{"id":193,"date":"2012-08-02T14:09:49","date_gmt":"2012-08-02T21:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debbiepetrina.authorsxpress.com\/?p=193"},"modified":"2022-02-28T19:17:01","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T19:17:01","slug":"massage-therapy-guest-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/?p=193","title":{"rendered":"Massage Therapy: Guest Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cBeneficial for Many Conditions\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

July 27, 2012<\/p>\n

I was approached by Melanie L. Bowen<\/a> requesting me to consider a guest post for my blog. After reading the article about the benefits of using massage therapy during cancer treatment, I agreed.<\/p>\n

When reading her article that follows, you can substitute \u201cMS\u201d every time the word \u201ccancer\u201d is used. Massage is an excellent therapy for persons with MS, giving relief for both body and soul. And this would be true for other chronic illnesses\/conditions as well.<\/p>\n

Using Massage Therapy During Cancer Treatment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Massage therapy is a growing career field, as most people love to indulge in a good massage. Those who become massage therapists usually do so in order to help people relax. What can be especially satisfying for the therapist is the knowledge that he or she is making a real difference in the life of someone who particularly needs extra special care. That person could be aged or suffering from an injury, from stress or from a chronic illness, such as cancer.<\/p>\n

There are many complimentary therapies that can be used alongside traditional cancer treatments. Most doctors now support the use of massage therapy to ease the physical discomfort, anxiety and fatigue that often accompanies having cancer. Depending upon the type of treatment chosen and the stage of disease advancement, the physical effects may be severe.<\/p>\n

For example, when a person is suffering from mesothelioma, the pain and stress can be quite overwhelming. Massage gives you the opportunity to help alleviate the emotional distress and physical pain often experienced with this diagnosis.<\/p>\n

The benefits provided are numerous. Massage therapy during cancer treatment is considered an integrative intervention. Through skilled hands, you can:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Increase the flow of blood and lymphatic fluid, helping the body to flush itself
\n\u2022 Ease muscle pain from spasms and built up tension and toxins
\n\u2022 Augment the effects of pain medication while stimulating the release of endorphins
\n\u2022 Decrease inflammation, edema and swelling<\/p>\n

There are some precautions to follow while getting a massage while treating cancer. Soft tissue areas should be avoided like:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The tumor site
\n\u2022 An open wound, a tear or an area of skin breakdown
\n\u2022 A radiation site
\n\u2022 An area effected with redness, pain, swelling and warmth<\/p>\n

Current medical and professional studies now demonstrate the efficacy of massage therapy in assisting those with cancer in managing their pain, anxiety, fatigue and depression. Sadly, cancer is increasing and many of those diagnosed are going to look for complementary and alternative medical therapies and integrative interventions.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that there are very minor risks involved in using massage therapy during cancer treatment as long as a physician has given the green light. Massage therapy used during this time in a client\u2019s life can truly make a difference in his or her physical comfort and mental state. Without a doubt, this is one of the most rewarding experiences that you can have.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

For MS patients receiving injections for DMA\u2019s, the same precautions should be followed for soft tissue areas.<\/p>\n

I was curious after reading Melanie\u2019s article about insurance coverage for massage therapy for MS and did some research. Medicare said they will cover 80% of the cost, as long as the massage is done by a licensed massage therapist who is employed by a physical therapy facility\/center. My insurance carrier, Highmark Blue Cross\/Blue Shield, will cover 100% under the same requirement! BC\/BS told me this is something they just started in 2011.<\/p>\n

So it is worth inquiring about massage therapy with your private carrier. After all these years, it is finally getting the recognition and support it deserves from both doctors and insurance companies.<\/p>\n

For those of us with MS, massage is not just a luxury for sore muscles, pain and spasms. It is a necessity, and certainly worth pursuing.<\/p>\n

Thank you Melanie, for your contribution and efforts!<\/p>\n

www.DebbieMS.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cBeneficial for Many Conditions\u201d July 27, 2012 I was approached by Melanie L. Bowen requesting me to consider a guest post for my blog. After reading the article about the benefits of using massage therapy during cancer treatment, I agreed. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[56,86,98,164,169,175,176,295,296,348,371],"class_list":["post-193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alternative-therapies","tag-alternative-therapies-2","tag-cancer-therapy","tag-chronic-illness-therapy","tag-living-with-ms","tag-managing-ms","tag-massage-therapy","tag-massage-therapy-and-insurance","tag-ms-symptoms","tag-ms-therapy","tag-pain-therapy","tag-relaxation-therapy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=193"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":765,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193\/revisions\/765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}