Massage, acupuncture, naturopathy, hypnotherapy. These therapies (and more) are often classified under the heading of "alternative medicine", as if cancer patients should be forced to choose between medical science and other treatments. But rather than viewing these treatments as alternatives to anything, it's better to think of them as complementary to normal medical treatments. Doctors are really good at treating the cancer, but massage therapy (and others) are great at working with the bigger picture - the whole person. Used in combination, these treatments work towards freeing the patient from cancer while minimizing or controlling the side-effects.

More and more people are starting to realize that patients need more than just radiation and chemo to get through their cancer in one piece. In a 1999 publication, NCI found that about half of their cancer centers offered massage as a complementary therapy to cancer treatment [source]. A 2005 study found that 2/3 of their doctors recommend some form of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) to their patients, and 57% felt that massage can be an effective treatment.

So massage can help during cancer treatment; many people, including doctors, know this. But how does it help? And how do we know?

We know by two methods: scientific research and personal anecdotes. Each of these has their advantages; they also have their flaws. Scientific research is just that: scientific. Controlled settings, solid results that are taken seriously by other professions. But these benefits can also serve as drawbacks: the findings in a scientific study are sometimes very narrow and too heavily controlled to be applicable in the real world. Massage is both a science and an art form - art can't be expected to heed the rules of research.

Anecdotes, however, are slippery in another way. Descriptions of single instances in which massage has incredible results are powerful - much more powerful than research statistics. But for every success story, there are at least 20 non-eventful massages, where nothing out of the ordinary happened, no big breakthroughs. These are more common, sure, but also less interesting. They get pushed aside and forgotten in order to make room for the exciting (but rare) cases.

Anecdotes, by their very nature, will help to prove the point they're trying to make. They make great stories, but they don't show the whole picture.

So let's talk research. There haven't been a great number of studies on massage in an oncology setting, but what has been done has shown some promising results. First of all, massage is clearly beneficial when it comes to decreasing pain and anxiety in cancer patients. These results shouldn't be too surprising, though, since they're also some of the strongest findings in the non-cancer population.

The rest of the factors: fatigue, nausea, medicine use, etc - either have mixed results or just don't have enough research to back up a claim in either direction. One factor in particular - how massage affects a patient's length of time in the hospital - ought to have more studies soon. Besides being a benefit to the patient, if researchers found that massage did indeed reduce hospital stay, it would be good for the hospital's bottom line. All research requires funding, and a hospital looking to cut costs might benefit from this type of study.

While pain and anxiety are only two factors on a big list of variables, the implications are still huge. Say it out loud: Massage therapy has been proven to reduce pain and anxiety in cancer patients. It's a great statement.

In the vast space between quantitative studies and personal anecdotes lies another type of research: qualitative. This type of research is literally measuring quality of life, that is, how the patient feels after receiving a massage. And in a way, isn't that just as important as a number on a chart? Overall, massage has shown quite positive results in qualitative studies. In one study, patients reported a number of common themes after receiving massages: feeling special, feeling as though they had greater strength, and feeling that massage provided meaningful relief from their suffering [source].

In a study working with breast cancer patients who had undergone a mastectomy, massage therapy helped to lessen the patients' emotional trauma and cope with their changing self-image [source]. If nothing else, massage helps to give cancer patients a positive outlook on their situation. And a positive outlook like that is beneficial on so many layers.

Massage therapy can't solve all the problems, and it would be wrong of me (or anyone) to suggest that it could. But what massage can accomplish shouldn't be overlooked. Less pain and anxiety, and feeling better about oneself in a number of ways. To put it broadly, research has shown that massage for cancer patients is a very good thing.

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Part One: Introduction
Part Two: Benefits
Part Three: Adjustments
Part Four: Hospice

Let's start with the obvious question: Why is massage different for cancer patients (or survivors)?

A simple question, but a tricky answer. There isn't a specific type of massage that's used only for the oncology population. In fact, any technique I use with my cancer clients I can (and do) use with my other clients. The unique part about cancer massage is an increased awareness about the client, his or her medical treatment, and, most importantly, the side effects of this treatment.

Side effects from cancer treatment - such as pain, scars from surgery, or fragile skin from chemo - require adjustments to the massage session. This isn't a new idea: many conditions, cancer related or not, require the therapist to tailor the session appropriately. The difference here is that many of these conditions occur simultaneously, so there are simply more adjustments to make. Lets say a client recently had a mastectomy, had lymph nodes removed in her right underarm, and her lower legs are currently numb. That's three major adjustments all at once. Massage is still possible, but it might take some extra preparation and creativity.

The way we view cancer has changed over time, but our view of massage during cancer treatment has been slow to catch up. The biggest fear is that massage will increase the chance of metastasis, that is, the likelihood of the initial tumor breaking off and traveling to another area. Conceptually, this makes sense - added pressure makes things move around inside the body. But not in this case. Cancer doesn't spread because of high pressure or increased circulation. Rather, it spreads due to genetic alterations, chronic inflammation, carcinogens, bacteria, and viruses.

Think about it: if massage was a risk for spreading cancer, so would almost any cardiovascular activity - walking the dog, riding a bike, working out at the gym. In that case, doctors would tell cancer patients not to do any of these things, and just stay at home in bed watching television. In fact, doctors almost always urge their patients to stay active. And while they might not say it explicitly, staying active should include getting regular massages.

Now that medical science has advanced so much in finding and treating cancer, it's often viewed as a chronic condition - something to live with and manage. In 2006, nearly 11.4 million Americans were alive after having been diagnosed with invasive cancer [source]. Because of this, massage therapists have be able to adapt their massages for clients with a history of cancer. Otherwise, they risk alienating a very large demographic.

In the next 3 posts, I'll be discussing the benefits of caring touch for people with cancer, the potential adjustments involved in massaging these clients, and the use of massage for both patients and caregivers in a hospice setting. My hope is that these posts can bring some insight into an important topic that few people think about but many should.

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Part One: Introduction
Part Two: Benefits
Part Three: Adjustments
Part Four: Hospice

I don't know if you've noticed (ha!), but I love talking about massage.

I guess that's why I have this blog. Some special offers every once in a while, but mostly just a chance to talk about my most favorite thing in the world. And it's a good thing for a practitioner to be enthusiastic, right? I love what I do for a living and that motivates me to learn new skills and improve on the ones I already have.

You wouldn't use an auto mechanic who hates talking about cars or a chef who doesn't care what he eats. Massage is my profession, not just a way to pay the bills, which means that it's an important part of my life. It's not the only part (thankfully), but it's often the most prevalent, and the best way for me to connect with others. Not just by giving free back rubs to friends (although I do plenty of that), but also by explaining to anyone who'll listen how muscles act the way they do and why muscles hurt and how you can make them not hurt so much. I know a lot of useful things about massage and I don't think it's fair to keep that knowledge all to myself.

Of course, it's a fine line between being excited and being pushy, and sometimes I have to be careful how much I geek-out at people. Sure, I would love for them to come and schedule massages with me, but more generally I just want them to know how awesome massage is, period. Getting new clients out of the deal is really just a bonus.