A Touch to a Better Life

We've Moved!  We are now in Gateway.

10235 NE Holladay

Portland, OR 97220

Phone: 971-221-5685 or 971-533-5436

The manipulation of soft tissues prior to, during, and after exercise can help promote physical, physiological, and psychological changes that aid performance and recovery.

Sports Massage is a form of bodywork geared toward participants in athletics. It is used to help prevent injuries, to prepare the body for athletic activity and maintain it in optimal condition, and to help athletes recover from workouts and injuries. Sports massage has three basic forms: pre-event massage, post-event massage, and maintenance massage.

Pre-event sports massage is done to help prevent serious athletic injury. It consists mainly of brisk effleurage to stimulate and warm the muscles and petrissage to help muscles move fluidly and to reduce muscle tension. It helps to warm up the muscles, stretching them and making them flexible for optimal athletic performance. A pre-event massage stimulates the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscles, reduce muscle tension, loosen the muscles, and produce a feeling of psychological readiness.

Whenever athletes exercise heavily, their muscles suffer micro traumas. Small amounts of swelling occur in the muscle because of tiny tears. A post-event sport is usually given 1–2 hours after the competition is over in order to give dilated blood vessels a chance to return to their normal condition.  This helps reduce the swelling caused by micro traumas; loosens tired, stiff muscles; helps maintain flexibility; promotes blood flow to the muscle to remove lactic acid and waste build-up; and reduces cramping. In addition, post-event massage helps speed the athlete's recovery time and alleviates pulls, strains, and soreness.

Maintenance sports massage is done at least once a week as a regular part of athletic training programs, although professional athletes who have their own massage therapists may have maintenance massage daily. Maintenance massage increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscles. It also keeps the tissues loose so that different layers of muscle slide easily over each other. Maintenance sports massage also helps reduce the development of scar tissue while increasing flexibility and range of motion.

The goal of all sports massage is to maximize athletic performance. Athletes in different sports will concentrate the massage on different parts of the body.

Key Benefits

• Increase circulation-venous/arterial/lymph waste product removal, feeding tissue nutrients
• Decrease muscle/soft tissue tension and pain
• Increase soft tissue flexibility/joint range of motion
• Reduction in the development of trigger points
• Decreases soft tissue adhesions
• Helps to form a stronger, more mobile/functional scar
• Reduces edema due to injury
• Improves proprioception- (the body’s ability to sense where it is in regards to time and space)
• Balancing posture- (homeostasis/thixotrophy)
• Relaxes the nervous system

Pricing

Hours:   Tuesdays: - Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.   Saturdays: 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Ask us about Gift Certificates!

We also work on most holidays to accommodate busy schedules or available time off.  Times posted are our usual hours, but exceptions are easily made to fit around your schedule.

Copyright © 2006 Dolan's Touch
Send mail to solutionation@verizon.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 08/01/08

Site Map