Benefits of Massage for Breast Cancer Patients: Samantha’s Personal Story

By June Luff, CMT

Cancer! Samantha put the magazine down. So much more was known about cancer than in the olden days when it was a stigma and spoken about in whispers. She was grateful to the two prominent women who publicly spoke out about their cancer, bringing the dreaded disease into the open. Surely she would never become a victim. Her family history was clean of cancer. She would not be one of the seventy-five percent who were diagnosed without a family history. She was thirty-eight years old. Careful about her diet, didn’t smoke, drank very little alcohol. She exercised. Every morning she checked her breasts for lumps. Oh no, she was not a candidate, not her.

Samantha was wrong. Not long after reading the article she discovered her left breast had a lump in it. Frightened, she immediately saw her doctor. Yes, she had cancer and the lump had to be removed. A month later she had a mastectomy with eleven lymph nodes removed. She was scheduled for thirty-three days of radiation. The doctors advised her that radiation would cause her breast tissue to shrink, become harder.

Prior to Samantha’s diagnosis she had been receiving regular massage. Her therapist asked her to request permission from both her surgeon and the Oncology Radiologist to continue to receive a massage from an Oncology Massage Therapist. Both were supportive. Three weeks after surgery Samantha and her massage therapist began gently massaging around the incision. Two weeks later her surgeon commented on how well she had healed. She reminded him her therapist was massaging the tissue. He merely laughed!

Radiation treatments began. They were given five days a week for six and a half weeks. Every day Samantha’s therapist very gently massaged the whole breast. No lotion, just a very gentle touch. After the initial delicate massage, Samantha helped her therapist seek out the areas that hurt. Sharp spots of pain were generally located at the bra line. Maintaining a light contact, the spots dissolved within a few seconds.

Samantha saw her oncology radiologist every Monday. After three weeks he noticed a lack of redness in her breast tissue. Five weeks into radiation therapy the skin began to turn red. Her doctor prescribed the lotion she could use during her self massage. She saw her surgeon again two weeks after her radiation therapy was complete. Instead of dry, inflamed, hard tissue, he saw normal, soft breast tissue with a little tan around the radiated area. This was the best tissue he had seen in fifteen years of cancer surgery. Samantha took great pleasure in reminding him she had been seeing an Oncology Massage Therapist who taught her how to perform breast massage. This time he did not laugh!

As an oncology massage therapist, I can provide a cancer client with scar tissue release, relieve muscle soreness, increase range of motion and relaxation and give clients a sense of participation in the healing process.

Part of being an ethical and safe practitioner is gathering health information. I follow-up with my clients within 24-48 hours to get specific feedback on how the massage affected them, such as better sleep that night or relief from muscle soreness.

To find practicing oncology massage therapists in your area go to http://www.s4om.org. (Society for Oncology Massage, Inc.)

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About June Luff, CMT

June Luff is a Nationally Certified and Virginia Licensed Massage Therapist, and is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. She completed the Compassionate Clinical Service: An Oncology/Hospital Massage Intensive, 48 NCBTMB CEU Hours at Potomac Massage Training Institute. She is working toward her membership in the Society for Oncology Massage, Inc. (S4OM). She is seeking four (4) clients to be her case studies so she can receive her membership status. She specializes in therapeutic massage for pain relief.

Massage for Optimum Health truly is a place that cares about your health and individual needs. For a Free Consultation call 703-216-2912 or go to www.massageforoptimumhealth.com to schedule an appointment at her Herndon office.

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