Oncology Massage

In Oncology Massage - an integrative approach to cancer care the authors have created a textbook which will provide both experienced and inexperienced therapists with a resource to expand their knowledge and understanding of working with people with cancer. Cancer occurrence and survivorship are now so common that every massage therapist will at some time work with clients who have been through cancer treatment. The short and long-term effects of biomedical cancer treatment require massage therapy adaptations to pressure, site, position and duration to provide safe and effective treatments. Informed massage therapists can support the body to promote overall wellness as well as identify the underlying secondary effects of cancer treatment that contribute to physical dysfunction.

Oncology Massage: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Care provides massage therapists with essential information for:

Treatment planning based on the physiology of cancer and cancer treatments

Critical, thoughtful treatment decision making

Consideration of the psychosocial effects of cancer

Enhancing therapist self-awareness and building a therapeutic relationship.

The information is presented in a clear and simple format with plentiful use of illustrations and information boxes which allows it to be used both as a learning tool for those new to the field of oncology massage and as a resource for quick referral when working with new patients.

The techniques of massage therapy change very little; it is the knowledge and understanding of their use that distinguishes a massage therapist. Oncology Massage is unusual in that it includes contributions not only from a range of experienced practitioners but also from people with cancer who have received massage during and after cancer treatment. This feedback from clients provides an invaluable addition to the understanding of how massage can be used as a safe and effective part of cancer care.

Janet Penny (Author)
Janet Penny RMT has extensive experience working with people living with cancer in both her private practice and at an integrative cancer centre.

Janet has developed a treatment approach that addresses the multi-faceted needs of oncology massage clients. Her approach focuses on pre- and post-surgical treatments, scar tissue, radiation fibrosis, neuropathy and pain within the complex context of the client’s emotions that pervade and influence the body. Janet is forever amazed at the resiliency of the human body and all it goes through.

Rebecca Sturgeon (Author)
Rebecca Sturgeon LMT, CMLDT, started her career as a massage therapist in 2008 and began working with oncology patients in 2010. She has worked in clinical and community environments providing massage and manual lymphatic drainage. She has been a massage therapy educator for the majority of her career and currently teaches oncology massage continuing education as part of the faculty for Healwell, an American-based organisation which works towards the meaningful integration of massage therapy into health care through multiple educational offerings and interdisciplinary collaboration in a clinical setting.