Massage and the Cancer Patient

By: Morag Currin, Licensed Esthetician, CLMT

Posted: November 13, 2009

The field of oncology is rapidly expanding as cancer becomes more and more common. The specialty of oncology esthetics is not for every esthetician as it requires knowledge of cancer and the multiple contraindications relating to cancer therapies. Currently, no education is available for estheticians to learn how to work on clients before, during or after cancer treatment, but estheticians should understand and know what the special considerations are concerning skin reactions due to cancer drugs, surgical procedures, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other cancer therapies. A clear and concise understanding of both cancer and the different spa therapies and skin care products used is imperative to avoid unnecessary discomfort. Research has shown that a variety of touch modalities, including massage, positively affect symptoms related to cancer or its side effects from treatment.

Estheticians deal not only with facials but with massage. Massage therapy is a very important part of a facial that helps a client relax while the skin is being treated. More than 20% of people living with cancer use massage therapy along with conventional treatments. Many physicians increasingly recognize that clients use complementary therapies but many estheticians are reluctant to raise the subject with their patients. Yet, people with cancer who receive regular massages during cancer therapies are reported to have less muscular tension, fatigue, anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Since stress triggers a series of events that cause alarm and exhaustion, massage works well with these problems. The stress of everyday life added to the stress of dealing with cancer can be overwhelming. For these clients, massage can be extremely beneficial. They have this brief time to slow down and be comforted. Massage is becoming more accepted and included in conventional health care systems due to the low risk, the low cost and the high satisfaction.

The question often arises as to whether massage spreads cancer. The concern is that increasing the blood and lymphatic circulation with massage will cause the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body. As the understanding of the way cancer cells are formed and spread becomes clearer, it is becoming more evident that stimulating the circulation will NOT spread cancer.

Massage is safe for clients with cancer as long as estheticians are properly trained.

This information is an excerpt from the book Oncology Esthetics: A Practitioner’s Guide. To learn more about this topic or to purchase the entire book, visit www.Allured.com/bookstore.