Half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Survivability is increasing exponentially as medicine and lifestyle changes help us understand more about the disease.
Massage therapy is completely safe for people living with cancer, and there are some significant benefits that can help improve the quality of life for the cancer patient. Massage can NOT spread cancer and when massage therapy is practiced by a skilled therapist, it can dramatically reduce stress and provide welcome relief from many cancer treatment related maladies.
Massage can reduce anxiety
Research literature suggests that massage helps anxiety in patients with cancer and other stressful conditions. In repeated studies of various populations, massage reduced depression as well. The reduction in stress and anxiety can be long lasting with regular visits to a massage therapist.
Massage can ease pain
Clients who come in for massage sessions express less cancer-related pain, treatment-related pain, and pain related to muscle tension. They suggest that it helps with both acute and chronic pain and can dramatically increase the comfort of the client.
Massage can help reduce nauses
Gentle massage redues nausea in in-patiens receiving autologous bone marrow transplants. It can be a viable, lower-cost approach to miming this difficult side effect of medications. It is important to discuss your treatment schedule with your therapist so he or she can tune the session accordingly.
Massage can help you sleep better
Clients with and without cancer report that they sleep better after a massage. Sleep problems and cancer fatigue are both common during cancer treatment and several major studies show massage facilitates sleep and can reduce fatigue.
Massage provides a welcoming and much-needed touch
Many times cancer patients are reluctant to be touched, either because of heightened sensitivities or because their family, partner, significant other isn’t well versed in cancer treatment and thinks they’re doing the patient a favor by restricting touch. The truth is that a healing touch can do wonders for cancer patients, and this touch is as important for patients as it is for everyone else. An hour of human touch can have long-term benefits in recovery and comfort of patients.
Our trained massage therapists listen carefully to your massage session goals and develop a customized massage session that can help you meet, and exceed, those goals. Your wellness and comfort are important to us–let us show you we care. Make an appointment today and let the booking agent know (or indicate in your online booking form) you are interested in oncology patient massage.
