Complementary therapies are becoming increasingly integrated into mainstream medical care. Many hospitals now offer these services, alongside those provided by charities and private practitioners. This growth reflects the significant need for support in managing the challenging side effects that often accompany cancer treatment.
For many people affected by cancer, complementary therapies offer a more natural way to ease symptoms and restore balance, especially when conventional treatments already bring a high level of physical stress and toxicity. More and more, patients and healthcare providers alike are recognizing the value of combining medical treatments with complementary care to achieve the best possible outcomes.
By integrating these approaches, complementary therapies can help reduce both physical and emotional stress, bringing comfort, relief from treatment-related symptoms, and much-needed emotional support throughout this difficult journey.
In this post, we’ll explore a few complementary therapies—massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, and acupuncture—that can gently support you in managing treatment side effects and enhancing your overall wellbeing. Research shows these therapies may help reduce symptoms such as pain, anxiety, low mood, and fatigue, offering comfort and balance throughout your treatment journey.
Integrating Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care
Complementary therapies offer supportive options that work alongside your conventional treatments. These therapies are part of a holistic approach to care, which aims to address the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. By integrating these therapies into your treatment plan, you can enhance your overall well-being and support your body, soothe your mind, and enhance your overall sense of wellbeing.
Massage Therapy: A Soothing Touch for Cancer Care
Massage therapy works with the body’s soft tissues to ease tension and promote relaxation. For people with cancer, massage techniques are carefully adapted to provide all the benefits of touch without the risks that can come with deeper, more intense massage styles. Deep tissue massage, for example, may be too vigorous and leave you feeling unwell. This is why it’s important to find a massage therapist with specialist training and experience in cancer care—they will know how to adjust their approach to ensure your comfort and safety while still offering the many soothing benefits of massage.
-
Reduced pain: Massage can relieve muscle tension and discomfort.
-
Eases stress and anxiety: Promotes deep relaxation, creating a sense of calm.
-
Improved sleep: Can help restore more restful, restorative sleep, reducing fatigue.
Reduced pain: Massage can alleviate muscle tension and pain, with studies showing trends toward improvement in pain levels after therapeutic massage sessions [1].
Alleviates stress and anxiety: Massage therapy helps to promote deep relaxation, which in turn significantly reduces anxiety levels, providing a sense of calm and well-being for cancer patients.
Improved sleep: Regular massage can enhance sleep quality and reduce fatigue. In fact, research has shown that sleep quality is considered a secondary outcome in studies on therapeutic massage for cancer patients [1].
Aromatherapy: The Healing Power of Scent
Aromatherapy uses natural plant extracts, or essential oils, to support health and wellbeing. By combining massage with carefully selected oils, aromatherapy massage relaxes muscles, enhances circulation, and allows the therapeutic properties of the oils to be absorbed and inhaled. Benefits may include:
-
Reduced nausea: Certain scents can help ease nausea and vomiting.
-
Calms anxiety and stress: Oils like lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang soothe the mind and body.
-
Better sleep: Calming aromas can support more restful sleep, helping you feel rejuvenated.
Reflexology: Healing Through Your Feet
Reflexology is an ancient therapy that involves applying gentle pressure to specific points on the feet and/or hands. These points, known as reflex points, are believed to correspond to different organs and systems within the body. By stimulating these points, reflexologists aim to promote relaxation, improve circulation, and support the body’s natural healing. For cancer patients, reflexology can be a valuable complementary therapy as it can:
Ease nerve discomfort: Research shows that reflexology is an effective method in managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) in cancer patients [3].
Improve circulation: Reflexology can enhance blood flow and stimulate the lymphatic system, which can be especially beneficial for those dealing with swelling or lymphedema, as it helps reduce fluid buildup and promotes better overall circulation.
Boost overall well-being: Many patients report feeling more balanced and energised after sessions. In fact, a study on reflexology in Scottish hospices found that patients experienced improved quality of life through a reduction in both physical and emotional symptoms [4].
Acupuncture: Balancing Energy and Alleviating Symptoms
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that has been used for thousands of years to promote health and well-being. It involves inserting very fine, sterile needles into specific points on the body, known as acupuncture points or acupoints. These points are believed to correspond to different organs and systems within the body, and stimulating them can help to balance the body’s energy flow.
Acupuncture can be a valuable complementary therapy for cancer patients, offering several benefits:
Manage cancer-related fatigue: A comprehensive review of multiple studies indicates that acupuncture could significantly reduce cancer-related fatigue [5].
Improved Physical Comfort: Significant reductions in mean pain scores were observed after the first acupuncture treatment, highlighting its immediate impact on alleviating cancer-related pain and other symptoms [6].
Increase Overall Wellness: Acupuncture alleviates physical symptoms and enhances emotional and mental well-being, contributing to a holistic improvement in the overall wellness of patients undergoing cancer treatment.
The Takeaway
Complementary therapies such as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, and acupuncture can be deeply supportive companions throughout your cancer journey. They may help ease common treatment side effects, reduce stress, and enhance overall wellbeing. When used alongside medical care, these gentle practices bring comfort, balance, and holistic support for both body and mind.
REFERENCES
[1] Toth, M., Marcantonio, E. R., Davis, R. B., Walton, T., Kahn, J. R., & Phillips, R. S. (2013). Massage therapy for patients with metastatic cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19(7), 650-656.
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2012.0466
[2] Zorba, P., & Ozdemir, L. (2018). The preliminary effects of massage and inhalation aromatherapy on chemotherapy-induced acute nausea and vomiting: a quasi-randomized controlled pilot trial. Cancer nursing, 41(5), 359-366.
[3] Kurt, S., & Can, G. (2018). Reflexology in the management of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy: a pilot randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 32, 12-19.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462388917302405
[4] Milligan, M., Fanning, M., Hunter, S., Tadjali, M., & Stevens, E. (2002). Reflexology audit: patient satisfaction, impact on quality of life and availability in Scottish hospices. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 8(10), 489-496.
https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/epdf/10.12968/ijpn.2002.8.10.10695
[5] Zhang, Y., Lin, L., Li, H., Hu, Y., & Tian, L. (2018). Effects of acupuncture on cancer-related fatigue: a meta-analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer, 26, 415-425.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-017-3955-6
[6] Miller, K. R., Patel, J. N., Symanowski, J. T., Edelen, C. A., & Walsh, D. (2019). Acupuncture for cancer pain and symptom management in a palliative medicine clinic. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 36(4), 326-332.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1049909118804464