Certified massage therapist

[Andy1569]

Should I only be using massage therapists that have certification to work on cancer patients?

[Lyubov]

Very important question! I would be cautious to do any massage, chiropractic, etc., without my oncologist's input; and if ok would think certified masseuse preferable. Also could be covered by Medicare or your private health insurance if your doctor writes a script.

[Seasid]

My friend was learning shiatsu massage and she said to me that she shouldn't massage anybody with cancer. That was what they learned.

[Teacherdude72 in reply to Seasid]

What is the reasoning?

[Seasid in reply to Teacherdude72]

I believe liability, but i can't ask her as we stopped communicating with each other. Can you ask Dr Google?

[Teacherdude72 in reply to Seasid]

I have a high quality, experienced massage therapist that has been my go to therapist since before my Cancer diagnosis in 2015. See her monthly, some times every 3 weeks.No hesitation on her part. For the record my MO says my Cancer is incurable. And knows I am treated by chiro and massage. Never had said more than "good for you"

And I see a Chiropractor on the same schedule with them fully informed on my Cancer and treatments.

[Seasid in reply to Teacherdude72]

I found this: "The oncology massage therapist must obtain additional education and training through qualified instructors. There are now several classes available in this modality of massage therapy. Cheryl Chapman and Tracy Walton offer very informative continuing education classes. Gayle MacDonald recently joined with Dr. Sandy Canzone and developed a 300-hour certification course in oncology massage. Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center also offers a continuing educational course in oncology massage therapy. Courses such as these are vital and should eventually be mandatory for a massage therapist to be able to provide massage therapy for those living with or surviving cancer. Mandatory requirements will help give a more credible recognition and acceptance of this therapy.

Standard massage therapy performed by a generally licensed massage therapist and without additional specialized education in cancer should be considered a contraindication for cancer patients. However, oncology massage therapy provided by a properly educated oncology massage therapist is a definite indication for those living with or surviving the disease."

I personally believe that you could continue carefully your routine with your therapist, (it was working well for you until now), but I can't be responsible as I don't have enough knowledge at present to make a decision for you.

[j-o-h-n]

Get the one's who give happy endings.........

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 07/11/2022 5:31 PM DST

[Graham49]

Here's the abstract of a study about massage therapy and relaxation therapy.

Randomized control trial evidence for the benefits of massage and relaxation therapy on sleep in cancer survivors—a systematic review

Stephen Rajan Samuel1 & Rachita Gururaj1 & K. Vijaya Kumar1 & Prina Vira1 & P. U. Prakash Saxena2 & Justin William Leslie Keogh1,3,4,5

Received: 24 July 2020 / Accepted: 17 November 2020 / Published online: 2 December 2020 # The Author(s) 2020

Abstract

Purpose Cancer survivors may experience sleep disturbances during and after their cancer treatments. While pharmacological approaches are commonly used to address sleep disturbances, they may have a number of adverse effects. This review studied the effect of two non-pharmacological interventions (massage and relaxation therapy) on sleep disturbances in cancer survivors.

Methods

A search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PEDro, and CINAHL using relevant keywords.

Results

The search yielded 371 articles, with 4 RCTs studying massage therapy and 3 RCTs studying relaxation therapy included for qualitative analysis. Massage therapy studies showed statistically significant improvement in self-reported sleep question- naires and objectively recorded long sleep episodes, as assessed via an accelerometer. No significant improvements in sleep outcomes were observed in the relaxation therapy studies, although there were trends for improved self-reported sleep quality.

Conclusion

While massage therapy provided by massage therapists may have some potential for improving sleep outcomes for cancer survivors, there is no such current evidence regarding relaxation therapy.

Implications for Cancer Survivors Cancer survivors who experience sleep disturbances may benefit from regular sessions with a massage therapist. However, future studies should examine the long-term feasibility of massage therapist–delivered services, particularly for cancer survivors with limited finances, and determine if benefits can be obtained if massage is provided by non- certified individuals. Relaxation therapy appears to be safe for cancer survivors, but future RCTs involving larger sample sizes need to be conducted to better determine its feasibility and efficacy.

Keywords Massage . Relaxation therapy . Sleep wake disorders . Carcinoma

[Andy1569]

Thanks to everyone for your input!I had suspended getting any massage or Chiropractic sense my diagnosis but I'm going to start both treatments again soon.