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Massage for cancer patients (Oncology massage therapist)

Updated: Feb 10, 2022

Massage therapy is extremely effective for cancer patients



Cancer is one of the most common and the most dreaded diseases that humanity today is grappling with. It’s to fight the disease-- be it before diagnosis, during treatment, or after it—and it’s completely natural to feel hopeless. Coping with the devastating side effects of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments can bring about unimaginable stress, anxiety, and depression. So, the toll is not just physical, but also emotional.


This is where a licensed massage therapist can come across as a helping hand. While nothing can compare to the pain of cancer, but the touch of soothing hands can be somewhat healing and empowering. Most people think that massage therapy works only for those who seek to relax on a daily basis. But research has found that it works amazingly for people who have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing traditional cancer treatments.


There is a slew of side effects that cancer patients experience during their treatment. But when these treatments are complemented with massage therapy, patients get an increased ability to cope with their symptoms. Take, for example, peripheral neuropathy. It is a common symptom that follows chemotherapy. But a couple of sessions of massage therapy, at the hand of a licensed massage therapist, can prove extremely effective in alleviating a patient’s pain by many folds.


Besides pain reduction, massage therapy for cancer patients brings the following noteworthy benefits:


  • Reduction in stress, depression, and anxiety that follows during diagnosis and treatment.

  • Relief from nausea that follows chemotherapy.

  • Lowering the symptoms of lymphedema, which is characterized by the accumulation of lymph fluid in the body that causes it to swell.

  • Improves the quality of sleep, seen as a direct result of a reduction in pain.

  • Reduces fatigue, which is a common complaint of cancer patients.


What to expect during massage therapy?


  • There are many techniques, namely aromatherapy, myofascial massage, Swedish massage, and classical massage, involved in a session of massage therapy. A licensed massage therapist blends all of them well to give you effective results.

  • Massage therapy, being a hands-on treatment, will need your massage therapist to touch different areas of your body during the session. If you aren’t comfortable with this, then you might have to find an alternative to massage therapy.

  • The different massage therapy techniques are meant to address the specific pain that you are experiencing. There’s no standard approach to massage therapy, so a licensed massage therapist will need the full details of your condition. The length and frequency of your therapy will change depending on your symptoms.


Conclusion


Given the number of benefits that massage therapy has for cancer patients, oncologists and healthcare professionals are starting to swear by it. Without causing any side effects, massage therapy provides physical and emotional relief to cancer patients and empowers them to cope with their symptoms better. There’s little truth in the notion that a deep tissue massage will cause the spread of the disease. Your licensed therapist will be mindful to avoid the area where the tumor lies.

You should get in touch with a licensed massage therapist at Orlando Massage Clinic in Tampa, Florida. They are great because they provide in-house services, making the experience all the more convenient for you.

Contact Us Today


Massages by Anna Bass LMT. Certified for many different massages and treatments. Specializing in Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) massage.


To schedule an appointment with Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Advanced Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist and Health Coach, Anna Bass LMT, please call 412-328-4540 or Book a Massage Here.


Providing massage services to patients in Tampa, Brandon and Riverview, FL.

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