Can You Have A Massage If You’re Having Cancer Treatment?
The simple answer is YES!
Don’t be afraid of guiding yourself or someone you know to a massage session while going through treatment for cancer. There’s no reason why anyone who has a cancer diagnosis should avoid massage; in fact, it can be an incredibly life-affirming treatment that should boost wellbeing and help with the stress of the gruelling treatments that accompany the condition.
Having a massage while having medical cancer treatment can really put you back in touch with your body again. It can feel almost alien while you’re being examined and prodded by medical experts, given harsh chemical cocktails and treatments that make you feel not so great. Then having to go to test after test. The simple pleasure of human touch through massage can help reconnect you with your body, making you feel more human and ‘normal’ at a difficult time. If you want to talk about how you’re feeling with your therapist, it’s a safe place to chat and share your thoughts and fears in a safe space.
You should feel relaxed after a massage session; your therapist will listen to you and adapt techniques to fit your needs. It can be nice just to feel listened to when you’ve been seemingly at the mercy of the medical profession.
It doesn’t just feel nice; clinical studies have shown that massage can reduce symptoms such as stress, nausea, pain, fatigue, and depression, which are all too common when dealing with a serious illness.
Worry not! – There are research studies that show massaging muscle and soft tissue doesn’t spread cancer cells – that’s a myth.
A relaxing massage is perfectly safe for people at all stages of cancer treatment. However, the massage therapist will be careful to avoid any treatment or tumour sites while massaging you, to prevent any discomfort.
The myth that massage can spread cancer came about because some people believe that cancer-affected cells can be moved around the body via the lymphatic system. This isn’t true because lymphatic fluid flows naturally as we move our bodies; it can’t cause cancer to spread.
Cancer develops and spreads because of changes to a cell’s DNA, not through cells being circulated through the body. There’s nothing to worry about!
Scientific studies have shown that massage may reduce:
· pain
· fatigue
· nausea
· anxiety and depression
in people going through treatments like chemotherapy and surgery.
What Are the Health Benefits of Massage for Cancer Patients?
People who’ve had massage therapy sessions during their cancer treatment say that they’ve noticed a wide range of positive effects afterwards. These include:
· Better sleep
· Improved healing of scar tissue
· A better quality of life
· More mental clarity
· Better range of movement.
A large American study from 2004 [1] looked at the effects of massage therapy on almost 1300 people with cancer over three years. The study found that massage therapy reduced their pain, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and the longer the massage sessions, the more relief they reported.
Another smaller study [2] looked at how safe and effective massage was in reducing stress hormones in people who had blood cancer. People were given aromatherapy, massage, or rest; massage significantly reduced the amounts of stress hormones in the people who took part in the study.
So, if you, or someone you know, is dealing with cancer, or has just been through treatment and needs a pick-me-up, choose massage.
References
1 Fellowes D, Barnes K, Wilkinson SSM. Aromatherapy and massage for symptoms relief in patients with cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Iss 4.
2 Stringer J et al. Massage in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy reduces serum cortisol and prolactin. Psycho-Oncology 2008 Oct; 17 (10): 1024–31.
The simple answer is YES!
Don’t be afraid of guiding yourself or someone you know to a massage session while going through treatment for cancer. There’s no reason why anyone who has a cancer diagnosis should avoid massage; in fact, it can be an incredibly life-affirming treatment that should boost wellbeing and help with the stress of the gruelling treatments that accompany the condition.
Having a massage while having medical cancer treatment can really put you back in touch with your body again. It can feel almost alien while you’re being examined and prodded by medical experts, given harsh chemical cocktails and treatments that make you feel not so great. Then having to go to test after test. The simple pleasure of human touch through massage can help reconnect you with your body, making you feel more human and ‘normal’ at a difficult time. If you want to talk about how you’re feeling with your therapist, it’s a safe place to chat and share your thoughts and fears in a safe space.
You should feel relaxed after a massage session; your therapist will listen to you and adapt techniques to fit your needs. It can be nice just to feel listened to when you’ve been seemingly at the mercy of the medical profession.
It doesn’t just feel nice; clinical studies have shown that massage can reduce symptoms such as stress, nausea, pain, fatigue, and depression, which are all too common when dealing with a serious illness.
Worry not! – There are research studies that show massaging muscle and soft tissue doesn’t spread cancer cells – that’s a myth.
A relaxing massage is perfectly safe for people at all stages of cancer treatment. However, the massage therapist will be careful to avoid any treatment or tumour sites while massaging you, to prevent any discomfort.
The myth that massage can spread cancer came about because some people believe that cancer-affected cells can be moved around the body via the lymphatic system. This isn’t true because lymphatic fluid flows naturally as we move our bodies; it can’t cause cancer to spread.
Cancer develops and spreads because of changes to a cell’s DNA, not through cells being circulated through the body. There’s nothing to worry about!
Scientific studies have shown that massage may reduce:
· pain
· fatigue
· nausea
· anxiety and depression
in people going through treatments like chemotherapy and surgery.
What Are the Health Benefits of Massage for Cancer Patients?
People who’ve had massage therapy sessions during their cancer treatment say that they’ve noticed a wide range of positive effects afterwards. These include:
· Better sleep
· Improved healing of scar tissue
· A better quality of life
· More mental clarity
· Better range of movement.
A large American study from 2004 [1] looked at the effects of massage therapy on almost 1300 people with cancer over three years. The study found that massage therapy reduced their pain, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and the longer the massage sessions, the more relief they reported.
Another smaller study [2] looked at how safe and effective massage was in reducing stress hormones in people who had blood cancer. People were given aromatherapy, massage, or rest; massage significantly reduced the amounts of stress hormones in the people who took part in the study.
So, if you, or someone you know, is dealing with cancer, or has just been through treatment and needs a pick-me-up, choose massage.
References
1 Fellowes D, Barnes K, Wilkinson SSM. Aromatherapy and massage for symptoms relief in patients with cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Iss 4.
2 Stringer J et al. Massage in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy reduces serum cortisol and prolactin. Psycho-Oncology 2008 Oct; 17 (10): 1024–31.