Massage Can Aid in Cancer Wellness

While the surgeon, the oncologist, the hematologist and the radiation therapist will deal with your cancer directly, a whole body approach may be the best option for survival. Massage reduces stress and stress hormones which impede recovery.

Massage reduces pain and minimizes the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Massage can help relieve the nausea associated with chemotherapy and radiation. Massage also increases blood flow which makes chemotherapy more effective. The American Cancer Society views massage as an important complementary therapy for cancer patients.

Massage can help minimize scar tissue formation after surgery. Massage can help prevent lymphedema, a painful swelling of the limbs common in breast cancer patients. Massage can improve range of motion and keep the skin healthy after radiation treatments. Massage can also help relieve the overall fatigue that many cancer patients experience during therapy.

More and more people are surviving cancer and the physicians who treat cancer patients are realizing that massage can have a beneficial effect on the overall well being of their patients, during treatment and after.