These comments are always positive opportunities to educate patients concerning the benefits of safe massage by a Massage Therapist trained in safe practices for oncology massage.
Over the past 10 years research on the safe benefits of massage during treatment for cancer has shown that safe massage helps with the side effects of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatment.
The research is trickling down to oncologists and oncology nurses due to research articles published in medical journals. I’ve also seen more and more publications from drug companies offer patient massage information for some of the side effects that their drug may cause.
Integrative Cancer Centers are offering massage because of the research and the positive responses from patient s that benefited from massage during treatment.
For the patient that believes in massage, educating them to what their new normal massage experience will be is very rewarding. I enjoy helping explain why patients can’t have deep tissue, hot stones, exfoliation treatments and herbal wraps during treatment.
These conversations usually evolve after one of these comments when I first meet a new patient, introduce myself and offer them a comforting massage during treatment:
- “I was told that I can’t have massage, it will spread the cancer.” This statement might even have come from a Massage Therapist that was trained years ago.
- “My brother’s Massage Therapist wanted to help him and ending up putting his foot in a cast with deep tissue work to his ankle while he was on chemotherapy.”
- “I got lymphedema from a massage,”
- “I can’t have massage to my neck, I’m starting radiation treatment this week to my cervical spine.” I explained to her that I never do deep massage to patients at the center, especially since she is on Zometa. She then proceeds to tell me, “I have been getting deep massage to get the knots out of my neck since I started chemotherapy, no one told me not to have deep massage.”
- “I think I got lymphedema from going into a sweat lodge, I was feeling sick and wanted to get rid of the toxins.”
- “I’ve been going to a chiropractor and he has been adjusting my neck.” I passed this information onto our nurses as she is on Zometa. They agree with me that she should not be doing this.
- “I loved the Jacuzzi at the spa, my family treated me to a day at the spa,”
- “I had 5 nodes removed, but they weren’t positive, so I can have a regular massage?”
- “I had a prophylactic double mastectomy with 2 nodes removed from each side. I don’t have cancer, no one told me that I shouldn’t have deep massage anymore.”
A Massage Therapist with specific training can design a massage with adjustments:
- To length of massage time
- Depth of pressure
- Avoiding sites where surgery or ports are located
- Products that will irritate sensitive skin
- Spa treatments that might be too detoxifying
- Positional needs for each patient.
Also, understanding the concerns for lymphedema due to nodal dissection is part of the oncology massage therapists training. Patients benefit with safe and compassionate touch when healthcare providers properly inform their patients about the need to find a qualified massage therapist.
