Oncology Massage For Help With Specific Cancer-Related Issues

Patients suffering from cancer can often have side-effects related to their conventional medical treatment. These can include stomach and digestive issues, including nausea and vomiting, weight loss, and other unpleasant effects. Sometimes patients are prepared for them, but often this is not the case.

People suffering from cancer are also often overlooked as a population in need of care and attention. Nurses in the medical office or hospital are caring, but it is not the same type of caring as one might receive from a licensed massage therapist trained in oncology massage. Such therapists are aware of the side effects that can occur with radiation and chemotherapy, and they are also likely to understand the stress and anxiety that this condition can produce in both the patient and their caregivers.

Stress and anxiety are real conditions or states of mind that an individual can experience, and they are quite real and not a sign of weakness. However, this particular aspect of cancer care is often overlooked. From the cold and sterile hospital environment to the cool atmosphere of the outpatient clinic, it can be a very lonely experience to undergo treatment for this health condition. Fortunately, cancer treatment has advanced in the past many years, but conventional medicine is not known for its compassion, caring, and kindness. While there are many nurses who are good and kind, sometimes this is not the case. Even when there is, the environment itself is cold and austere, with beeping machines and most of the time spent alone.

Once the patient is receiving primarily outpatient services, and they are back in their own home, a session or series of sessions of oncology massage can be very helpful. This is for multiple reasons, including those unrelated to stress and anxiety. When it comes to cancer treatment, it has been shown to reduce the severity and frequency of side-effect symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. It has also been shown to improve sleep patterns, which can often be disrupted by chemo and radiation.

Patients receiving massage therapy during treatment for cancer can also benefit from weight gain where this is an issue, and some patients can experience greater use of the protein they are taking in. This can sometimes lead to weight gain, although wasting as a side-effect of cancer treatment does not usually respond to this type of therapy.

Sleep improvement is a known benefit of massage therapy, particularly massage for cancer, and this is very crucial. For any treatment, whether chemo, radiation, or other type of therapy, to be effective, the patient must be getting sufficient and restful sleep. Since some of the side effects of chemo and radiation cause difficulty with sleep cycles, including falling asleep and staying asleep, massage for cancer patients can be helpful in such instances.

The benefits of oncology massage for a patient suffering from depression, which is quite often the case, cannot be overstated. While it may seem insignificant, loneliness and depression are concerns in these patients. Whereas medication-oriented treatments for depression are a possibility, in some cases they can interfere with the conventional treatment for cancer. This necessitates that non-pharmaceutical treatments be used instead, and this is where massage therapy can be very valuable.

This type of massage is similar to geriatric massage in that it offers the benefits of emotional support, comfort, and care to a population who normally does not receive these types of support. It is also gentler than normal forms of massage therapy, and there is no deep tissue.

Cancer can be a very lonely experience, especially since many people do not know how to deal with those who have the disease, and they can withdraw and become distant in relationships with these individuals. In these cases, massage can be very important. Massage for the cancer patient also reduces the anxiety and depression of their caregivers, even when they are not receiving the massage. It helps them to know that their loved one is being cared for in a meaningful and significant way.

Finally, there are benefits related to immune function and movement of lymph throughout the body. In many types of cancer, this can be necessary. This can be particularly true for radiation therapy, as often lymph nodes are destroyed by this type of treatment. This can lead to swelling and edema in related limbs and other areas of the body. Massage therapy can help to move the lymph around, especially where the cancer is not of the type that spreads.

On top of this, massage therapy has benefits to overall immunity, which can be very important for a cancer patient. In most cases, the treatment can be damaging to their immune system, and so mitigating this effect can be very helpful for such patients. Specifically, massage has been shown to improve the quantity of immune cells that are active in the system. This can help the patient’s body to fight the cancer and assist the effectiveness of the conventional treatments they are undergoing.

For those looking for a gentle, adjunctive therapy that can help their loved one suffering from cancer or undergoing treatment, massage therapy for cancer patients can provide many benefits. Some are unexpected, such as the enhancement of immune function, but many, such as emotional support and reduction in anxiety and depression, have been known for years. Oncology massage is becoming more sought after as an adjunctive type of care for patients undergoing treatment for cancer.

Image Credit – Marcel Scholte

Anne Smith

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  1. A Practitioner Providing Postpartum Massage in NJ - January 29, 2025 Reply

    Oncology Massage is not my specialization. Neither is Geriatric Massage.

    By my (current) username “A Practitioner Providing Postpartum Massage in NJ” (I may change it again..for the fifth time!) you can guess I work with prenatal and postpartum women, almost exclusively.

    I really appreciate those therapists who work with the Geriatric and Oncology populations.

    It’s underappreciated work. and makes such a difference in the lives of elders and people with cancer.

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