Therapeutic Massage Therapy

(American Cancer Society [ACS], 2016, p. 1). Even though the number of people who die because of cancer is declining, much more research and education is needed for treatment and prevention. This paper will provide an overview of the general pathophysiology of cancer, including cancer diagnosis and staging. Three common clinical manifestations of cancer will also be discussed: pain, gastrointestinal changes, and unintended weight loss. Cancer treatments and their side effects, including pain, gastrointestinal and hematological changes, disfigurement, and depression are also discussed. Implications for nursing practice such as education, pain management techniques, patient education, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions will be addressed.

Massage is a very common form of therapy for all sorts of things, from stress to chronic pain. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of massage in helping to manage patients’ pain while keeping them off medication. The benefit of this type of treatment is pain relief through manipulation of the body. The mechanism of action is, once again, unknown, but it is thought to be related to stimulation of muscles and the blood flow being increased. There are

What does back pain, neck tension, headaches and anxiety all have in common? They are all treatable issues that can be relieved or treated through massage therapy. Stress-related symptoms are one potential treatment option for massage therapy. Massage may also be used to treat muscular pain following strenuous exercise. Tiffany Field, head of Psychology at the University of Miami School of Medicine's Touch Research Institute, explains that massage can limit our bodies fight or flight response associated with stressful or fearful situations. In university, many students will experience stressful moments with assignments, exams, and projects. What many students are unaware of, is how stress negatively impacts mental and physical health. Through the use of massage therapy, students can relieve stress and even sleep better at night. Massage can be used to cope with mood disorders and relieve muscle pain or tension. Field explains massage can increase blood flow and circulation of oxygen or nutrients throughout the muscles, as a method of removing metabolic wastes such as lactic acid that are produced through exercise (58). Massage is an excellent treatment for stress, pain, and sleep deprivation. With a massage therapy clinic on campus, charging at reduced rates, students would benefit by having the opportunity to improve their quality of sleep, limit emotional issues they may be feeling, improve their athletic performance and improve their academic performance.

As an old, famous traditional Chinese saying puts it, 30% of an individual’s overall wellness comes from disease treatment, while the remaining 70% is a result of a healthy life style. Disease prevention depends on our social lifestyle, nutrition, exercise and ability to de-stress. As a professional Registered Massage therapist, I can help increase my clients’ awareness of their own responsibility for health lifestyle and of the importance of regular exercises, de-stress, and prevention of disease and dysfunction. By doing so, we not only help our clients and serve our society, but also reduce the burden to the health care system.

Pain, which is defined in its widest sense as an emotion which is the opposite of pleasure (White, 2004, p.455), is one of the major symptoms of cancer, affecting a majority of sufferers at some point during their condition (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.8). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2009, online) suggests that relief from pain may be achieved in more than 90 percent of patients;

Pain is a prevalent symptom among patients in general and in cancer patients. The treatment and control of pain have been through the years one of the most significant concerns of health workers and a constant inspiration for the scientific community in the search for the ideal drug to treat pain with the least possible amount of adverse reactions.

Having worked in the oncology department in my organization for several years, I understand that cancer pain is intricate and compounded, managing cancer pain involves polypharmacy both pharmacological and non-pharmacological complementary and alternative therapy. Cancer patients, aching and discomfort trigger arrays of outpouring warning signs. With upsurge sign of pain ensues apprehension, while upsurge in apprehension ensues fretfulness and shortness of breath, the upsurge fretfulness and shortness of breath brings forth advanced fretfulness, which results in complex pain and anguish. It is imperative to treat cancer patient with pain early to avert and lessen other accompanied symptoms.

The first key finding that I concluded from my research article is that non-pharmacological intervention such as music and massage, whether used individually or in a combination of both, demonstrated a decrease in pain perception and anxiety, and an increase in relaxation according to patients’ experience (T. Najafi Ghezelieh, et al. 2017). This article was about a randomized controlled clinical trial group of 240 burn patients located in a burn unit hospital in Iran, the group was divided into groups of 60 patients in one of the following four groups: control group receiving conventional (pharmacological approach) primary care, music group that allows patients to

Part of the WHO goal is to educate providers, clinicians and public on the proper assessment, pharmacological, and non-pharmacological approaches. This type of knowledge of pain management is crucial to the multidimensional aspects and symptoms associated with common co-morbidities in palliative care (Wilkie and Ezenwa, 2012). The most commonly used tool suggested by the WHO is the “WHO Pain Relief Ladder” which includes adult and child variations that progress from non-opioid with adjuvant to opioid medication (Lowe, Hanchanale and Hurlow, 2014). The WHO ladder has been successful in providing adequate pain control in 96% of renal failure patients and 45-100% of cancer patients on palliative care (Lowe, Hanchanale and Hurlow, 2014). In addition to a lack of knowledge of treatment options, many individuals are confused to the roles of specialists and non specialists in palliative care (O’Brien, 2013). In order for substantial change to occur and ultimately promote reform in palliative care pain management, education must be initiated with the person experiencing pain. An individual’s experience can be improved if the patient is educated about the impact of pain, its consequences, and are able to play an active role in managing their own care (Pizzo and Clark,

Treating pain associated with cancer is very complex. Significant factors with the initial intensity of pain are metastasis to the bony area, temporary pain despite administering other pain medications, below the age of 60-year-old and bad result in the (KPS) Karnofsky performance scale (Caraceni & Portenoy, 1999).

Assessment of a patient’s experience of pain is fundamental in providing effective pain management (Wood, 2008). Ripamonti et al. (2012) in their research published for the European society for Medical Oncology, set out guidelines for the adequate assessment of the patient with pain at any stage of cancer (Appendix A). Wood (2008) states that this systematic process of pain assessment, measurement, and

My body tends to get a lot of knots from stress, unbalanced postures, and sleep. My neck and shoulders would get very tense sometimes. So, every time that I get a massage from someone or me massaging myself, I can feel my muscles loosening up and not being so stiff anymore. I also experience the physical emotional experience of relaxation when I get a massage because of the power of touch from someone else. I think that the feeling of someone massaging me gives me less stress and it clears my mind off of things. It brings my mind and body together and makes me less worry and minimizes my stress. Overall, I think that all the benefits of massage therapy do apply to

Cancer pain is one of the classic mixed pain syndromes. As cancer advances, it may involve nociceptive, mechanical, inflammatory, and neuropathic

(Preview) Massage is widely practiced throughout the world and was brought to the United States years ago, since then we have improved our techniques and processes. There are many types of massage therapy, which can help with all kinds of physical ailments as well as improve one’s wellbeing.

Massage therapy has been utilized for thousands of years as a form of medical care. The origins began around India and spread east to what is now China. Its uses were understood as a form of healing of muscles, joints, and ligaments. Its ability to decrease the healing time required for injuries and other ailments is what makes massage therapy beneficial. Due to this, the practice is rapidly growing around the world, especially within the United States. This form of homeopathy is recommended by both Doctors and Holistic healers and is even covered by medical insurance by a few clinics. Added to the physical benefits of massage is the effect it has on the human mind. It