Massage is safe and effective at any stage of your cancer journey. It was thought long ago that massaging someone with cancer would spread their disease. We now know that is a myth. Cancer is a very complex disease, and what causes rogue cells to latch onto a structure in the body and grow to become a tumor is also very complex. A massage doesn’t cause cancer or spread cancer. Good news!!
Oncology massage can range from feather-like strokes on the hands, arms, and feet for the very frail to firm Swedish full body massage for someone who is feeling strong, is back to regular exercise, is back working at their job, has great energy, etc. Your oncology massage therapist will assess the level of pressure to use and normally use a lighter, soothing touch. The goal is relaxation for your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and your mind! Using too deep strokes is too much of a load on the body and can cause pain, bruising on the inside, or can stimulate the lymphatic system too much and create flu-like symptoms. Less is more in this part of the cancer world.
When massage therapists learn about oncology massage, they also learn about the lymphatic system (your immune system) and about Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy (MLD). If you’ve had lymph nodes removed or irradiated, your lymphatic system is slightly impaired or blocked, so you are at a life-long risk of developing Lymphedema. In most patients, the risk is small, but the more nodes you’ve had removed or irradiated, the greater the risk of Lymphedema (LE). Learn about LE here and on the internet and takes steps today to hopefully never get it.
Normal therapy sessions last 60 minutes. You can have just Oncology massage, just MLD, or any combination. Some clients want half the session to focus on tight muscles or hands & feet that have neuropathy and the second half of the session to be MLD to boost their immune system and decrease swelling. It’s your choice!
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It is extremely important that you go to, or hire, the right kind of therapist when you have cancer. Do not go to a day spa chain or a strip mall spa. The odds are very high that no therapist there will have any knowledge or, or certification in, oncology or lymphatic therapies. The therapist may use too much pressure, may work strokes in the wrong direction, and can even cause Lymphedema. In the US, the most common type of Lymphatic therapy is the Vodder Method. Those with Vodder training will have any of these letters after their name: CMLDT, CLT, or MLD-C. These stand for Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist, Certified Lymphedema Therapist, and Manual Lymphatic Drainage-Certified. Lesser known but equally respected therapies/methods are Upledger, Le Duc, Casley-Smith, and Chikly. Just ask which method/institute they studied with from the above list.