Massage Therapy & Cancer
Massage therapy for cancer patients is a specific specialty of massage developed to assist the body in healing and fighting the cancer. This massage specialty for cancer patients is called oncology massage therapy. Therapists receive specialized training to learn about various types of cancers to provide massages to clients with cancer.
Facts
Massage therapy for cancer patients involves a working knowledge of cancer, its impact on the body, cancer treatments and how those treatments affect cancer patients. All of these influence how a massage therapist provides treatment tailored to the specific needs of the individual client dealing with cancer.
Myth
There was a time when it was believed that massage caused cancer to grow and spread throughout the body of cancer patients. However, a study conducted by the Touch Research Institutes (TRI) at the University of Miami School of Medicine, which is listed on palmsdayspa.com, found that massage therapy gives the body a fighting chance against cancer (see References). TRI's research found that massage therapy helps fight the disease in women with breast cancer by increasing the amount of natural killer cells known to eradicate cancer cells.
Function
The focus of massage therapy is to restore health to the body. Massages for cancer patients are often customized because cancer patients respond differently to the disease and cancer treatments. Understanding the client's individual progress, treatments, side effects and pain helps massage therapists determine whether to use light or moderate pressure and where and where not to apply pressure. For example, if a patient had surgery, the massage therapist should avoid applying pressure to that area.
Techniques
People with cancer make many lifestyle changes that involve long hospital stays, treatments and scheduled physician visits. Those factors, as well as other changes, can take a toll on the client's emotional health. Massage therapy offers several techniques that help relieve some of the physical and emotional pain the client experiences. Reflexology has proved to be a beneficial comfort to those with cancer. Reflexology helps relieve anxiety and pain by applying pressure to certain points on the feet. The popular Swedish massage technique works on the body's muscles. The Swedish massage technique gets the blood flowing to give the client energy after feeling fatigued and exhausted from treatments. The technique can also relieve chronic pain. Another technique is the Japanese massage, which is similar to acupuncture. The Japanese massage technique involves the therapist using his or her hands, knees, feet and elbows to increase energy throughout the body.
Benefits
Massage therapy can improve health, strengthen the immune system and decrease the pain for clients with cancer. Massage therapy has helped relieve several cancer-related symptoms such as exhaustion, pain, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, lack of appetite, low blood count and other common side effects cancer patients experience because of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Clients also have experienced improved mood and less anxiety, anger and depression.
Tags: cancer patients, with cancer, massage technique, that massage, applying pressure
