Oncology Massage and Other Touch Therapies Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living Bambi P. Mathay, LMT, BCTMB, RMT Theresa Ochenkoski, LMT, BCTMB, RMP

“ Touch is the Mother of all senses.” ~ Ashley Montagu Touch is Vital to Life “ Touch is the Mother of all senses.” ~ Ashley Montagu Touch is the first sense to develop. The skin which is the largest organ of the body houses the receptors for touch

Touch is an Intuitive Tool

Touch to Comfort Others

Skin Trivia Skin size of a quarter contains: 3 million cells 100 sweat glands 3 feet of blood vessels Lymphatics are located in the subcutaneous layer of skin Skin and nervous system arise from same layer of embryonic cells Skin like a cloak covers us all over

???Proposed Mechanisms of Action Improves circulation Pain Gate Theory Effects on the Central Nervous System and other systems Production of endorphins and serotonin (feel good hormones) and decrease in hormones associated with stress

The different Touch Therapies available at the Zakim Center Oncology Massage: modification of existing massage therapy techniques to safely work with complications of cancer and cancer treatment Manual Lymphatic Drainage Scar Tissue Work Reflexology: specific techniques applied to ear, hands or feet to affect the whole body Reiki: specific hand positions on or off body with the goal of facilitating the person’s own healing response These are bundled by NCCAM now as complementary health approaches under Mind and Body Practices. National Cancer Institute defines massage as a treatment in which the soft tissues of the body are kneaded, rubbed, tapped and stroked.

Touch Therapies are Effective and Safe Do not use as replacement for medical treatment Inform your health care provider that you are using mind body practices Utilize a credentialed/trained professional who specializes in oncology patients

Research and Clinical Experience Reveal the same outcomes: Improvement in Quality of Life Help decrease cancer and cancer treatment symptoms Support or enhance healing and well being of the whole person throughout your cancer journey Feel good and relaxed Regardless of what the mechanism of action is…it seems that this is what we are seeing in common.

Findings and Reports Improvement in: Pain Anxiety/Depression Fatigue Insomnia Nausea Neuropathy Almost always: FEEL GOOD/BETTER, LESS STRESSED, RELAXED Links to society for oncology massage, american massage therapy association, nccam Take a closer look at how these symptoms might be interrelated and how using a modality that might help break one symptom could also contribute to decrease in the others

Effect of Massage on Pain Management for Thoracic Surgery Patients Mayo Clinic (2011) Background: Integrative therapies such as massage have gained support as interventions that improve overall patient experience during hospitalization. Thoracic surgery patients undergo long procedures and commonly have postoperative back, neck and shoulder pain. Purpose: To determine feasibility and effectiveness of massage therapy in post op setting. Methods: Pain scores for 160 patients in the post op setting were evaluated (0=no pain 10=worst pain) Results: Showed significantly decreased pain scores after massage and patients’ comments were very favorable. Patients and staff were highly satisfied with having massage therapy available, no major barriers identified. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy may be an important additional pain management component of the healing experience for patients after thoracic surgery.

Effects of complementary therapies on clinical outcomes in patients being treated with radiation therapy for prostate cancer. By: Clair Beard, MD DFCI Boston, MA (2005) 54 men with prostate cancer being treated with radiation Assigned to Reiki, Relaxation Therapy or wait list control to measure trends for effects on anxiety, depression and QoL 2 50 min sessions of Reiki, 2 60 min sessions of RRT/week for 8 weeks Trends: both Reiki and RRT showed anxiety and depression and QoL

Reflexology Research Reviews Hodgson(2000):  QoL: appearance, appetite, breathing, communication, fear of future, mobility, mood, nausea, pain, sleep, tiredness Stephenson(2000):  pain Milligan (2002): QoL through  physical and emotional symptoms Wyatt, Michigan State University (2012): 385 women with breast cancer ~ improved breathing and performance of daily tasks

Are you a good candidate for touch therapies and which one will you choose?

If you answer YES to one or more of these questions, then you are a good candidate. Do you have symptoms from your cancer or your cancer treatments that we have touched upon? Do you want to improve your quality of life? Do you want to feel good, relaxed or less stressed? Are you willing to invest in your health and well being? Do you enjoy touch? Do you enjoy being in a therapeutic relationship/being an active partner in your overall health?

Resources All of the patients who have partnered with us through the years and who have honored us with their stories Book: Touching The Human Significance of the Skin by Ashley Montagu Websites: Amtamassage.org Cancer.org Nccam.nih.gov Onlinelibrary.wiley.com Massagetherapyfoundation.org S4om.org Pictures: Google images used for educational purposes only