“We cannot change the outcome but we can affect the journey”
Massage therapy is a valuable component of palliative care, the medical sub-specialty focused on treating the pain, symptoms and stress of advanced illnesses.
As with most client populations, patients in palliative care settings are likely dealing with a variety of issues – some that are physical and some that are more emotional — and massage therapy can help manage many of them. The overarching goal is to provide comfort without doing harm and, as with all massage, tailoring the massage to the individual. This usually involves very slow, gentle and gently applied techniques.
Palliative care patients can also benefit from the one-on-one attention massage therapists are able to give them. This attention supports the patient both physically, mentally and emotionally, providing relief to sore muscles to someone who is confined to a wheelchair or hospital bed, for example, as well as relaxation for the mind.