rate and healthier circulation. Hence, with a routine massage, Portland area workers will find that holiday commute a little less stressful.
Pain Reduction
Similarly, because massage therapy helps reduce stress and improve blood flow through muscle relaxation, it follows that pain is reduced as well. By getting more oxygen via blood circulation to the site of the pain—for instance, where the body is fighting infection or healing damaged muscle tissue—it will lead to a reduction in pain, swelling, and overall discomfort. This need not be thought of as merely short term pain relief. Often, the pain reducing effects of a good massage can last weeks or months.
Overall Health
Massage therapy is aimed to treat your overall health and stress levels along with specific locations of muscle pain. The human body is a web of networks of muscles, tissues, nerves, organs, and bones that are interconnected. When you have tight and tense areas of muscles, the surrounding areas of those muscles are also put under more stress, and hence, your overall body begins to feel additional stress in relation to one weak or damaged area. Never underestimate the holistic benefits of a good massage.
[ photo by: Nick J Webb, on Flickr, via CC License ]
