Massage Pathology Chronicles

Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer related deaths for both men and women. There are some long-term irritants that are associated with lung cancer, including: air pollution, cigarette smoke, asbestos, and coal dust. Cigarette smoke is the main cause of lung cancer. However, it is also important to note that lung cancer can also affect individuals who have never smoked. Tragically, lung cancer is often not detected until the late stages when symptoms include chronic cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood, weight loss, and fatigue. A neighbor of mine was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. His health went from bad to worse and he died less than 6 months after receiving the diagnosis. He was vibrant and active before these symptoms appeared, had generally been in good health, exercised and was a vegetarian. He had also been a smoker. It was very hard for his family and friends to see him go through this painful end. As medical technologies and innovations advance, we will hopefully find better ways to detect cancers and other diseases earlier, and provide better treatment options that extend the quality and quantity of life by providing cures. For massage therapists, there are several guidelines to follow with patients diagnosed with cancer. It is essential to obtain clearance from the health care provider, and also educate themself about the type of cancer and the treatments that the client is undergoing. Massage over the site of tumors or areas infected by cancer are contraindicated due to pain from pressure of massage. The massage must also be adjusted to the stamina of the client and observe for signs of fatigue. Communication with both the client and primary care physician is essential in the planning of massage therapy.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Lung Cancer

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson. Within the course of Dr. Johnson.

While reading Chapter 12, I learned about Cancer and Neoplasia. A person with cancer can benefit greatly from massage. Massage can help to relax and improve the quality of life for a cancer patient because these clients have a huge amount of stress while dealing with a life threatening disease. During treatment the body can really take a beating, so massage can help relax the muscles, and relieve stress. In the beginning cancer was totally contraindicated, but now with more study and understanding of the disease it is allowed and greatly suggested by doctors. It can also help family members of someone with cancer, to relive the stress and relax them.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson. Within the course of Dr. Johnson.

That’s a unique perspective on the epidemic. Fascinating! Chapter 12, again, started out promising enough. There are copious amounts of information in the beginning, including substantial sections on evaluating cancer patients and helping them or making them comfortable. There were, again, really good diagrams on cancer cell development, tumors, and growths of all kinds. The pathological segments were great and informative. Then, of course, and no longer to my surprise, they started to show surgically extracted tumors as well as brains. Again, if I can’t see it from the surface, why bother? I need to evaluate people for a safe treatment plan based on a visual and palpatory examination, in addition to one or more intake forms and doctor’s notes. I don’t need to see a malignant kidney tumor, or brain cancer. There’s no way for me to confirm that on a client. If anything, more graphic images ought to be considered for an index in the back of the book. Seeing those images can’t help be become a better massage therapist. It’s extra information, that may be good for those continuing into the medical field, but not as much for people who went into massage to avoid cadavers.

Original Post
March 18, 2010
Title: Cancer
Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson. Within the course of Dr. Johnson.
Cancer is important for me to be aware of because, living in LA, skin cancer is still rising even though most people are aware of how to prevent it. This is a disturbing fact, because I worked as a lifeguard for several years, and witnessed many people being in the sun for hours on end without applying sun tan lotion. I would hate to be the person who finds evidence of cancer on a client, as I feel this is the doctor’s place to do so, as well as I do not want to be the bearer of anything but good news while in session.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson. Within the course of Dr. Johnson.

Chapter 12 is an overview of cancer and neoplasia causes, the benefits of massage for cancer patients, cancer and tumor development, treatments for cancer, and guidelines for massage therapists. It also shows how to assess a client with cancer with special considerations during their treatment plan. This chapter highlights the special needs of clients with cancer, how to support them, when to avoid treatment, and about adjusting pressure.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Malignancy Cancer, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson. Within the course of Dr. Johnson.

Cancer is important for me to be aware of because, living in LA, skin cancer is still rising even though most people are aware of how to prevent it. This is a disturbing fact, because I worked as a lifeguard for several years, and witnessed many people being in the sun for hours on end without applying sun tan lotion. I would hate to be the person who finds evidence of cancer on a client, as I feel this is the doctor’s place to do so, as well as I do not want to be the bearer of anything but good news while in session.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Cancer massage requires special training. It is important to use a very light, delicate touch, and to avoid putting stress on radiation sites, sites where surgery has been performed, or tumor locations. A massage therapist who has learned to work with cancer patients has to be knowledgeable about which massage creams and oils are safe, and have the experience to make the massage comfortable and enjoyable. Some people fear that massage is dangerous for cancer patients is that there is a fear that massage may cause cancers to metastasize, because it stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluid in the body. Studies have suggested that this may be the case with some deep tissue massage modalities, but that gentle massage is probably not going to lead to a spread of the cancer. Of more concern is lymphedema, a condition caused by pooling of lymph in the limbs; a massage therapist who is not experienced in working with cancer patients could cause lymphedema by accident. Many people believe that touch therapy is very beneficial, especially for cancer patients, who sometimes feel very isolated and frightened. A very gentle massage can help reduce stress for cancer patients, and reductions in stress levels can benefit the immune system as well as one’s outlook on life.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson.

This chapter was about cancer and neoplasia. The chapter begins by introducing the benefits of massage for clients living with cancer. Although this type of therapy cannot specifically treat the body, but can help the client relax and possibly decrease some pain. Cancer is characterized by uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells that form a tumor (neoplasm). Sometimes tumors are benign instead of being malignant. There are many different types of cancer. Each cancer is named from which tissue they are derived. For instance, melanomas grow from melanocytes (skin cells that produced melanin). Cancer cells can spread through the body via the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. The most common types of cancers include lung, breast, colon and prostate. The definite cause of cancer is still undetermined. However, there are many possible causes including carcinogens, oncogenes, and oncoviruses. Some of the current treatments for cancer include surgical excision (to remove tumors, cancerous organs and lymph nodes), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and bone marrow transplant. The massage therapist can be very beneficial after many of these procedures. Table 12-2 (page 319) outlines the side effects from the listed treatments for cancer. It is important for the therapist to recognize some of these side effects. There are also medications used to manage cancer. These are found on table 12-3 on page 321. The chapter also introduces some guidelines when massaging a cancer patient. For instance, the therapist needs to obtain clearance from the primary health provider before beginning a treatment plan, and the therapist needs to be mindful of the symptoms the client is experiencing. A list of these guidelines can be found on pages 324 and 325. There are many types of cancer which are introduced on pages 325-337. Some of these cancers include bladder cancer, brain tumors, laryngeal cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and pancreatic cancer. Figure 12-22 shows the stages of Hodgkin’s disease. In general all of the photos in this chapter were very helpful and informative. I learned a lot from this chapter that I didn’t know.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson.

In today’s society, everyone knows someone who has been directly or indirectly affected by at least one type of cancer- the uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells that form a tumor. It is the second highest cause of death in the United States, second to heart disease. Incidences of different kinds of cancer vary by age, gender, ethnicity and location (Salvo, 312).

Page 324 discussed the general guidelines for massage therapists when working with cancer patients. Although many of us are familiar with cancer, there are certain precautions and considerations that need to be taken into account when working with a client with cancer. I feel that one of the most important points was the idea of being educated about the type of cancer and the treatments which the client is undergoing. Overall, discussing the client’s needs and level of comfort with the massage is crucial for an effective treatment plan. “The massage therapist needs to ask the client exactly what symptoms and quality of those symptoms the client is experiencing each time the client receives a massage treatment so that the massage therapist can tailor the treatment based on the client’s needs.” Also of importance is accepting the client’s appearance and remaining professional and considerate, as this is respectful to the client and what he/she is going through. These considerations remain true for all of the various cancers presented, and thus I felt were the most pertinent part of the chapter.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Malignancy Cancer, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson.

Chapter 12 covers the causes of cancer and neoplasia, benefits of massage for cancer patients, the development of cancer and tumors, current treatments for cancer, guidelines for massage therapists, how to assess a client with cancer, and special considerations during treatment. This chapter emphasizes the special needs of clients with cancer and how to support them, when to avoid treatment, and adjusting pressure as needed.

Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

In my opinion massage is very beneficial for a cancer patient. cancer patients are going through so much trauma and stress during the whole process from when they find out they have cancer to all the medical procedures, helping a client relax and make their bodies feel better can do wonders for there whole system. I have a relative who has cancer and once her health care provider approved that I massage her, I immediately gave her a massage and it helped her sleep and relax.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Pathologies Malignancy

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson.

This chapter went over the devastating cancer. It talked about how massage can be a help to cancer patients and their families. It talked about the different types of cancer and told us how color, gender, environment, etc. can affect what people will end up with cancer. Then it talked about the precautions massage therapists should take for cancer patients.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Malignancy Cancer, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists

Review of Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists, by Salvo and Anderson.

On my experience on this chapter is that I have studied the comparison of benign and malignant tumors, also how to treat cancers and its implications. Also it shows me how to watch over my client’s body if they have any of those moles that changes its asymmetry, border, color, and diameter, fast-growing. Also it explains to you how to massage the body with the cancer and how to avoid them.

Tags: Massage Therapy Pathology, Massage Pathology Chronicles, Massage Therapy Cancer Malignancy, Mosby’s Pathology for Massage Therapists