Oncology Massage for Breast Cancer Patients

B

eing diagnosed with cancer can make people feel as if their world is slowly crumbling beneath their feet. They may feel like a spectator of their own life, watching powerlessly from the side lines, often feeling scared or even angry. There is no correct way to feel - everyone will respond in a way that is unique to them.

A breast cancer diagnosis will be one of the scariest moments in a woman’s life, but as difficult as it may be, it is important to remain positive because the statistics for breast cancer survival are far from bleak. 8 in 10 women are said to make a full recovery from breast cancer; this inspirational statistic is a direct result of advancements in treatment and care. There are also options available to help with recovery and relaxation after a cancer diagnosis.

Coming from a massage therapy background, I have always been interested in investigating ways of implementing therapeutic techniques to help patients with the recovery process. Some of the ways that have shown benefits have been oncology massage, touch, talking, listening and mindfulness.

BY SUSAN FINDLAY

In the UK, breast cancer will affect 1 in 8 women and astoundingly, 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year (only 350 men receive the same diagnosis). So it is likely that you may know someone who has received this daunting news. Maybe you have received it yourself.

◆ MASSAGE MENTOR ◆ Susan’s first love is dance, sport, anything to do with the joy of movement. She trained as a nurse in Canada but soon left the profession when she came to the UK as she wanted a deeper connection with her clients. For many years she worked in both health and fitness, teaching 20+ classes a week and running GP referral schemes. She wanted to make better use of all her knowledge which led her to retrain as a Sports Massage and Remedial Soft Tissue Therapist. Currently she is the director of NLSSM and specialises in teaching Oncology Massage. She is the author of Sports Massage: Hands on Guide for Therapists and is the Sports Massage feature writer for Massage World. She volunteers her time as a board member of GCMT.

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Oncology Massage for Breast Cancer Patients

Oncology massage is a form of therapeutic touch; it is a great way to help patients through the recovery period after breast cancer and will encourage them to feel more relaxed. However, I must make it clear that any form of massage should not begin unless a therapist has an appropriate qualification. It is a complex disease and as a result, the treatment is correspondingly complex. Therefore, it requires an excellent level of understanding in order to deliver a safe massage. It is very important we work holistically and support the conventional medical treatment plan.

Cancer treatment can range from radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or surgery. It’s a huge amount of personal responsibility with no room for the inexperienced.

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Now that the warnings are out of the way, I can move onto the parts we all want to know about, namely the benefits.

Oncology massage for breast cancer has been proven to help in a number of areas:

◆ Relaxation of both mind and body ◆ Improving immune function ◆ Symptom relief such as pain, nausea, and fatigue ◆ Relieving anxiety and depression ◆ Alleviating tension in muscles or tissue

Apart from the slightly more obvious benefits, it is worth noting that oncology massage for breast cancer can also assist with lymphatic drainage by stimulating the lymphatic system. This type of technique is typically referred to as manual lymphatic drainage. As the circulation to the lymphatic system is increased, it helps to drain lymph fluid from the surrounding tissue and by doing so decreases the risk of disease or infection.

Furthermore, another incredibly important factor in oncology massage for breast cancer is the psychological benefit. As I mentioned earlier, receiving a cancer diagnosis can be incredibly stressful and an anxiety provoking time, but fortunately we can use our hands-on and listening skills to play a significant role in enhancing our client’s sense of well-being. One of our main intentions is to offer a therapy that can help their recovery to be as stress free as possible.

Having regular massage can obviously help relieve stress and anxiety but it has also been shown to reduce stress hormone levels as well as increasing serotonin and dopamine levels. This isn’t only attributable to lying down and detaching yourself from the chaos of daily life. As much as this might help, massage therapy has been proven to stimulate the Vagus nerve, as well as activating our parasympathetic nervous system - slowing our heart rate and breathing, and as a result making us feel calmer. Often when we are stressed, we will carry a lot of tension in our muscles and this is often reflected in how we breath and move, causing shallow breathing, increased respiratory rates, tension in the upper shoulders and tight jaws. All of this can be ameliorated with massage. Oncology massage treatment should include a holistic whole body approach.

Is Massage Therapy Safe for Breast Cancer Patients?

This is a question that I have heard a lot of people ask - the simple answer to this is yes, it is completely safe, but it needs a considered approach. You might not be able to work directly on the area of concern because there are modifications that will need to be made, i.e. location, timing, position, technique, to name a few. However, there is usually something that can be offered that will improve our client’s sense of well-being.

As with many things in life, people can misunderstand and propagate misinformation and one of these myths is that massage can spread cancer cells. This is false because there is no evidence to support this claim unless one condition is met - specifically that you are working directly on a tumour site. Tumours do not like compression, so avoid them. We also need to consider other forms of treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, whilst paying attention to surgical sites and their stage of health. Typically, once a full case history has been taken and it is suitable for a therapist to work in the area, an oncology massage therapist will work in stages to rehab the tissue choosing techniques based on the presentation.

Further Forms of Touch

When undergoing breast cancer treatment or in the recovery stages, it is important to find ways that will assist with relaxation. As I mentioned earlier, oncology massage is a good way to relieve stress and tension as well as assisting with recovery. But this may not be everyone’s preference and so there are other forms of touch therapies that also have beneficial qualities:

· Shiatsu: This is a type of Japanese massage that is typically focused on alleviating stiffness · Acupressure – Working with meridians and pressure points, this type of therapy works through touch and can be helpful for relieving stress and pressure · Reflexology – Typically this is focused on applying massage therapy techniques to the hands and feet

All of these can have stress relieving qualities and are a good way to help with mindfulness and relaxation.

Listening to the Patient

When someone receives a cancer diagnosis, it can not only have a detrimental impact on the patient, but it can also affect the friends and family close to them. A lot of people who have received a diagnosis may feel they have to put on a brave face for the people around them.

As a therapist, offering a listening ear from an impartial point of view could help alleviate stress and allow the patient to unburden any heavy thoughts they may be carrying around. It is important not to compromise their privacy by forcing a client to speak, but if they wish to chat during their massage therapy, then actively listening could help them feel more at ease.

This story, that was relayed to me recently, exemplifies this point. A massage trained therapist could not offer her mother a massage as she did not have the appropriate oncology training, so she found someone who was certified and knew what she was doing. After the session, she asked her mother how it went, what did the therapist do and if she was happy? She replied that it was the best massage she had ever had. High praise indeed. What did the therapist do? She massaged the mother’s hands. The therapist approached the session from the viewpoint of the client. She focused on what her client’s needs were and did not deliver a predetermined massage session. All the mother wanted was to feel relaxed and listened to and it was important that she felt she could tell her story and be heard. This demonstrates the value of touch and a mindful therapist.

Encouraging Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a term I am sure you have heard being thrown around a lot. It has become a very popular within many different health communities, and as a result, it is somewhat overused. However, it is very important in relation to breast cancer recovery. To clear up any confusion that may be surrounding this word, mindfulness typically refers to focusing on the present moment while accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Some ways that mindfulness can be practised are through breathing techniques (slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth) and meditation.

As a therapist, it is good practice to recommend mindfulness to patients recovering from breast cancer in between massage therapy sessions, in order to encourage relaxation and minimise stress in the absence of a therapist.

One way you can encourage this is by teaching clients the acronym STOP. If they feel they are becoming overwhelmed with stress and their mind starts racing they can practice this technique.

◆ S – STOP what you are doing and sit down for a moment

◆ T – TAKE deep breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth - inhale for the count of two and exhale for the count of two

◆ O – OBSERVE your thoughts and emotions

◆ P – PROCEED with something that you feel will help you, it could be having a cup of tea, reading a book, or going for a walk. Whatever it may be, make sure it is something that makes you feel safe and comfortable.

Mindfulness techniques can also be encouraged both before and after a massage to maximise the potential for relaxation.

The Final Word

For any woman, receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer can be extremely stressful and scary. But as hard as it may be, we must focus on the positive outcomes, because a breast cancer diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. The success rates of recovery are higher than ever before.

As an experienced massage therapist, I firmly believe that the correct approach can pull clients through the toughest of times and I am incredibly grateful that I am in a position to help people through their breast cancer recovery journey.

Covid-19 Protocols FIND A THERAPIST DIRECTORY: If you are looking for a certified oncology massage therapist, please visit my website

www.susanfindlay.co.uk/oncology-massage-therapist-directory

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date about all the current policies, procedures. I cannot say this for every PA, but I do know that those sitting as board members of the GCMT (The General Council of Massage Therapies) played a significant role in getting information out to all their members.

I was heartened to see that so many therapists joined in on the conversation, how the profession started talking as a unified body, and how we got behind our professional associations, with GCMT emerged as a body with influence. It is now up to us to support our PA’s in their efforts to petition the government to recognise the value of higher education within the profession.

So, what can you do? The good news is, the more education and experience you have the easier it will be for you to re-establish yourself. For those therapists that are new to the profession, it is important that you have a niche, a specialism that places you in a position of greater value. Your expert skills will establish you firmly and increase the need for your services.

I want to leave you with thoughts of encouragement; we all know how important massage is and the thought of a future without it is daunting, both for our clients and ourselves as professionals. I cannot see massage stopping; whilst we may have to improvise and adapt, we will certainly survive.

SUSAN FINDLAY

Susan’s first love is dance, sport, anything to do with the joy of movement. She trained as a nurse in Canada but soon left the profession when she came to the UK as she wanted a deeper connection with her clients. For many years she worked in both health and fitness, teaching 20+ classes a week and running GP referral schemes. She wanted to make better use of all her knowledge which led her to retrain as a Sports Massage and Remedial Soft

Tissue Therapist. Currently she is the director of NLSSM and specialises in teaching Oncology

Massage. She is the author of Sports Massage: Hands on Guide for Therapists and is the

Sports Massage feature writer for Massage World. She volunteers her time as a board member of GCMT.

You can join her on Massage Mondays for free weekly massage videos www.susanfindlay.co.uk

Subject titles include: • The Vital Role of Complementary Therapy • The Mindful Touch • How Can We Support Our Clients’

Return to Health Holistically Susan’s first love is dance, • What is Oncology Massage? sport, anything to do with • How Can Massage Help Mental Health? the joy of movement. She trained as a nurse in Canada • Specialising in Oncology Massage but soon left the profession when she • Cancer and Massage Therapy: Is What They’re came to the UK as she wanted a deeper

Saying True? connection with her clients. For many years she worked in both health and VIDEO LIBRARY: fitness, teaching 20+ classes a week and running GP referral schemes. She Please feel free to listen to my free webinar wanted to make better use of all her about the Benefits of Oncology Massage knowledge which led her to retrain as a Sports Massage and Remedial Soft www.susanfindlay.co.uk/video-library Tissue Therapist. Currently she is the director of NLSSM and specialises in teaching Oncology Massage. She is the author of Sports Massage: Hands on Guide for Therapists and is the Sports Massage feature writer for Massage World. She volunteers her time as a References board member of GCMT.

“Coronavirus And The Impact On Output In The UK Economy - Office For National Statistics”. Ons.Gov.Uk, 2020, https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/ You can join her on Massage Mondays grossdomesticproductgdp/articles for free weekly massage videos coronavirusandtheimpactonoutputintheukeconomy/june2020#:~:text=It%20 www.susanfindlay.co.uk is%20clear%2C%20that%20the,the%20largest%20recession%20on%20 record.&text=Furthermore%2C%20Quarter%202%202020%20is,downturn%20of%202008%20to%202009. “Set Up A Business”. GOV.UK, 2020, https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business. Hellicar, Lauren. “Coronavirus: What Support Is Available For Small Businesses And The Self-Employed?”. Simplybusiness.Co.Uk, 2020, https://www.simplybusiness. co.uk/knowledge/articles/2020/06/coronavirus-support-for-small-business/.

• The Doctor’s Kitchen - Dr Rupy Aujla • Feel Better, Live More - Dr.

Rangan Chatterjee • Oncology Massage: An integrative approach to cancer care by Janet

Penny and Rebecca L Sturgeon • Keep Healthy after Cancer by Prof Robert Thomas • The Cancer Revolution: Integrative Medicine - the Future of Cancer Care by Patricia Peat • Medicine Hands: Massage Therapy for People with Cancer by Gayle

MacDonald, MS, LMT