Massage therapy has been highly integrated into palliative care and hospice settings to manage pain and stress during treatment for specific chronic illnesses. However, is it really this effective in managing pain? Keep reading to find out how palliative massage therapy manages pain in palliative care. Visit the best Pain Management Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.
Palliative Massage Therapy and its role in Pain reduction
Palliative care is often recommended to help reduce pain and stress during treatment for any of the following illnesses:
- Cancer
- Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses
- Parkinson’s disease
- Kidney failure
- Congestive heart failure
- ALS and Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Arthritis
Pain is a common symptom in all of these illnesses in one form or another. Illnesses such as Lou Gehrig’s or ALS cause patients to experience severe muscle weakness and atrophy all around the body. However, with the help of palliative massage therapy, patients who suffer from mobility issues experience improved nerve functions and circulation. Otherwise, immobility can lead to joint rigidness, shortened muscles, and degeneration. Similarly, regular massage can help arthritis patients reduce their pain and improve physical function because arthritis is one of the most common chronic conditions among senior citizens. It can affect anybody, including fingers, knees, and hips, and causes swelling, stiffness, and pain. Those who experience chronic pain in their hands and fingers will notice an improvement in their ability to manage movements with massage therapy. Patients with Alzheimer’s can get additional benefit from the healing power of massage. Studies have found that it significantly reduces agitation among those living with Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, hand massage aids in relaxation and provides a consistent decrease in responsive behaviors.
Treatments for the illnesses mentioned above can cause side effects like nausea, headaches, and migraines. Much research over the past several years has looked into the link between massage therapy and migraine pain. Recently, a small study concluded that regular massage, focusing on the neck, significantly lowers the pain intensity of migraines. Half of the participants received regular massage therapy, and 71% of them found a great reduction in the severity of their headache pain. Recent studies have found massage therapy greatly lowers the most common and unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy, which include nausea and vomiting. This is because massage therapy offers comfort which has made it a source of attention for medical experts within the last few years.
A scientific study in 2013 showed that researchers concluded that massage therapy should be an important part of cancer patients’ treatment plans alongside chemotherapy because it has substantial pain-relieving effects. Massage therapy also relieves discomfort and exhaustion that occurs due to chemotherapy treatment, making patients experience a soothing sensation of touch. Palliative massage not only offers empathy and compassion through companionship but also gives the benefit of alleviating pain.
Scientific evidence of the benefits of massage for pain
Many studies have found evidence that massage therapy can decrease pain. Not only that, but it can also decrease fatigue and positively impact anxiety and depression. Massage therapy has shown significant pain reduction for patients in palliative care, particularly in individuals who have high perception of pain. When massage therapy is combined with physical therapy and exercise, it can lower pain and improve mood in patients with terminal cancer. In another study, pain can be decreased both immediately following treatment and sustained for several weeks, and the pain occurs in different locations in the body.
So, massage therapy is a safe treatment option with an insignificant risk of adverse events, and patients getting this can effectively manage pain linked with cancer.
The Role of the Massage Therapist on the Pain and Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Team
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology statement regarding outpatient palliative care services, increased interaction of palliative care achieves high-quality comprehensive cancer care goals. For a more integrative approach to palliative care, a professionally trained pain and palliative massage therapist plays an essential role in patients’ lives by giving them a choice of incorporating non-pharmaceutical strategies into their treatment plan. A professional massage therapist has a better idea of the following concepts of treating pain in palliative care patients:
- Complexities of pain
- How to Assess and categorize pain
- Medications used for pain management
- Supportive medication in palliative care
- Common Diseases, conditions, and symptoms in palliative Care
- Examine pressure modification and site restrictions
- Special ethical issues in palliative care
- How to work as a part of an interdisciplinary team
Keep in mind that Medicare doesn’t cover massage therapy in palliative care, even though massage therapy has become the most frequently offered complementary therapy in hospice and palliative care. So, talk with your palliative care team.
Massage therapy can play an essential role in managing pain in palliative care for cancer or some specific chronic illnesses. Many studies have proven the effectiveness of massage therapy in reducing pain and fatigue along with a sense of relaxation and comfort to many types of pain.
For more details about palliative care massage therapists, you can talk to or visit our pain management specialist in Brooklyn clinic to get palliative care services. Call us to get a consultation!!!! If your pain needs professional assistance, visit our pain management clinic in Brooklyn today or call to get a consultation. The location at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212 is well-served by public transportation, including many bus routes, and the subway line. Visit our website at https://doralhw.org/department/pain-management/ or contact us on +1-718-367-2555 for additional details.
