Imagine the stress, the pain, the unknown that comes with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Now imagine an hour or hour and a half of relief from those. That is what massage can do for a patient who is battling breast cancer. Studies conducted by the University of Minnesota and the University of Miami have shown that massage can reduce anxiety, pain, fatigue, the need for pain medications and help increase immune function in cancer patients.
Massage is not just a luxury; massage is a part of maintaining health and should be a part of most treatment programs.
Once a person becomes a massage therapist, they can specialize in oncology massage. The Society of Oncology Massage explains oncology massage as “the modification of existing massage therapy techniques in order to safely work with complications of cancer and cancer treatment.” Massage therapists certified in oncology massage understand when the patient can and cannot receive a massage – times when a massage is contraindicated due to treatment or other factors including medications and treatment. They are trained to better understand the disease and how the massage will effect it, and the questions to ask to ensure the massage techniques used will be the most beneficial for that individual patient.
If you want more information about oncology massage and the benefits of massage for cancer patients, visit the Society for Oncology Massage website at www.s4om.org.
If you are interested in starting the massage therapist journey, call our admissions team at 888-517-2747 or fill out our inquiry form and we will give you a call.
Staff Blogger