is massage bad for cancer patients?

Options
janie560
janie560 Member Posts: 42
in Breast Cancer #1
I went for my monthly massage and when i told her i had just been diagnoist with breast cancer and she told me it might make my cancer spread more?

Comments

  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #2
    Options
    strange?
    I just scheduled mine for next Sunday. Now you're making me think. I never heard of this.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #3
    Options
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    strange?
    I just scheduled mine for next Sunday. Now you're making me think. I never heard of this.

    Wrong!
    My cancer center offers free massages for women with bc.....don't think they'd be doing this if that were true...I think this massage person needs to be educated....

    Nancy
  • Pam5
    Pam5 Member Posts: 232
    #4
    Options
    MAJW said:

    Wrong!
    My cancer center offers free massages for women with bc.....don't think they'd be doing this if that were true...I think this massage person needs to be educated....

    Nancy

    There are two schools of
    There are two schools of thought on this subject. Some people think massage is dangerous while the cancer is active. Others believe that, once under treatment, massage is fine. I've worked on a lot of people with cancer and I believe it boosts the immune system as well as helps with anxiousness, fear, depression, etc. So there you go - there are just not hard and fast rules but I would not be afraid of it if I were you.
  • mollieb
    mollieb Member Posts: 148
    #5
    Options
    Pam5 said:

    There are two schools of
    There are two schools of thought on this subject. Some people think massage is dangerous while the cancer is active. Others believe that, once under treatment, massage is fine. I've worked on a lot of people with cancer and I believe it boosts the immune system as well as helps with anxiousness, fear, depression, etc. So there you go - there are just not hard and fast rules but I would not be afraid of it if I were you.

    My PT Included Massage
    Of course the breast with the offending cancer was gone, but physical therapy after surgery included massage of the scar, to keep the tissue from tightening up and restricting my range of motion even further than the surgery did. This was before and during chemo, mostly. Now that I have PT for my shoulder replacement, she still occasionally works on the scar.
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member
    #6
    Options
    mollieb said:

    My PT Included Massage
    Of course the breast with the offending cancer was gone, but physical therapy after surgery included massage of the scar, to keep the tissue from tightening up and restricting my range of motion even further than the surgery did. This was before and during chemo, mostly. Now that I have PT for my shoulder replacement, she still occasionally works on the scar.

    was told to beware of deep muscle massage after sugery if
    lymph nodes were removed. Story goes, from the lymphedema society to the massage therapist, that since the lymph system removes "wastes" from the body it gets overloaded from deep muscle massage if all the lymph nodes are not there and you can develope lymphedema - something we all try to avoid after a mastectomy. That's all to contribute on this one so please chime in if you've differently.
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #7
    Options
    skipper54 said:

    was told to beware of deep muscle massage after sugery if
    lymph nodes were removed. Story goes, from the lymphedema society to the massage therapist, that since the lymph system removes "wastes" from the body it gets overloaded from deep muscle massage if all the lymph nodes are not there and you can develope lymphedema - something we all try to avoid after a mastectomy. That's all to contribute on this one so please chime in if you've differently.

    I'm not sure
    I'm not sure but would think it would relieve the tension we have.But after reading this makes me wonder.I know my friend has had massages after bc and she is a 16 year suvivor.She said the massage was so relaxing and helped the tension she had.

    This doesn't have to do with massages causing cancer.But I know a lady who had a best friend dx with uterine cancer.She was only 31 when dx and just had a baby.She did fine the first year but it came back.Her friend gave her a certificate to get a massage for tension.She never felt good enough to use the certificate. So she gave it back to her friend. Told her to use it. The friend with cancer passed away.A month later her friend who had given her the massage certificate decided to use it.Ironic but the massage therapist told this lady she needed to see a dermatlogist.She had a mole on her back that didn't look good. She was dx with melanoma. After hearing this I told her friend she saved your life. I wish she could have known she saved her friend's life but she was looking down on her and watching over her.AMAZING!!!!!

    Her friend has started a fundraiser every year for cancer.It is quite successful.Making lots of money for cancer research in her name.

    Lynn Smith
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #8
    Options
    Lynn Smith said:

    I'm not sure
    I'm not sure but would think it would relieve the tension we have.But after reading this makes me wonder.I know my friend has had massages after bc and she is a 16 year suvivor.She said the massage was so relaxing and helped the tension she had.

    This doesn't have to do with massages causing cancer.But I know a lady who had a best friend dx with uterine cancer.She was only 31 when dx and just had a baby.She did fine the first year but it came back.Her friend gave her a certificate to get a massage for tension.She never felt good enough to use the certificate. So she gave it back to her friend. Told her to use it. The friend with cancer passed away.A month later her friend who had given her the massage certificate decided to use it.Ironic but the massage therapist told this lady she needed to see a dermatlogist.She had a mole on her back that didn't look good. She was dx with melanoma. After hearing this I told her friend she saved your life. I wish she could have known she saved her friend's life but she was looking down on her and watching over her.AMAZING!!!!!

    Her friend has started a fundraiser every year for cancer.It is quite successful.Making lots of money for cancer research in her name.

    Lynn Smith

    Oncology massage
    When I was first diagnosed, my sister told me about a local massage therapist who was being trained in oncology massage. Google it. Apparently there is some concern about deep massage at known cancer sites (at least when you have known cancer) and there are different techniques for pain relief, etc. I never followed through on it, so that's all I know folks. I did try to have a massage at one point from a regular massage therapist, asked her about oncology massage and if she was trained. She knew about it, we talked, and I decided not to do the massage. Now, this was at a time when I was scared of everything - today I wouldn't hesitate.

    Suzanne
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #9
    Options
    MAJW said:

    Wrong!
    My cancer center offers free massages for women with bc.....don't think they'd be doing this if that were true...I think this massage person needs to be educated....

    Nancy

    Nancy good point
    PLUS I THINK MOST offices/ medical would ask about health issues prior...

    Denise

Discussion Boards