The Massage Geek^® Blog

Speaking of massage therapy for cancer patients, this article appeared today:

Massage therapist works with cancer patients

This past week I stumbled upon an interesting website called Yedda.com. It is a free site where people can share their information and expertise. Just ask a question and someone else answers! And you can answer other people’s questions in your area of interest.

I did a quick search for massage-related questions and found this one from hotkit22f. The response I submitted is below.

Question submitted by hotkit22f:

Massage Problem
Why is it that massage tharapists require cancer patients to have a Dr’s note before they will give them a massage? I went to get a massage and was turned away when they found out that i have had cancer in the past and I didn’t have a Dr’s note.

My Answer:

Hotkit, I am so sorry that happened to you. I hope you have received a massage by now!

There is no reason to turn away a client who has been diagnosed with cancer in the past or who is currently receiving treatment for cancer. You should have been able to get a massage that day.

When I was in massage school, we were told by our instructors to not work on anyone who has cancer or anyone who is pregnant. They drilled it into our heads that a therapist had to be specially trained to work with those populations and that we shouldn’t work on them at all with out permission from the doctor. The instructors were very competent to teach and certainly well-meaning, but misinformed. The result was that most students became scared to touch anyone with a special condition.

The instructors had assumed that since massage increases blood and lymph circulation, it could therefore increase the chances of the cancer metastasizing. The current understanding is that massage should not increase the risk of metastatic cancer. The blood and lymph already flow through the body at a very fast clip. A massage is not going to increase the speed or distance covered by any particular cell in the stream.

Most people assume that “doctor knows best” and even “doctor knows everything.” Massage therapists do not want to put anyone at risk or be blamed for negative outcomes. So they may require an MD to sign off on the treatment. But the truth is that 99% of doctors have NOOO idea what massage is, what it does, and what the different types of massage are. Even fewer will know if massage is indicated or contraindicated for a certain condition.

The massage performed may vary depending on the type of cancer and the stage of development. At the very least, the therapist could have given you a light relaxation massage. A lighter pressure massage poses no more danger to the body than tossing and turning in bed or giving someone a hug. We certainly aren’t going to stop hugging people with cancer!

The obvious contraindication is massage on the tumor itself. Massaging the tumor could break it up and release cancer cells. (Who knows?! In five years we may realize that is wrong too!)

I am very fortunate to have a contract with the local university hospital to provide massage therapy to cancer patients WHILE they are receiving their dose of chemotherapy. It is quite a trick to maneuver around the wires and tubes, but it can be done! The patients are very appreciative. It really does bring some solace to the situation and soothes the worn out nerves.

About a year ago, during a routine massage on a healthy female client, I found a lump on her neck. I told her what I found and moved on to massage other areas. It turned out to be a malignant tumor and I am sad to say that she will not be with us much longer. I just visited her in hospice this week to provide one last massage.

One of the experts in this field is Tracy Walton. I defer to her on all points.

Look for future posts on The Massage Geek Blog on these topics:

• Massage Tutorial for MD’s
• Indications and Contraindications for Massage
• Massage and Nerves

Ran across this article today on WashingtonPost.com:

How well do you know your Massage Therapist?

The article is about the lack of government regulation of some medical professions that fall under the heading of “Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” or “CAM” for short.  Examples include acupuncture, naturopathy, massage therapy, and many more.

I’m really glad that people are discussing this issue.  I live in Minnesota, a state that does very little to regulate or support alternative therapies, especially massage therapy.  The only thing that Minnesota requires of a massage therapist is that they disclose what kind of training they have had, if any, and tell clients where they can file a complaint with the State.  The State does not require them to actually have training… or insurance… or a clean work space… or a background check.  This means that the letters after a therapist’s name like CMT (Certified Massage Therapist) or LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist) have no meaning in Minnesota.  There is no regulatory agency that oversees the use of those credentials.

In other words, the following people can legitimately call themselves a professional Massage Therapist in Minnesota and use LMT or CMT behind their name:  sex offenders, pedophiles, rapists, convicted felons, parolees, prostitutes, etc.

Extreme examples, I know.  Some municipalities recognize a problem with that kind of laxity.  So they have taken it upon themselves to create city regulations.  I chose to locate my office in St. Paul because they do require a license and they do background checks and they do site inspections.  It’s not cheap  (~$300).  But I happily pay the fee each year for their seal of approval. Unfortunately, if I want to do a massage at someone’s home in Burnsville, I have to get a Burnsville massage license (~$10).  If I want to do chair massage in Minnetonka, I have to get a Minnetonka license (~$1,000).  But I can do anything I want in Minneapolis.  No requirements there.

There is an active group of massage therapists in Minnesota trying to create statewide regulation.  Here is their website:
Alliance for Licensing Massage Therapists (ALMT)

If you are looking for a massage therapist in your area, please make sure they are licensed.  In addition, here are some acronyms to look for:

NCTM = “Nationally Certified Therapist of Massage”
NCTMB = “Nationally Certified Therapist of Massage and Bodywork”
website

ABMP = “Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals”
ACMT = “ABMP Certified Massage Therapist”
website

AMTA = “American Massage Therapy Association”
website

In a future post, I will discuss the bias embedded in the words “complementary” and “alternative.”

Sincerely,

Lynn K. Patricia, NCTMB, ACMT
Professional Member of AMTA

Hey, now that is a GOOD question.  The short answer is that massage is the “manual manipulation of soft tissue.”  Soft tissue includes skin, muscle, tendon, fascia, and ligaments.  The manipulation can be performed with hands, feet, knees, elbows, or massage tools.  And you can do it to yourself or have someone else do it to you.  There are many different kinds of massage and different ways to categorize them.  One way to categorize the different forms of massage is by “intention” or “goal.”  Using this criteria, I have come up with three types of massage:

1. Relaxation
2. Corrective
3. Energetic

(side note: any of the three categories could use light pressure or deep pressure.)

“Relaxation” massage would include the type of pampering massage you might receive at a spa or salon, or the type you might give to your sweetie after a long day at work.  The intention is to calm the mind, soothe the nerves, and physically relax the entire body.  This type of massage could also be refered to as “full-body,” “Swedish,” or “fluff ‘n buff.”  Though I could talk at length about the accuracy of using those terms, I will take that up another time.  If you are looking for a relaxation massage therapist, those are the “code” words to look for.

“Corrective” massage has the intention of correcting a malfunction in the soft tissue that is causing pain or restriction of motion.   For example:  a knot, an adhesion, tendinitis, frozen shoulder, and many many many more examples.  This is the kind of massage that I specialize in.  “Code” words to look for include “deep tissue,” “sports,” “clinical,” “orthopedic,” or “medical” massage.  The pressure usually is very deep, but not always.  The treatment session will not be a “full body” experience.  This is the kind of massage that you want if you have a persistent knot, chronic pain, or want lasting relief from tension.

“Energetic” massage is intended to affect more than just the physical structures of the body. Examples include: Shiatsu and Reiki.  Some forms of energy work involve no touch at all.  Two examples are “Healing Touch”  (Why is it called Healing TOUCH when there is no touching? I don’t know!  Don’t get me started!) and medical Qi Gong.  In the healing community, these forms fall under the heading of “bodywork” and not “massage.”  However, if you intend to practice one of these modalities, your local government may still require that you have a massage license.

I suppose there is a fourth category:  “Sensual”

The intention of a “Sensual” massage is to arouse the senses.  This might be the kind of massage you give your sweetie after a romantic date.  This is also the kind that could get you arrested if you charge money for it.  This category includes “erotic,” “tantric,” “date,” or a “happy ending” massage.   Do NOT call me if you are looking for this kind of massage.  “Asian” massage or “Thai” style have unfortunately become code words for an erotic experience.  But there are legitimate forms of Asian and Thai massage.