"Massage and Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know"

This article was published on MARCH 15, 2018 BY NANCY BRIER on Breast Cancer News.

Nothing beats the therapeutic value of a massage after a hard day, and breast cancer treatment is a marathon of long, hard days. During this time, a trained massage therapist can help in many ways.

Ease your pain. 
Massage can reduce fatigue and soften muscles and connective tissues which might feel tight and uncomfortable. Cancer, stress, and side effects of treatment take a toll on the body, and the right massage can offer chemical-free relief.

Reconnect you with your body. 
The sensation of healing hands on your body can be a great reminder of the experience you’re undergoing and the strength you’re demonstrating to get through it. Your practitioner’s hands on your own brave skin can offer support, validation, and comfort when you need it the most.

Cheryl Chapman, nurse and massage therapist, says that “massage allows a woman to let go of fear, anger and loneliness and deal with her altered self-image.”

Restore your spirit
Part of the massage experience, for many people, is a spiritual connection that transcends the physical experience happening in the room. The energy exchanged between the practitioner and the recipient can lift up both people, and that healing is especially beneficial in the atmosphere of breast cancer treatment.

Mackenzie Epps at Align is a Registered Massage Therapist and Sports Massage Therapist (cc) from Ontario, Canada where she graduated from Lambton College.  She is trained in general Swedish massage, trigger point therapy, cupping massage, sport specific treatments: pre/inter/post event massage and injury prevention and maintenance during activity. 

Mackenzie is a firm believer in the benefits of massage therapy ranging from actual physical recovery to the overall mental and emotional wellness a massage treatment can provide.