Health & Wellness

Skin Contact

In Northeast Portland, You Can Take a Bath in Wine (Sort Of)

Hey, it’s cheaper than a trip to Bordeaux.

07/28/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

Best of the City

Top Dentists 2025

Our annual list of the best dental practitioners in the Portland area.

03/19/2025 Edited by Portland Monthly Staff

Public Health

Portland’s Fraught Fluoride History, Explained

The city has voted down fluoridation four times. How did we get here?

03/19/2025 By Erin Ross

Plague

Please Don’t Give Me Norovirus

A layperson’s tips on how to stop the spread of the vomit-diarrhea nightmare. (Hint: Laundry is dangerous.)

01/23/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Vibe Check

Portland’s Seasonally Affected, Politically Depressed Mood

Photographer Jordan Gale attempts to capture the city’s wilted spirit as inauguration looms and seasonal depression lingers.

01/17/2025 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Jordan Gale

City Soak

A Luxe Hotel and Thermal Spa Opens in NE Portland

Cascada brings thermal pools, fitness classes, and Portuguese-Japanese dining to the Alberta Arts district.

01/15/2025 By Alex Frane

Best of the City

Top Doctors, Nurses, and More 2025

Our annual list of the best health care professionals in the Portland metro area.

11/25/2024 Edited by Portland Monthly Staff

Fact Check

What Is Contrast Therapy and Does It Work?

Advocates say alternating between hot saunas and cold plunges can have major wellness benefits. The research is a little more complicated.

11/05/2024 By Erin Ross Illustrations by Derek Abella

Heating Up

Oregon’s Sauna Scene Has Never Been Better

Meet the new sauna evangelists changing the way we shvitz.

11/05/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Sauna 101

A Beginner’s Guide to the Wide World of Sauna and Steam

Should you go electric? Wood-burning? What the heck is infrared? And how do you avoid the spa faux pas?

11/04/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden Illustrations by Derek Abella

Parenthood

Portland’s New Parenting Groups Are Doing Something Radical

They're focusing on the mom.

10/31/2024 By Miranda Rake Illustrations by Johanna Goodman

Warming Up

How Knot Springs Makes Its Saunas Smell So Good

The Portland spa enlisted fragrance design studio Maak Lab to develop custom oil blends for its steam room and sauna rocks.

10/30/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Heat Seeking

Destination Saunas in Oregon and Beyond

Shvitz in a “wine barrel,” cold plunge in a river, or soak up the steam from a bubbling hot spring.

10/30/2024 Edited by Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Rebecca Jacobson

Getting Steamy

Portland’s Gay Bathhouse Scene Hasn’t Dried Up Yet

The city has lost almost all of its gay bathhouses, but the LGBTQ+ community still finds solace in the sauna.

10/28/2024 By Byron Beck Illustrations by Derek Abella

Hot Spots

The Best Saunas In and Around Portland

Bask in fir-scented steam, lounge near the hearth in a 200-degree cabin, or blast Mitski in your own private suite at one of these Portland spas.

10/23/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Allecia Vermillion

Zero Proof

Oregon-Made Nonalcoholic Spirits Are Fueling Portland's Mocktail Renaissance

As bars begin to expand and rethink their zero-proof beverage menus, Oregon brands like Wilderton and Dhōs have become major players.

10/01/2024 By Alex Frane

In the Gym

All Bodies Strong Is Leading Portland’s Size-Inclusive Fitness Movement

It’s the city’s only gym explicitly designed for fat liberation.

09/23/2024 By Alice Wolfe Photography by Jason Hill

Women's Health

Meet the Oregon Researcher Battling Period Stigma

Bethany Samuelson Bannow works on the bleeding edge of menstrual health.

06/07/2024 By Zoe Sayler

Your Worst Nightmare, Solved

Can You Get Rid of Bedbugs on Your Own?

Before you bonfire your mattress, consider the options.

04/12/2024 By Winston Ross Illustrations by Jack Dylan

Subcultures

About the Thousands of Dentists Converging on Portland This Week

May the floss be with them.

04/03/2024 By Arianne Cohen