Did you know that massage therapy may provide benefits to those who have cancer? It’s true! If you or someone you know is battling cancer, read on to learn more about the benefits of oncology massage in Port Orange and beyond.

Just about everyone knows someone who has been impacted by cancer, because it’s become so common. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer has a major impact on society in the U.S. and worldwide. In fact, they report that around 39% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer within their lifetime. In 2025 alone, there were over 2 million new cancer cases in the U.S.

The Benefits of Oncology Massage

Those who have cancer may experience pain, stress, anxiety, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, sleep disturbances, and more. To make matters worse, anxiety can increase pain. The good news is that massage may help with some of these issues, helping those with cancer to feel more comfortable and have less anxiety and pain. There is a lot of research on how massage helps with reducing anxiety.

Here are some of the research studies supporting the benefits of oncology massage:

• The July 2023 issue of Medicine reports that massage therapy can be used as a complementary alternative therapy to relieve cancer pain in patients with hematological malignancies, breast cancer, and cancers of the digestive system.

• In the December 2025 issue of Healthcare, massage therapy may provide short-term improvements in selected physical and psychological symptoms in cancer patients and may serve as a supportive complementary intervention. Improvements were observed in symptom frequency, quality of life, anxiety levels, and symptom intensity, suggesting benefits in fatigue, behavioral symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, insomnia, and global symptom perception.

• In the December 2018 issue of Medicine, researchers report that massage helps with overall symptom management, as well as having been shown in smaller studies with cancer patients to modulate the immune system, and has been demonstrated to significantly decrease markers of immune system activation in normal subjects.

• The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reports that massage for cancer patients improves quality of life, sleep quality, and pain symptoms.

• The Journal of Pain Symptom Management reports that massage therapy is associated with substantive improvement in cancer patients' symptom scores.

• The journal Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America reports that massage, modified appropriately, offers potential beneficial effects for cancer patients in terms of reducing anxiety and pain and other symptoms.

Oncology massage has been shown to help cancer patients with some of the most common symptoms they may be experiencing, including pain, anxiety, nausea, fatigue, and depression. Massage may also help enhance mood, contribute to better rest, and improve perception of treatment, as it helps to restore a feeling of wholeness to the body, increases range of motion, helps with stress reduction, provides restorative rest, and helps with short-term pain relief.

Oncology Massage Safety

Many people question whether or not oncology massage is safe. According to research published in the journal Current Oncology, Massage administered by a registered (or licensed) massage therapist is very safe; complications are rare. They report that when there have been adverse affects they were mainly associated with massage delivered by laypeople (not a licensed massage therapist), and it was with techniques other than Swedish massage. They advise that those with cancer seeking massage should always choose a licensed massage therapist, and the type of massage should be Swedish (what Zensational Massage Therapy specializes in).

The National Cancer Institute lists massage therapy as a complementary and alternative medicine for those with cancer, as it may help in a variety of ways. They also list mediation as helpful, and Zensational Massage Therapy offers mindfulness meditation coaching.

It's always advisable to consult with your doctor or oncology team to determine if they believe massage therapy would be a suitable option for you now or somewhere along your treatment journey.

Oncology Massage Precautions

There are times when cancer patients should not get massage, including if they have an active fever or infection, active bleeding, low platelet counts (unless the doctor has approved it), and if there are suspected blood clots. It is important to share with the massage therapist if you have a port, lymphedema, medical devices, medications, and removal of lymph nodes, so the massage can be adapted to the person’s needs. It is also important to know that oncology massage should not be deep tissue or deep pressure in nature.

Oncology Massage in Port Orange

Zensational Massage Therapy offers massage therapy for cancer patients. Jacqueline is a licensed massage therapist qualified to offer oncology massage. She specializes in Swedish massage and makes the necessary adaptations to safely nurture the body of someone affected by cancer or its treatments. The Swedish relaxation massage will be adapted to meet your needs and condition.

Located in Port Orange, Zensational Massage Therapy offers massage therapy for cancer patients, as well as mindfulness meditation. Book an appointment today, or contact Jacqueline for additional information.

Oncology Massage in Port Orange