I invite you to review three excerpts from case studies in the below sited article to shed light on how massage therapy and the Kinesio ® Taping Method can be an effective part of the palliative care provided to cancer patients for pain management.
Symptoms experienced by cancer patients vary by type and site of the tumor. What is universal in cancer patients is the degree to which their lives are affected. The Cleveland Clinic states “Pain is one of the most dreaded symptoms in cancer, regrettably, it is often under-treated.”
Excerpts from the studies
Case Report No. 1: “Pain reduction allowed the patient to improve his daily activities. Furthermore, the psychological distress was decreased, which improved family relations.”
Case Report No. 2: “The patient’s general condition has significantly improved, thanks to good pain control and the enhancement of her functional status.”
Case Report No. 3: “The procedure proved to be effective in skin and muscle tension reduction as well as in decreasing pain.”
Massage Therapy and the Kinesio ® Taping Method provide an alternative medical approach that can work in concert with treatment protocols to manage a cancer patient’s pain.
Always seek the advice and follow the instructions of your medical team.
Resources:
Case Study: Anna Pyszora, Agnieszka Wójcik, Malgorzata Krajnik. Are soft tissue therapies and Kinesio Taping useful for symptom mgmt in palliative care? Three case reports. Advances in Palliative Medicine 2010, vol. 9, no. 3, 87-92
Cleveland Clinic Resource: http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/hematology-oncology/cancer-pain/#table01
About the Author
Scott Korb is a board-certified licensed massage therapist with decades of clinical experience. He specializes in orthopedic, medical, sports, and pain-management massage therapy. In addition to private practice work, he has served as a massage therapy educator for many years and is both a Certified Kinesio Tape Practitioner and Certified Kinesio Tape Instructor. Through his brand, Vita Massage, in Bluffton, SC, he helps clients integrate therapeutic bodywork and taping techniques to support rehabilitation, performance, and long-term wellness. Elastic therapeutic taping has become a widely used and effective clinical technique across healthcare settings, benefiting individuals from pediatric to geriatric populations. Scott has incorporated therapeutic taping into his work since 2009 and considers it an invaluable tool for supporting clients’ mobility, comfort, and recovery goals. Scott is currently practicing massage therapy at Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers. Reach out to their staff to schedule a massage therapy appointment with Scott if looking to add massage therapy to your holistic approach for pain management. You may also feel free to reach out to Scott directly via the Contact page.
