Have you ever had a massage?
I can certainly remember the first one I had. And I'm still saying thanks in my prayers for the person who gifted it to me.
But what about massage for people living with cancer?
Of course there's a few precautions to take. Deep tissue massage is probably out right after surgery. But gentle massage practiced by someone trained, or a massage from a loved one who has been instructed in massage at your cancer center, might be just what the doctor ordered.
A new study set out to look at the literature to date published on massage for people with cancer. The conclusions?
With proper adaptations, that is, accommodating the special needs and vulnerabilities that cancer patients may have - massage therapy has significant potential to improve the quality of life for people living with cancer.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Source:
Collinge, W. et al. Massage in supportive cancer care. Seminars in Oncology Nursing. 2012. 28(1):45-54.
