Massage for Cancer Survivors
As a cancer survivor, you have a “new Normal.” It takes at least a year after the end treatment to settle into a new relationship with your body. So much has changed that you used to take for granted, such as hair texture, body mass, skin elasticity and surgical scars and implants. The level of pressure is up to you, and we can adjust positions to side-lying if it’s uncomfortable to lay face down.
There is so much more to you than the site of your surgery. You are a Whole Person and as trained Oncology Massage Therapists, we understand what you’ve been through, and that you want to move on.
Yes, Cancer Survivors can have deep tissue massage as long as it is adapted slightly. Even if it’s been years since your treatment, and are in complete remission, there are still some considerations you need to know.
Keeping you safe means knowing what NOT to do. Did you know that a “deep tissue” massage is NOT appropriate for an area where lymph nodes were removed, no matter how long ago? Deep Tissue Massage in affected areas can interrupt lymphatic flow and could trigger onset of Lymphedema swelling. Our therapists are trained to adapt massage pressure, avoiding the techniques that cause the most risk, yet still getting into the tissue to relieve your muscle tension. The areas not affected by lymph node removal can have deep tissue massage without concern.
To see our separate description of post-mastectomy scar tissue release, click here.
For more information about Manual Lymph Drainage, click here
To see our separate description for Massage for Cancer Patients click here
Lymph edema swelling Hyperlink:
Lymphedema is mild to severe swelling of an entire arm or leg. It is a common side effect of cancer treatment and most often occurs in the arm on the same side as a mastectomy or lumpectomy.
Beds of Lymph Nodes are located in the armpits and groin areas. The job of Lymph nodes is to help return the body’s fluids to the heart. When they have been damaged by radiation or removed, they cannot do their job properly, and fluid may back up. This backed up fluid causes swelling, which is uncomfortable and sometimes disfiguring. According to the American Cancer Society, even a sentinel node biopsy creates a XX% risk of developing Lymphedema. Deep massage should never be done on the affected limb. Cancer patients and survivors at risk of developing Lymph edema require special Massage and Exercise considerations to keep them safe in order to reduce the risk of inducing or aggravating the condition.
During Treatment
Massage for Cancer Patients- DONE
A massage can offer much-needed comfort during Cancer Treatment. Research has shown that gentle massage can reduce pain, improve sleep, reduce nausea, and strengthen the immune system. Cancer Treatment includes so many intrusions on the body. Of course, Massage is not expected to cure anyone. But removing the road blocks to healing that stress creates clears the way for the body to heal itself naturally. The value of a soft, soothing experience cannot be underestimated. Create a much-needed diversion to a place of warmth and nurturing.
Oncology Massage is adapted for your needs and can accommodate almost any of the temporary inconveniences that go along with Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments. Oncology massage is so gentle that it can be done for Stage 1 to Stage 4 diagnoses. You may not be able to lie on your stomach or on your back due to implanted ports, surgery sites or radiation burns. The massage therapist would work around but not on these areas. Even colostomy patients can receive massage with modified positioning. Each Cancer Patient’s massage session is customized to the unique situation that chemotherapy and radiation cycles create.
With light touch and slow, gentle strokes, Massage during Chemotherapy or Radiation can reduce the side effects of treatment. Many patients report using less pain and anti-nausea medication after receiving a massage. Deep massage might sound really nice, but for most people in active treatment it should be avoided. Deep Tissue massage during chemotherapy can tax a system already burdened, and the resulting inflammatory response is likely to cause flu-like symptoms such as body aches and fatigue. In other words, Deep massage stirs things up too much, creating extra work for the body and may increase discomfort. Your Oncology Massage Therapist will adapt the pressure and pace of the massage to encourage the body’s natural healing processes. Escape, just for a little while, to a place of calm, quiet and ease. Reconnect to your true, centered self.
Mastectomy Massage with Gentle Scar Release
Is your shoulder restricted since your mastectomy? Do you feel unnatural tension around the muscles of the arm and back when you reach up? Surgical scars, implants, or radiation atrophy may be the cause of neck pain or limitation of the shoulder. Whether it’s been weeks or years since your surgery, massage can be helpful to free up your range of motion and address pockets of swelling.
Gentle Scar Release massage is very carefully administered by therapists that have an additional level of Oncology Massage Specialty training. The muscles are extra tight and sensitive, and your expert therapist can find nurturing ways to ease the tension and relieve pain. If you are self-conscious about your scars, don’t worry. We don’t have to expose the entire area in order to effectively address it. Your modesty will be honored at all times.
If you’ve also had lymph node biopsy or removal, massage in the area of the shoulder and chest needs to be modified. You want to release the adhesions and knots, but you know that working too hard would not be good for you. It is true, deep massage can cause tissue damage and Lymphedema swelling. But Gentle Scar Release is the way to safely address the muscles to give lasting relief. You don’t have to live with the pain.