Cancer

[queenbeeth22]

I know this topic has been covered ten times over.....

but I think need something specific here.

A friend wants me to help someone out and I like to help if I can. This women has cancer that started out in the colon and is now in the liver. She is using alternative medicine only.... things from supplements, raw food diets, juicing, homeopathic, ect.

She is currently having major back pain from not being able to move around alot and the back pain keeps her up at night. My friend who stays with her does some acupressure which helps a bit .

As a MT, what type of work is appropriate for her? My friend says she uses deep pressure. Is that ok?

Thanks for any advice. If I can safely work on this women, I like to try to ease her pain.

 

[__A_YAHOO_USER__]

Unless the cancer has gone into the bones, leaving her susceptible to breakage, the deep tissue is probably okay. Her physician should be able to instruct. There is no chemo to cause a concern, no radiation burns. A doctor (MD or ND) should be able to give reasoned advice on pressure, and I would want that.

 

[Pompal 09.]

She isn't seeing a MD, only on occasion for blood tests to see the progress.

My concern is that deep work could be to intense on her body, but apparently that is what gets the back muscles to release.

I hope to get more feedback concerning this. Super Bowl Sunday must have everyone off the internet. :

 

[ange]

She isn't seeing a MD, only on occasion for blood tests to see the progress.

I've had clients take paperwork to the doctor's office with the request to fill it out and return it, and I provide a SASE. It is short, so I've never had a problem receiving it without the client having an appointment right then. Is she seeing any primary health care practitioner? She may not be. Then there is a lot of "trust the client with her own body" - and if she really feels the deep pressure is what is helping and signs the disclaimer on the intake, the main thing left is communication during sessions and keeping everything within BOTH participants' comfort levels.

I hope to get more feedback concerning this. Super Bowl Sunday must have everyone off the internet. :

Super Bowl Sunday.......so THAT'S why both my message boards are dead and nobody is playing scrabble!!!!!!! :shock: lol

 

[Kallan- MIA]

As a cancer survivor myself, DT massage never affected me in a negative way. Between it being a possiblty I may have it, to when I had my biopsy, to when I had it removed I felt pain in my lower back and deep pressure helped the most. Did it spread? Yes. But it was going to spread regardless. Its strange when you see it one month and its hardly anything and in a months time its 10 times worse.

Plus it also helped ease my mind as to everything that was going on,its a very scary thing to go through and you sometimes feel as if you are an alien and no one wants anything to do with you. Some people act as if they can catch it if they touch you. So having that touch is amazing.

Good luck with your client and keep us up to date on how things are going.

 

[China Man]

Shannon,
I am soo happy that you are a SURVIVOR..I'm sorry you had to ever go through that...hope you feel better than ever right now!!!! t058

 

[Eiginh]

Cancer

As a MT, what type of work is appropriate for her? My friend says she uses deep pressure. Is that ok?

Thanks for any advice. If I can safely work on this women, I like to try to ease her pain.

I would be very careful doing any work, unless you know exactly where the CA has metastasized to and have a pretty good handle on oncology massage. Personally, I have the background of knowledge to be comfortable doing oncology work and I still always refer cancer clients out to an oncology massage therapist.

You seem to have noted that she alread has mets to the liver. I believe it makes sense to understand the pathology, before putting yourself into a position that may cause more damage.

I know you want to help and that is a wonderful thing. But, please make sure that your bases are covered and get a script from her MD when in doubt.

Here's a google search on colon cancer with mets to the liver. Maybe you can pick up some reading here.

I'm also posting this, in case you haven't had a chance to dig around much. It's a pretty simplified info bit on colon cancer from medicinenet.com.

What is cancer of the colon and rectum?

The colon is the part of the digestive system where the waste material is stored. The rectum is the end of the colon adjacent to the anus. Together, they form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine (also known as the large bowel). Tumors of the colon and rectum are growths arising from the inner wall of the large intestine. Benign tumors of the large intestine are called polyps. Malignant tumors of the large intestine are called cancers. Benign polyps do not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. Benign polyps can be easily removed during colonoscopy and are not life-threatening. If benign polyps are not removed from the large intestine, they can become malignant (cancerous) over time. Most of the cancers of the large intestine are believed to have developed from polyps. Cancer of the colon and rectum (also referred to as colorectal cancer) can invade and damage adjacent tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also break away and spread to other parts of the body (such as liver and lung) where new tumors form. The spread of colon cancer to distant organs is called metastasis of the colon cancer. Once metastasis has occurred in colorectal cancer, a complete cure of the cancer is unlikely.

 

[dragonfly]

I have advanced training in oncology massage and would like to help you. I'm a little late finding this post, but hopefully better late than never.

It is mentioned that at this time she is choosing only alternative therapies - but what is her treatment history from the first time she had cancer (colon)? Did she have surgery/ chemotherapy/ radiation? When? Where? If chemo, which drugs? When did chemo/rad begin and end?

When you have the answers to those questions, let me know and I may be able to help guide you through providing her with a session that is safe for her.

Feel free to email me.
heather@bodhihbodywork.com

 

[Roger Dodger]

She passed away. I never worked on her, there was a big falling out between my friend and her family. (My friend was helping take care of her, she was the one person who really supported her dicision to use alternative therapies. The patients family was against it the whole time and eventually took it out on my friend.)

I might look into taking some classes but just feel it isn't my 'target' market at this time.

Thanks!

 

[Pompal 09.]

That is very sad. But thank you for sharing.

If you or anyone you know is ever in need of information regarding oncology massage and classes, please feel free to pass along my email and anyone can contact me at any time.

Take care,
Heather