Cancer Patients Can Enjoy Self-Massage

With a few quiet moments and some simple movements, cancer patients can enjoy relaxing, centering self-massage.

Cherie Perez, a supervising research nurse in MD Anderson’s Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, teaches relaxation techniques to patients through the cancer center’s Place … of wellness.

Perez advises patients to talk to their doctors if they have:

• Arthritis
• Active cancer
• Radiation in areas they want to massage

Patients who have had lymph nodes removed should not massage the affected limb. Instead, they can gently place a hand on the area and visualize relaxation.

A light touch can be used to avoid bruising if patients:

• Use aspirin
• Bruise easily
• Have a low platelet count

Massage can be performed with:

• Dry hands
• Hand lotion with or without one or two drops of essential oil
• Facial moisturizer with or without one drop of essential oil

Tips for head massage

Simple movements make up these exercises:

• Apply fingertip pressure in circles to the:
  • Temples
  • Forehead
• Drag two fingers over:
  • Eyebrow
  • Bridge of nose
  • Area below eyes
• Place palms over ears:
  • Drag thumbs down back of head
  • Feel ridge in back of head
  • Press thumbs into this area and release
• Hold face with hands, and with thumbs:
  • Reach behind ears
  • Draw circles over bony area behind ears
• Place fingertips over cheeks:
  • Gently clench jaw
  • Draw fingertip circles, feeling jaw muscles
• Softly tap fingertips like rain drops over:
  • Forehead
  • Cheeks
  • Chin

Tips for neck massage

Patients with arthritis or cancer in the spine should talk to their doctors before using self-massage.

Here are two neck massage techniques:

Grasp neck with palms, cup hands:

• Allow fingertips to touch at neck bones
• Space fingers between bony areas
• Apply gentle pressure
• Drag fingertips to front of neck

Grasp area where neck and shoulders meet:

• Gently press fingers into muscle and knead
• Grasp and release quickly or beat muscle

– From staff reports

Resources:

• Place … of wellness