Massage Can Ease the Journey Through Cancer

Today is Keeping in Touch's first ever guest post! Melanie Bowen is a writer for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Melanie joined the MCA in 2011 as an awareness advocate for natural health and cancer cure initiatives. Her work includes highlighting the great benefits of alternative nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness. She also assists in social media outreach in her efforts to spread awareness. You can check out Melanie's blog for the MCA here.


Massage has some relaxing effects while relieving muscular discomfort and promoting flexibility. Special techniques can relieve pain, fatigue and stiffness. If you are suffering from any form of cancer such as breast cancer, mesothelioma, lymphoma, skin cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer or any of the other 100 types of the disease, massage can have a powerful effect on your recovery. Massage therapy can benefit you whether you are suffering from cancer, going through treatment or remission.

The method of massage involves the manipulation of the muscles and soft tissue, rubbing and kneading in order to promote relaxation while enhancing the functions of the body tissue. Oncologists massage therapists are specially trained to provide you the proper technique at the appropriate pressure, while providing support of mind, body and spirit through the fun and relaxation of oncology massage.

Each patient can withstand varying degrees of pressure and certain pressure points, depending on your type of cancer and pain level. The therapists and doctor work closely together to put together the perfect plan for you personally, according to your specific needs. Massage works in conjunction with the treatment as prescribed by your doctor.

Your massage therapist will consider your treatment and medical situation as well as your desired outcome in order to help you deal with the cancer. Massage can be effective and safe in promoting recovery during these challenging times. The premise behind oncology massage is to ease your journey through cancer with support from family, loved ones, friends and caregivers.

Massage can improve your quality of life while managing your symptoms of pain. Research has proven that the power of massage can relieve your pain and anxiety, reduce depression and give you more strength and stamina to move forward.

Treatment for cancer brings about its own set of side effects such as fatigue, nausea, pain, bowel problems, infection, memory disorders, depression and other physical and emotional difficulties. The power of massage can relieve many of these side effects to bring relief from nausea, pain, fatigue and emotional disabilities associated with cancer and the treatment plan.

Massage helps in maintaining inner strength and a positive attitude in order to fight the cancer. Working with your oncology massage therapist will help to provide you greater mental and emotional stability while also loosening tension and muscles to find pain relief and more comfort in life.

Other benefits include an improved blood circulation, removal of toxins in the body as well as stabilizing your blood pressure. Massage does not claim to be a cure for cancer but rather give you mental and emotional stability and well-being to beat this demon. Alleviating the aches and pains that linger in your lymph nodes and tiring muscles can bring a great sense of relief for you, along with the support of loved ones and family.

Massage therapy along with the prescribed treatment plan of your doctor, good nutrition and exercise can bring about a quicker recovery. The power of massage can provide you the overall health and well-being necessary to return to your normal way of living with more energy.

The power of breath: Breathe better to feel better

You can live a week without water, a month without food, but only a few minutes without oxygen. You can't generate energy in your body without oxygen. And many people equate energy with life itself. Energy is essential for your physical and emotional health. Thinking, moving, sensing, digesting and every other function require energy.

Muscling your breath

Breathing involves the chest, abdominal and back muscles, and the diaphragm, a bell-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration, but many people don't use it efficiently. Instead, people often overuse the muscles around the ribs to inhale. But these muscles don't push fresh air into the lower lungs the way the diaphragm is designed to do. If the lower lungs don't receive enough air, the body cells don't get enough oxygen. In addition, when people overuse the chest and back muscles to breathe, muscle tightness increases in those areas, which can lead to chronic tension and pain. 

Poor posture, muscle weakness, lung disease and even lack of understanding of the breathing process can contribute to inefficient breathing.

Releasing your breath

Through observation and bodywork to your upper body, a massage therapist can help evaluate your breathing habits. She or he can apply techniques to release trigger points and tight muscles that restrict the breath, and demonstrate better breathing habits. When you improve your breathing habits, you can increase your energy and mental clarity, and decrease tension and pain.

Tuning in with bodywork - Increase your awareness and let go of tension

In addition to helping you tune into your breathing, massage and bodywork can enhance your awareness of tension in your body, which may be the first step in releasing it.

At some point in your life, for example, you may have tightened your muscles after an experience of grief or fear. Over time, these constricted muscles may have dulled the awareness of pain, or blocked the flow of energy or breath in the body. This may have led to even more tension and pain.

When muscle tension is released, you can observe what it feels like to relax, and then work toward consciously creating that feeling in between bodywork sessions. In your everyday life, practicing breathing exercises is a great way to build awareness, relax and let go of tension.

Breathing exercises - Reduce stress and breathe easier
The natural rhythm of breathing includes inhalation, exhalation and resting. You can learn to observe and improve this rhythm. Some questions to ask yourself are: What's longer, your inhalation or your exhalation? Can you rest between cycles? Do you feel strain when you breathe naturally?

Observe your breath. When you are stressed, your breath may be fast and shallow. If you are tired, you may have an irregular, slow cycle with yawning as an attempt to increase oxygen coming in. When calm, the breath is usually regular and relaxed.

Practice breathing exercises when you wake up or when you get in bed at night. By practicing regularly, over time you can learn to notice when your breathing changes in response to stress, exercise, moods and rest. This can help you develop easy, rhythmic breathing.

•     Sit or lie comfortably with closed eyes and observe the breath. Use no effort. Notice the quality of the breath and how it moves in the torso.
•     Place one hand beneath your navel and one under or on your tailbone and notice the movement in these areas.
•     Place your hands on each side of the lower ribs. Observe your breath. Now cross your arms, placing each hand under the opposite armpit. Feel the breath come and go. Then release your arms and observe any changes in your breathing
•     Now you are ready to try abdominal breathing. Rest your hands lightly on your stomach. Slowly and deeply inhale through your nose, pushing the hands outwards. Then slowly exhale, squeezing the belly tight. Practice four inhales and exhales.

Massage and bodywork for allergies

Relief for congestion and pain

All year long, allergy sufferers complain of sinus congestion, headaches due to pressure,and exhaustion. But springtime allergies are especially known for the havoc they wreak.

Techniques that help
Bodywork can bolster your immune system and may even lessen the need for allergy medications. Massage to the head, face and neck can help clear mucus from the nose and throat. Pressure point therapies such
as shiatsu, acupressure and reflexology can be particularly helpful because they relieve congestion at the same time they encourage the body to return to a healthful balance.

Releasing trigger points
Massage is also known for its ability to release trigger points, knots that radiate pain to other spots. With massage, you can receive relaxing work to the face and around the eyes, as well as the upper back and shoulders where many trigger points to the head and face are located. When those areas are released, your headaches and congestion may also be relieved.

Stress reduction helps
Few studies researching massage therapy and allergy relief exist, but a 2009 Ohio State University study  showed that even slight stress and anxiety can substantially worsen a person’s allergic reaction to some routine allergens. Massage recipients the world over report that massage helps reduce their stress. You may well find that simply relaxing with massage helps relieve your allergy symptoms.

If you suffer from hay fever or some other spring allergy, try one or more sessions of massage this season. It may make all the difference.

Self-care for neck pain

Seven Self-Care Tips for Clients with Neck Pain

Above is the link to the full article, and I encourage you to read it as it goes into more depth on the causes of neck pain, which makes the preventive tips below make more sense. It also includes a list of references.  

1. Stress Relief - While stress will aggravate neck pain, relaxation can ease it. Suggestions for accomplishing this feat include deep abdominal breathing, meditation, visualization and other relaxation techniques.

2. Frequent Breaks - Even though sustained positions foster muscle tightness, this practice is deeply ingrained in our culture. If driving long distances or working long hours in one position, make sure to take frequent breaks. Breaks are best used to stretch, breathe deeply, take a sip of water and return to proper posture.

3. Exercises and Stretches - While some must be prescribed by a physical therapist, a massage therapist can suggest exercises and stretches for the neck as long as they don't cause pain. Exercises and stretches help reduce pain by restoring muscle function, optimizing posture to prevent overload of muscle and increasing the strength and endurance of the neck muscles. These can include shoulder blade rolls/squeezes/shrugs, cervical extension/flexion, rotation, stretching the front wall chest muscles, strengthening the shoulder muscles and isometric exercises.

4. Hot and Cold Therapy - Most practitioners suggest alternating heat and cold to help a stiff, painful neck. Reduce inflammation by applying a cold pack for up to 20 minutes several times a day. Alternate this approach with heat, either a warm shower or a hot pack, for up to 20 minutes. Heat can help relax sore muscles, but it can aggravate inflammation if the area is red, warm and swollen.

5. Evaluate Ergonomics - Adjusting home or workplace conditions to relieve unnecessary neck stress can go a long way in preventing cervical discomfort. This includes proper positioning of a desk, chair, computer and phone so the screen is at eye level, knees are slightly lower than hips, arms rest comfortably on armrests and the neck is in a relaxed neutral position while on the phone.

6. Sleep Deliberately - Since a lot of neck pain can arise from poor positioning during sleep, deliberately planning a sleep position can prevent a painful neck. Avoid sleeping on the stomach and use a pillow that supports the natural curve of the neck. Back sleepers are advised to use a rounded pillow (neck roll) under the curve of the neck, with a flatter pillow cushioning the head. Side sleepers should keep their spine straight by using a pillow that is higher under the neck than the head. The goal is to prevent overnight neck flexion.

7. Sock and Tennis Balls - A simple homemade device can be used for self-administered cervical acupressure. Put two tennis balls in a sock and tie off the sock so the balls are stationary. Place the tennis balls under the occiput (base of the skull) so they are pressing on the hollows under the skull on either side of the spine (Gallbladder 20) for about 10 minutes. Lying on this device can help relax taut, posterior neck muscles.

Make your massage a retreat this fall

5 ways to really unwind

It's a busy time of year. Remember your body and mind are wired to need breaks from stress. Here are five ideas to help you turn your massage session into a mini-retreat.

1. Schedule your massage sessions ahead. This can help you avoid being overwhelmed by pre-event anxiety or post-event let down.

2. If possible, sweat in a sauna or soak in a hot tub or herbal bath before your massage to give your muscles a chance to warm and relax. Afterward, sit or lie quietly in the massage room or other quiet space before reentering the world.

3. Don't go back to work or run errands. Go home and avoid the computer and telephone. Lie down, listen to music, or do simple activities such as drawing or folding laundry to keep your mind in a dreamy state.

4. Take a leisurely walk or simply sit by a window with a view of trees, water or a garden. Relax your eyes and focus on the colors and textures of the earthly environment.

5. Before bed the evening after your massage, drink a cup of herb tea such as chamomile or lavender to help you sleep. Sleepytime(R) is a popular commercial tea many people like to help them get a good night's rest.

Less Stress Could Lead to Weight Loss

Check out this interesting article on stress and weight loss. While it points out that massage therapy induces relaxation and reduces stress, it doesn't mention studies that have shown massage to reduce the stress hormone cortisol for up to two weeks.

Less Stress Could Lead to Weight Loss

Make your massage a retreat this fall

5 ways to really unwind

It’s a busy time of year. Remember your body and mind are wired to need breaks from stress. Here are five ideas to help you turn your massage session into a mini-retreat.

1. Schedule your massage sessions ahead. This can help you avoid being overwhelmed by pre-event anxiety or post-event let down.

 

2. If possible, sweat in a sauna or soak in a hot tub or herbal bath before your massage to give your muscles a chance to warm and relax. Afterward, sit or lie quietly in the massage room or other quiet space before reentering the world.

3. Don’t go back to work or run errands. Go home and avoid the computer and telephone. Lie down, listen to music, or do simple activities such as drawing or folding laundry to keep your mind in a dreamy state. 

4. Take a leisurely walk or simply sit by a window with a view of trees, water or a garden. Relax your eyes and focus on the colors and textures of the earthly environment.

5. Before bed the evening after your massage, drink a cup of herb tea such as chamomile or lavender to help you sleep. Sleepytime® is a popular commercial tea many people like to help them get a good night’s rest.

Massage in Autumn

Warm up, release stress, come into balance

As the leaves change color and fall to the ground, this is a good time of year to reflect on what parts of your body and mind are transitioning from the outward ways of summer. Autumn is a time of harvest, a time of gathering up in preparation for winter. It is the beginning of turning inward for reflection.

Seasonal stress
Although seasonal transitions are natural and normal in nature and in our bodies, these changes have their own demands. Modern ways of living also place their stresses on us in the fall. We strive to keep up our yards as the winds blow down the leaves and branches. Kids and adults alike are back to school. We often make up for summer vacation by putting in more hours at work.

These demands can catch up with you, at the same time we become exposed to illnesses that require a vigorous immune system. All of this makes fall a very good time to renew your commitment to self-care. Along with eating well and exercising, remember to schedule your massage.

Ask for what you need
When you come in for your appointment, check in with yourself. Are you a little chilly? Ask for an extra blanket or for the table warmer to be turned up to a toasty temperature. Schedule extra services such as hot stones or warm foot soaks in your sessions. Do essential oils sound appealing? Lemon can boost the immune system, eucalyptus soothes a scratchy throat and rosemary relieves achy muscles.

This fall, enlist the healing qualities of massage as an ally to help you let go of physical and mental strain, and come back into balance in this breezy, changeable season.