First off let me say that I have received specialized training in massage therapy for people with cancer from the Scherer Institute of Natural Healing in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For decades, massage therapists have been trained that therapeutic massage is contraindicated for people with cancer. Recent research from such well-known and respected insti- tutions as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and The Touch Research Institute of Miami, FL, among others, have shattered the myths surrounding massage for the person with cancer. The existing data now strongly suggest that appropriate massage therapy provided by a well-trained therapist is safe, does not contribute to the spread of cancer, and is an effective complement to the medical and optimal health programs offered to people with cancer.

Massage therapy for those experiencing cancer helps to reduce stress, decrease anxiety, relieve depression, increase comfort levels, and provide spiritual and emotional, as well as physical, support for both patient and care providers.

Women experiencing breast or ovarian cancer may find com- passionate healing touch effective for counteracting the feeling of invasive touch. Therapeutic massage can also enhance the woman's sense of self-esteem and improve body image.

Massage can be beneficial for the person with most any form of cancer when offered by a therapist with training and expertise, and is successfully employed at any stage of the cancer experience.

Therapeutic massage opens the inner doors of healing for the person with cancer and their loved ones. It provides a safe, comfortable, and healing place for people to relax and reju- venate. Compassionate healing touch helps to bring the whole person into a state of self-acceptance and centered wellbeing. Massage therapy also brings the person back to their own body with peace, allowing her to breathe, reconnect, and enhance the strong healing capacity she already possesses.

A Summary of the Potential Benefits of Bodywork for People Living with Cancer, Gayle MacDonald Medicine Hands: Massage Therapy for People with Cancer

1. Moisturizes the skin and prevents problems such as bedsores.
2. Relieves muscle soreness due to prolonged bedrest.
3. Increases circulation. Lymphatic flow is stimulated, which helps in the elimination of waste products, vascular flow is also stimulated, bringing fresh nutrients to the area.
4. Increases range of motion.
5. Increases relaxation.
6. Decreases edema and lymphedema.
7. Sedates or stimulates nervous system, depending on the modality used.
8. Encourages deeper respiration.
9. Improves bowel activity.
10. Increases alertness and mental clarity.
11. Improves sleep.
12. Provides pain relief and reduces the need for pain medication.
13. Decreases symptoms related to chemo and radiation, such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
14. Stimulates faster wound healing.
15. Provides faster recovery from anesthesia.
16. Shortens hospital stays.
17. Increases elasticity to scarred areas.
18. Breaks up adhesions associated with scarring.
19. Increases the effectiveness of other treatments, such as pain medication, physical therapy, or a medical procedure.
20. Increases patient’s awareness of stress signals.
21. Decreases anxiety and depression.
22. Provides distraction.
23. Provides relief from isolation.
24. Offers meaningful social interaction.
25. Provides a doorway to greater intimacy with family and friends.
26. Provides relief of touch deprivation.
27. Provides a forum for patients to express their feelings.
28. Re-establishes a positive body image.
29. Gives patient a sense of participation in the healing process.
30. Re-builds hope.