Massage ...Chemotherapy??

[Bambi]

I haven't worked on anyone going through chemo but if her doctor has cleared it and encouraged it for her, I would definitely massage her.  I've worked on a number of people who are cancer survivors, but not during treatment.  Not because I wouldn't, the opportunity has never come up.  I think sometimes our MT training and MT schools have gone a bit over board in telling us who we should and shouldn't work on.  I worked with a girl who wouldn't massage a guy who was a type II diabetic because school "freaked her out about it" and told her not to.  That's just my thought on it.

 

[Danran]

Massage ...Chemotherapy??

Please by all means, give her massage. It would be worth your while to pick up the book, Medicine Hands By Gayle MacDonald. It is such a help. Generally most chemo drugs are eliminated through urine and feces so you have no threat of skin to skin contact. There are two however, that have been proven to exit the body via sweat. These are thiotepa also known as thioplex and cyclophosphamide, aka cytoxan, neosar, or procytox. The risk is minimal but they recommend wearing gloves if you massage someone receiving these drugs. You should know the chemo drug they are receiving, as well as any surgery they've had and any radiation they've undergone. I do massage cancer pts. and I'm a cancer survivor!

 

[fljoe]

Massage ...Chemotherapy??

I know that I should know this, but can you explain the difference between chemo and radiation?I've recently been working with a client who had breast cancer and went through radiation. She said that she wouldn't do chemo.Since the radiation treatment she has developed LBP and hip pain. She mentioned to the radiation person that she thought it was a result of the treatment and he "emphaticly" denied it (in her words).I've worked with her at the Chiro office and seen her one time at my space. Her radiation treatments are over now, but she has questioned me about lymphatic drainage. I haven't studied that yet and told her so. But, she wants to know the effect of massage since her axillary lymph glands were removed. Where does that lymph go?I plan to do some research on this but just thought that I would throw it out to you all too.

 

[lakersfan]

Radiation is kinda like having the cancer microwaved.  It can make the skin look and feel sunburned too.  Chemo is having chemicals toxic to the cancer cells run through your blood stream.Graci, I wonder if your client is having pain due to being more sedentary during her radiation treatments.  Just a weakening of the back and hip muscles in general, and maybe aggravation of an old injury or disk degeneration?  I always trust my client...if she thinks the radiation caused it, it probably contributed to some extent.I heard somewhere that right after a chemo treatment a person should avoid massage so that the body isn't forced to process the chemicals any more quickly and cause overload to the kidneys, etc.  But that after a few days it may be good to have massage to help the body get rid of toxins and encourage immune cell production.  I don't remember where I heard that, and I don't know how true it is.  Has anyone else learned anything along those lines?Katykangaroo

 

[badkitty1969]

I made sure that she told her primary she was coming for massage. She was refered to me from the chiro I work for, but I wanted to be sure that anyone dealing with the radiation end of things new as well. Just in case any medication etc. was being pushed thru her system more rapidly.It seems that it's been at least a month or more since the treatments ( I do need to find out for sure) and she seems quite active, not the sort of person to sit around much...  :-/

 

[Laredo]

Just a thought:  I hate to scare people but if they are coming to me for massage and are a recent CA survivor, I always ask if they recently had any scans or x rays to rule out any problems in the hip/back area before I work aggerssively. { I don't tell the client this, but I would be wondering if she may have any metastatic dx. spread to bone.} If she has not had any bone scan or specific x-ray to hip/back, ask her to check with her oncologist to see what he says. Working sore muscles is one thing.....working metastatic bone dx. is another.  Again don't mean to scare you, just be sure before you treat.

 

[NikkiBay8]

Massage ...Chemotherapy??

OK I am confused. But I am new at this, so clear me up. I thought cancer was a contraindication???This came from a massage q ans a site....Cancer: there is a lot of debate about weather cancer is safe to massage. One arguement goes that since massage increases both the circulatory and the lymphatic systems, that it might help some cancers metastasize. The other arguement says that massage is no more stimulating than a brisk walk or bath, and that anything that improves the client's mood would be beneficial. I tend to fall in the latter caeforum.xxxory, although I am more cautious with the lymphatic cancers. I also would prefer to do it after treatment is finished, since the medications can be very hard on an already weakened body. Anyother place I looked it said it was a contraindication or consult the doctor. I would just worry that the doctor was wrong. Do you think its inappropriate to discuss the possibliities of it being a contraindication with the patient or should you just follow docs orders??? I have only been massaging for a year so I still am always worried about stuff like that.

 

[eternalnirvana999]

Massage ...Chemotherapy??

I can't stress how important it is to be educated to the cancer process and rad.& chemo, what to avoid what to do,etc. I really recommend Gayle MacDonalds book called Medicine Hands. It's quite informative and written for MT's. Cancer is not only devastating, it is isolating. You are pulled, poked, examined, to the hilt during this process and you forget what it's like to have someone touch you in a gentle, kind way. Its an escape from your cancer dx., if only for that precious hour! What a gift we have!

 

[? k y k y ?]

I just graduated from school in June, and during my 4th term I completed an internship at a cancer clinic.  We performed massage on patients WHILE they were receiving their chemo treatments.  Mostly we just worked on hands and feet, but a few patients requested to have their necks and backs massaged (not an easy feat in a recliner!)  Anyway, my point is that as long as you're gentle, you should do no harm.  We had many people who were very grateful for the caring touch we were able to provide, and it was a very worthwhile experience for me.  Good luck!   ;D

 

[bunz88]

I'm a NCBTMB certified massage therapist, and board-certified chaplain, who works 8 hrs/week on the oncology unit of Memorial Hospital, South Bend, IN.  Every patient I work on has cancer of some form (or is recovering after successful but wasting treatment).The massage program is highly appreciated and supported by all our oncologists and nurses.  (Time permitting, the nurses get chair massages too).  As above, I too recommend the Medicine Hands book- it explains how cancer is actually spread and can put you and innocent myth-makers at ease about "causing" a spread of cancer cells with massage.  The cancer mechanism, and all the things that have to happen for a cancer cell to break off, move, sucessfully relocate, implant and grow in a new site, are largely unrelated to anything you can do as a therapist.   What I DO look at are basic lab values (e.g. too low platelet counts can mean risk of person bruising more easily), history of blood clots in legs, etc.  I've found that in the oncology world, "low" for healthy you or me can be safely "normal" for a patient.  When in doubt, of course, I check with the nurse and/or physician.  Case in point: "normal" platelet counts are 130,000-470,000.  But I work regularly on an outpatient male with platelet counts ridiculously low: between 5,000-10,000... after consulting with his physician and doing cautious light work.  The guy doesn't fit generic text book warnings and enjoys his weekly leg/foot massage greatly.   We've had no problems whatsoever.Good luck.  Use this as an opportunity to work with the patient's physician and let them know what a professional you are.  (After reading Medicine Hands).Jeff  

 

[uksawatdii]

Massage ...Chemotherapy??

if the doctor has given the okay (some will/some will not)...you will be helping on more than just her pain level...I use a light swedish routine when dealing with chemo clients as you must watch out for bruising..be very careful about scented oils, lotions or candles as they can cause the client to vomit...also I have found it handy to keep a barf bucket on hand...you may not need it but better safe then sorry...

 

[nejifan1234]

Orient yourself on your client's experience.......A great instructor told me that last year when the subject of  doctor's confilicting medical opinions came up.  If your client believes massage will make them feel better and you are comfortable working on them then your massage session is a success waiting to happen!I have used this mantra many times now.  I discuss my concerns with the client, educate myself further (time permitting) and choose techniques from my training that I feel are appropriate and most of all.... during the session I pay exquisite attention to every breath, every verbalization  and every muscle nuance under my hands.