Massage and Cancer Patients: Benefits and Risks

There are so many different forms of massage, and each form can have a different effect on the body. Some massage therapies are helpful for healing many types of injuries and illnesses, whether acute or chronic. However, some illnesses may require that the massage therapist take care to avoid certain techniques or areas of the body. The most prevalent of these illnesses is cancer.

Just as there are many forms of massage therapy, there are many forms of cancer. This means that what applies to a person with breast cancer may not apply to a person with lymphoma. The techniques used on a patient without cancer may or may not be safe on a patient with cancer. Cancer in different stages also must be treated differently, even in massage therapy.

Since there are so many factors that must be considered before a cancer patient can receive massage therapy, some people may feel that it is better to not receive massage therapy at all just to be safe. But, if a patient does this, they are possibly missing out on many therapeutic and healing qualities that massage has to offer.

If you are a cancer patient, it is always best to get the advice of your physician before receiving any form of massage therapy. Ask your family doctor, your specialist, your surgeon, your radiologist, and anyone else who has played a part in the care and treatment of your cancer.

They can each tell you their medical opinion of what forms of massage therapy can be helpful to you, and which forms you will need to avoid. It is also very important to inform your massage therapist beforehand of your cancer, the type and the stage. They will also need to know what treatments you have had or are currently receiving (this includes medications, radiation, chemotherapy, hormones, surgeries, etc.).
Just as with every illness, you should be as upfront and honest with your massage therapist as possible. Not only can it help the therapist determine what techniques should be avoided, it can also help them determine which massage therapies will provide the greatest benefits.

It is best to talk to your doctor, talk to your massage therapist, do the research on techniques that should be avoided in your situation, and then receive a relaxing massage to experience the wonderful benefits that it has to offer.