Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72103
CHEMOTHERAPY AND MASSAGE not compare to the ongoing, relentless, and terrifying experience of brain fog, and your friendly attempts to identify with the problem may seem dismissive. Question 10 about a port or other medical device is important for anyone in cancer treatment. For a client with a port, you might need to modify or avoid the prone position. Using a couple of hand towels as padding around a port, creating a depression or nest, may be comfortable for some people. Other people barely notice their port and have no problem lying in any position. Steer several inches clear of the port with massage treatment." Respect this, and start gently; even if a client is 10 months out of major treatment, he might still be getting his strength back. Even though his counts are fi ne, his fatigue may be debilitating. On the other hand, treatment that ended 18 months ago might be barely noticeable, and the client is now playing basketball regularly. Also, recall that some neurological effects of chemotherapy— brain fog and peripheral neuropathy— may linger indefi nitely. Cancer can be one of the most medically complex conditions to manage in a massage therapy practice. Cancer can be one of the most medically complex conditions to manage in a massage therapy practice. pressure, as it is larger than it appears. While working with a client in active cancer treatment, communication with the client's physician is strongly recommended. This could take the form of physician permission for massage, a request for input into the massage design, or simply a physician acknowledgement of the massage care plan. The simple permission slip approach may be too general, and the physician may not know what kind of massage he or she is signing off on. Specifi c physician communication is more useful. LATER EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY Question 11 addresses the reality that it can take a long time to recover from chemotherapy. Massage adaptations may be necessary even after it is complete. There is a common observation: "It can take a year to recover from cancer There are many factors to consider in planning massage for someone with active cancer, in cancer treatment, and even in the weeks, months, and years following treatment. It is important for massage therapists to consider not just chemotherapy, but also radiation therapy, surgery, the health of the lymphatic system posttreatment, and many other factors. To work safely with people with cancer and cancer histories, massage therapists have a professional responsibility: at the very least, to delve into the oncology massage literature. Advanced training in oncology massage is strongly recommended. POSSIBLE MASSAGE BENEFITS Clients and therapists tell countless stories of the benefi ts of massage during cancer treatment and life beyond treatment. Massage may provide comfort during chemotherapy and may help heal a poor body image after treatment. Symptoms and side effects—anxiety, depression, fatigue, nausea, and pain—are major concerns in cancer care. Massage may have a direct effect on any of these, providing welcome relief to a client and the people who comprise her support system. Moreover, the relaxation effects of massage might promote sleep, which can make other side effects and symptoms more manageable. While there is some research on massage and chemotherapy, the scientifi c literature does not yet show overwhelming evidence in support of the benefi ts. As the body of evidence grows, I continue to keep a bibliography of research on my website, and the Society for Oncology Massage (www.s4om.org) summarizes research as it surfaces. THE COMPANIONSHIP OF MASSAGE Even without a clear evidence base, it is fair to say that the companionship of massage therapy has the potential to ease a host of psychosocial problems that arise during any life-threatening health crisis. Among them are isolation, fear, grief, and stigmatization. Chemotherapy can be a diffi cult, long leg of the cancer journey, and clients report that skilled massage can do wonders to ease their experience. writer, award-winning educator, and specialist in massage therapy and cancer care. She is a dynamic voice for the power of touch and appears in the fi lm Touch, Caring, and Cancer, an inspiring instructional program for care partners. She taught physiology and pathology at the Muscular Therapy Institute (now Cortiva Institute-Boston) for 13 years. She has devoted much of her work to massage therapy for medically complex client presentations. She helps massage therapists simplify massage contraindications, ease the interviewing process, deepen clinical reasoning skills, and expand their client base. For more information, visit www.tracywalton.com. Tracy Walton, LMT, MS, is a researcher, earn CE hours at your convenience: abmp's online education center, www.abmp.com 49