Cancer and Massage Therapy

What is cancer?

Under normal circumstances, a healthy permanent cell will produce, mature then die. These dead cells are replaced with new cells. This is called cell proliferation. Cancer is a disease where a group of cells display uncontrolled cell division in which cells begin to reproduce outside the normal bounds of proliferation causing a mass of tissue called a tumor.

Once a tumor is formed, it demands large amounts of nutrition and hormones from the healthy tissue surrounding it, thereby, compromising the healthy tissue’s function and eventually destroying it. The major concern with a malignant tumor is that it can spread to other tissues by passage through the blood and lymphatic channels. This is called metastasis. If metastasis occurs, the other tumors can form in distant areas of the body.

Can Massage therapy contribute to metastasis?

Although there are many benefits to massage therapy, some of these benefits could be considered an issue when treating a patient with cancer. Research suggests that a certain percent of tumors can actually shed their cells. The concern with this is that the cells could possibly be pressed or pushed away from the tumor site by manual manipulation of the tissues performed in a massage. A physiotherapy study done in 1977 by the American Medical Association concluded, “Sufficient direct pressure will traumatize the tumor and promote the release of cells”. Massage therapists should consider the pressure, duration and locality of their treatment if the tumor rests in superficial tissues to avoid the release of cells from the site.

One of the other benefits of massage is the improvement of blood and lymph to the body. There may be a concern that the cancerous tissue would benefit from an influx of blood and would therefore encourage further growth. Research, however, states that is unlikely that the improvement of blood and lymphatic flow to the tissues would aid in the survival of cancerous cells. If this were true, the client would most likely be at risk with similar activities of daily life such as, taking hot showers, exercise and sexual activity.

A third concern is that massage techniques could allow the lodging of cancer cells in capillary beds and encourage implantation. It has never been proven that this could occur because of what we know about cancer cells. Some cancers prefer certain tissue, some do not have the enzymes needed to destroy tissue matrices, others prefer growth within endothelium tissue and finally some organs don’t have the right growth factors for some cancers. Therefore, it is unlikely massage could cause implantation in the capillary beds.

Based on the above conclusions, it is recommended that the massage therapist uses caution when dealing with cancer clients, being careful to avoid local tumor sites, use light to moderate pressure and possibly shorten the treatment time in an attempt to control the flow of blood and lymph through the circulation.

Can massage help cancer sufferers?

Not only can cancer have a devastating effect on many different systems of the body, treatment itself, usually surgery, medication and radiation may also cause a multitude of painful complications and side effects. Cancer sufferers may experience many different symptoms such as hemorrhage, clotting abnormalities, infection, fever, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, imbalance of hormones, emotional and physical stress, skin lesions, confusion, irritability, anxiety, depression, muscle atrophy, headaches, weakness, hair loss and fatigue.

Massage can help ease these symptoms by strengthening the immune system, calming and balancing the nervous system, improving sleep patterns, improving circulation to the brain and other tissues , reducing toxin build up, stimulating muscle tissue, easing musculoskeletal aches and pains and increasing appetite.

It is important to complete a thorough health history before receiving massage and keep your therapist up to date of any changes throughout the treatment session and future sessions. You should inform your massage therapist if you have any of the following complications: coagulation disorders, low platelet count, medications and their uses, metastases to bone, complicated by fracture, open wounds and radiation dermatitis with pain and infection. With proper information your massage therapist will be able to treat you better and help you achieve your goals in each session.

Therefore, massage therapy treatments, when performed properly, may be useful in reducing pain felt by cancer itself and some treatment side effects. Even though receiving massage therapy can be useful in decreasing these painful symptoms, it is important to note that as the client, it is ultimately your choice to receive such treatment and you should be well informed before engaging in any form of massage therapy treatment.

Lana Cummings, Registered Massage Therapist

Offering Swedish Massage and Thai Yoga Massage