Oncology Massage
Massage for cancer patients is intended for use as complementary therapy – aiming to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms of disease. Complementary therapies are used together with mainstream medicine – not INSTEAD of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or drug therapy.
Scientific studies have looked at the effects of various body-based practices on people undergoing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. These studies have shown that massage may reduce: pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression. Individuals who have had massages during cancer treatments have reported a range of positive outcomes such as improvements in: sleep, the health of the scar tissue, quality of life, mental clarity/alertness and range of movement.
While massage cannot, unfortunately, treat the cancer itself, it may help reduce the side effects caused by conventional treatments and improve quality of life and overall well-being.
THE TRUTH IS: Oncology Massage is not suitable for all cancer patients. Please talk with your doctors to determine if this type of therapy is a safe and potentially beneficial treatment option for you.