Massage Therapy Can Improve the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients

Massage Therapy Improves the Quality of Life for Those Constantly Battling Cancer

Recent studies from the American Massage Therapy Association have shown that massage therapy helps reduce the pain, stress, nausea, depression, distress, anxiety and fatigue that come with treating cancer. At the same time, massage therapy improves the quality of life for those struggling with the terrible affliction.

"Integrating massage therapy into treatment plans has been shown to greatly reduce cancer-related pain," said Jeff Smoot, President of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). "Relieving part of the physical manifestation of disease allows patients to more closely focus on their rehabilitation and recovery."

The Massage Therapy Study

In 2014, a study was performed involving patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. These patients received 50 minutes of Swedish massage three times per week for seven weeks. The findings from these treatments shown that patients experienced a decrease in stress volumes and an increase in comfort and relaxation. This was stark in contrast to the patients who weren’t subjected to massage therapy, who only received the usual standard-of-care practices.

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