Thursday, April 19, 2012

Mesothelioma & Massage

What is Mesothelioma?

According to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance (www.mesothelioma.com): "Mesothelioma is a cacer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin membrane encompassing the body's internal organs and cavities. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled through the mouth and nose may eventually become embedded in the lining of the lungs, causing harmful inflammation of the pleura and resulting in mesothelioma or asbestosis (scar tissue formation in the lungs). It has also been found that swallowing asbestos fibers could contribute to a form of the malignancy originating in the abdomen known as peritoneal mesothelioma."




This month we welcome guest blogger: Marvin Leininger, National Awareness Director, Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com


Massage and Mesothelioma
Replacing or reducing the need for pharmaceuticals that treat pain and stress, massage therapy can play a vital role in the treatment of illnesses such as mesothelioma.
As a holistic approach to relieving pain, increasing blood flow and promoting relaxation, massage can help alleviate some of the side effects associated with this cancer. Mesothelioma patients coping with chest pain, difficulty breathing and treatment anxiety can especially benefit from massage therapy.
As with many traditional mesothelioma therapies, massage therapy primarily focuses on improving the patient’s quality of life and cannot cure the disease.



How Does Massage Therapy Help with Mesothelioma?
Massage is typically thought of as a luxury, not a medical treatment. However, some practitioners feel that this alternative therapy can help promote healing. In 1999, almost half of all cancer centers offered massage in addition to their other therapies, and attitudes towards therapeutic massage have become even more accepting since then.

Some of the cancer-related factors that massage can treat include:
·        * Stress and anxiety
·         *Depression
·         *Pain (including headaches and backaches)
·        * Reduced mobility
·         *Fatigue (caused by the cancer itself or by other treatments, such as chemotherapy)

In 2004, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center conducted a study that examined massage’s potential to reduce pain, fatigue, stress, anxiety, nausea, depression and “other symptoms.” The study found that on average, symptom intensity was cut in half after massage therapy.

Unlike many other treatments for mesothelioma, massage therapy is gentle and non-invasive.
Even the more intense forms of massage – such as a deep tissue massage – are less taxing on the body than many other traditional mesothelioma treatments. As a result, massage is associated with essentially no significant side effects. However, patients who have undergone radiation therapy for their mesothelioma tumors may find massage to be painful in the area where the radiation entered their body.
Massage therapy’s benefits can be magnified when combined with other forms of alternative treatment. Aromatherapy, TENS therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic care can all be used in conjunction with massage therapy.