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Oncology massage therapy has been touching the lives of cancer patients for years. Professionals blend art and science to bring patients relief and a renewed sense of peace and well-being worldwide. But how exactly is massage used, and why is it so important? Below, we discuss the benefits of this practice.

Why Oncology Massage?

Believe it or not, oncology massage was once frowned upon as a positive intervention for offering relief to cancer patients. It was believed that increased circulation in the body could negatively impact the spread of cancer cells. Recent evidence-based research has dispelled this misperception. Both patients and doctors now recognize massage as a beneficial form of rehabilitative therapy.

“Massage therapy is not just for relaxation,” said Ericka Clinton, Dean of the Massage Therapy Program at Swedish Institute in New York City. “By applying various types of oncology massage therapy for specific symptoms, we can reduce some of the negative side-effects cancer patients are experiencing.”

How massage eases physical symptoms

Oncology massage therapy can help reduce some of the most common physical symptoms cancer patients experience, such as nausea, fatigue, and pain.

Nausea: Acupressure has been proven to relieve nausea. By applying Eastern massage techniques like those used in Shiatsu, massage therapists can access energetic channels as they touch specific points (the same points used in acupuncture) to dispel nausea. This touch also helps distract the patient and change their focus, thus helping them feel less nauseous.

Fatigue:  Patients undergoing chemotherapy have been known to experience relentless bouts of fatigue. Combining Swedish and Shiatsu massage techniques, therapists can help improve body circulation, which can make the fatigue feel less pronounced. The soothing touch also helps the patient relax and rest, allowing them to sleep better and help the body recover.

Pain:  Cancer treatment often involves surgery. Massage therapy helps to improve the rigidity of scar tissue. It allows it to settle in a more organized fashion within the body. This type of massage can support the person’s new physical normal.

And emotional symptoms

Although cancer patients experience many physiological side effects while undergoing treatment, it’s the emotional and mental distress that may go unnoticed. Oncology massage can help improve a patient’s sense of well-being by:

• Elevating moods
• Warding off depression
• Helping patients feel less isolated

The Massage Therapy Department at Swedish Institute is sensitive to cancer patients’ daily challenges. At a time when the mind, body, and spirit may be fragile, it’s comforting for patients to know they have options that can help them feel whole again.

“It’s an honor to do what we do,” said Clinton. “Oncology massage therapy is a positive intervention to help patients feel as healthy and complete as possible.”

Tailoring massage to each patient

Massage therapists are sensitive to the fact that their patients may be fragile. They are trained to tap into their wide range of skills to navigate around those patients who may be connected to intravenous lines (IV therapy), catheters, or other types of devices. In such cases, the massage therapist may only have access to one area of the body (such as the feet, for example) and must ‘read the body’ to understand its needs and then navigate any obstacles. The therapist can apply the proper touch to that body area in these instances to achieve the best result.

Clinton explained that applying massage more gently with lighter pressure, using a broad variety of techniques (Swedish massage, energetic approaches, myofascial approaches), and having shorter sessions can provide patients with a nurturing and supportive touch that can significantly impact their well-being.

“Not only are we helping patients by reducing their pain and lending them comfort and emotional support,” she said, “we are adding another layer of compassion to our field by taking it to the next level.”