The battle with cancer can be daunting and traumatic. Family members, caregivers and patients are asked to endure the difficulty and uncertainty of treatment and recovery. For many patients, added physical pain may develop from the cancer or from treatments.
Twenty percent of all cancer patients in the U.S. seek massage therapy. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York collected patient response to their massage therapy program. After two days, the benefit of massage was evident--anxiety levels dropped 52 percent, pain 40 percent, fatigue 41 percent, depression 31 percent and nausea 21 percent.
Treatments for cancer-related pain are varied and are often used in combination for the best results. Massage therapy is one avenue of treatment that permeates a deeper level of healing. Massage reduces stress and anxiety levels, relieves insomnia, decreases nausea, eases depression, manages pain and lessens the need for medication.
The benefit of massage cannot always be measured. Patients can experience a deep sense of wellbeing through bodywork. They gain a sensation of being cared for and being held. As the body fights against disease, stress and trauma accumulate. Massage helps to ease the effects of cancer pain out and away from the body.
